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

THE EARLIEST JOHNESTOUNS 3
The Scottish form of the name appears first between 1 194 and 1 2 14, but at
the earliest Court held by William Bruce as Lord of Annandale, about 1191,
Dunegal, son of Udard, resigns to Bruce nearly one hundred acres of land in
Wormanbie and fifty in Annan for the use of Gilbert, son of John. Among the
vassals represented are Hoddam, Kirkpatrick, Jardine, Pennersax, Dinwoodie,
Lockerbie, Herries, and Corrie, Kirkpatrick being only called Ivo. As
Wormanbie was owned by Johnestoun in 1574, though feued by Carruthers,
Gilbert, son of John, is apparently the same as Gilbert de Jonistun, who soon
afterwards is a witness to a Charter from William Bruce to Ivo, now called
Kirkpatrick. A little later Jonistun is one of seven cautioners that Bruce
should fulfil a compact between Bruce and his mother, remarried to Patrick,
Earl of Dunbar. He or his son is called Sir Gilbert de Jonestoune when he
witnesses a grant of rights by Robert Bruce in the wood of Stapleton (near
Graitney and Annan) before 1245. The same is witness to an agreement
between Robert Bruce, the competitor, and one of his tenants at a court at
Dryfesdale, in 1249, that Bruce and his heirs should for ever own the lands and
advowson of Ecclefechan.
The next link seems to be Hugo de Johnestoune, as about 1285 his son,
Sir John, confirmed a grant of lands in Haddington made by his father to the
monastery of Soltray, or Salsit, and added the advowson of the church of
Johnstoun as his own gift for the good of their souls. Salsit was particularly
intended for the reception of pilgrims and strangers, and for many years the
Abbot was always a Johnstoun. Sir John de Jonstone and his wife, Maria,
daughter of Robert, Earl of Strathearn, also appear in the cartulary of the
Abbey of Inchaffray, Perthshire, founded by her ancestor, Gilbert, in 1200.
Sir Johann de Jonestone, Chevalier del Comitat de Dumfries, his son,
Gilbert, and Thomas, John, and Walter Jonestone signed in 1296 the Bond
commonly known as the Ragman s Roll, which acknowledged Edward I. and
his heirs for ever to be sovereigns of Scotland. Nearly all the gentlemen of
Scotland did sign it, though each only on his own behalf, not on that of his
family. It was forced from many of them (as was pleaded in a memorial to the
Pope in 1320) "by the threats and horrid tortures" to which Edward I. had
subjected all who opposed him. The attempt of Wallace to effect the emancipation
of Scotland from Edward I. occurred between 1296 and the flight of
Bruce from England in 1305. In Dumfriesshire the Keltic population welcomed
Wallace, for Edward's wars were wars of race.
In Blind Harry's Life of Wallace it is stated that when Wallace took the
Castle of Lochmaben he sent for Johnestoun, " a man of good degree who had
married the second daughter of Halliday, Wallace's dear nephew," and made
him great Captain of Lochmaben. Halliday's elder daughter was married to
Sir John the Graham (connected with Johnstoun, as his mother was daughter
to an Earl of Strathearn), one of Wallace's warmest supporters. Another
supporter was Kirkpatrick, related to Wallace's mother. She was a daughter
of Sir Ronald Crawford, Sheriff of Ayr. While Johnstoun held Lochmaben,
Kirkpatrick was sent with his men into Eskdale, where John Johnstoun,