History of the Johnstones, 1191-1909, with ... - Electric Scotland

CHAPTER XVII.
" Within the bounds of Annandale
The gentle Johnstones ride,
They have been there a thousand years,
A thousand years they'll bide."—Old Ballad.
Johnstones of Westerhall—Sir William—His Sons—Sir James meets Dr Samuel
Johnson—Sir William Pulteney—Governor Johnstone's Career—Johnstone
of Alva—Gideon Johnstone and Mrs Jordan—Lady Ogilvie—Miss Johnstone.
THE
Johnstones of Westerhall increased their property in the eighteenth
century, and after the death of William, first Marquis of Annandale,
were the most influential of the name in Scotland, as James, the second
Marquis, lived chiefly abroad. There were serious quarrels between these
two, partly because the Marquis had sold hereditary estate to Westerhall, and
Sir William of Westerhall, with very profane language, tried to reconcile the
Marquis to his son. He was therefore much annoyed when Marquis James
made an entail of his property—settling it first on the heirs of his sister and
aunts, after his own male and female heirs, and then, in the event of the failure
of his grandfather's direct heirs, to Colonel James Johnstone of Graitney and his
male heirs—without any mention of the Westerhalls, except to annul the
succession of any heir who married into that family. He also ignored his
half-brothers, George and John, or any other Johnstone. The settlement was
signed at Ferrybridge, in Yorkshire, Oct. I, 1726, witnessed by William
Johnston (younger of Corehead) and others.
Sir William was M.P. for the Dumfries Burghs for nearly twenty years.
He died 1728, leaving four sons— James, John, Archibald, and Walter. John
was a major in Brigadier Phineas Bowles's regiment of Dragoons at the time
he married Charlotta, Dowager - Marchioness of Annandale. Archibald, a
surgeon in the Hon. Lieutenant-General Howard's regiment of Foot, died 1748.
His Will describes him as a widower, late of Westerkirk, North Britain.
He appointed his brother, Walter, guardian to his children, John and Jane, till
they should be twenty-one. Walter was also in the army, and served under the
Duke of Cumberland in 1745-46.
The eldest brother, the third Baronet, was an advocate and Provost of
Lochmaben when elected to represent the Dumfries Burghs in 1743. He
married Barbara Murray, daughter of Alexander, fourth Lord Elibank, and had