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

258 DEATH OF MRS E. JOHNSTONE
stone was then an over-worked man in failing health. Henry was a lighthearted
bachelor, in character resembling his father's great-uncle, John, who
left Galabank to be scrambled for by his creditors ; but John, still a bachelor,
was a careful, steady, and ambitious man, and never gave any trouble to his
parents. He was an M.D. of Oxford, and his medical essays were widely dis-
cussed in the profession. In acuteness and energy he closely resembled his
father and eldest brother, and, like most of the contemporary members of his
family, shone in conversation. It was not strange that the old man fixed his
hopes on this son as the most likely to carry on the line with male descendants
able to keep up the family traditions. The advocate informed him that no
renunciation on Edward's part was necessary, as the existing deed was a
revocable one, and no further step seems to have been taken till 1799. Possibly,
recollecting his remonstrance with his own father, he did not wish to take so
strong a step without much thought.
Meanwhile Edward did nothing to alter his father's views, and events
seemed to justify them. Thomas died in Oct. 1799, leaving daughters and
the one delicate boy. Edward's wife became a confirmed invalid. He had
settled John in his town house in Temple Row, where their sister, Mary, came
to reside with him, for Edward, absorbed in domestic cares and his duties as
a land-owner and a magistrate, seemed inclined to withdraw altogether from
his profession and leave it to his brother, while their father continued abnor-
mally active. When, in 1799, Johnstone resigned his honorary post at the
Worcester Infirmary on the score of age, Dean Onslow begged him to reconsider
it, for to all appearance he was in good health. But he only consented
to remain till a successor could be found. Edward's daughters would each
have a much larger income than the Scottish estate brought in. So in 1799 a
document was deposited in the Scottish Register House resigning Galabank
to his sixth son, John, with a charge of .£400 towards the maintenance of
Thomas's family. He stated that he made this settlement for certain reasons,
but does not seem to have told either of his sons the particulars of it.
The eldest child (afterwards Mrs Crompton) of Mrs Webster of Penns had
a pleasing recollection of the home at Moor Green. Edward had driven over
to Penns to see her mother, and invited the young girl of fifteen to come back
with him for a few days' change of air. She remembered in her old age the
kind, gentle face of Mrs Johnstone and the pretty little fair-haired, rosycheeked
Catherine, who was brought down by her nurse in her white lace frock
and blue sash to wish her parents good-night after the late dinner, and to sit
on her father's knee for a few minutes to share in the dessert. A long period
of weak health ended in a chronic malady, and on April 4, 1801, Mrs Edward
Johnstone was buried in Aston Church by the side of her parents and sister,
Dr Parr taking the funeral service and insisting on the elaborate ritual to which
he was very partial. The last few years of the elder Johnstone's life seemed
crowded with tragedy.