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

CHAPTER XXIII.
The Aufreres— The Lockhart Tragedy— Thomas Johnstone— Letters— King
Edward's School, Birmingham—Young James—Little Hannah—Johnstone
of Worcester—Death of Mrs Johnstone, followed by that of her Husband
—Mrs Murray.
IN Johnstone's diary there is an entry, Dec. 1792 : " I learn that my greatniece,
Mary Anne Matilda, gave birth to a daughter, Nov. 17, at Heidel-
berg, and that the child was named Louisa Anna Matilda, after Louisa, a
Princess of Prussia, who with Mrs Aufrere, her mother-in-law, are to be
Godmothers." This great-niece was the wife of Anthony Aufrere of Hoveton,
York, and the daughter of Mrs Lockhart.
Catherine Hutton x wrote from Malvern Wells a few years later : " I have
been a great favourite with a most elegant and clever woman who is gone, and
from whom I have a long letter. She was a Lockhart of a Scottish family
famed for many things. [Here follows an account of their exploits.] The
great-grandfather of my lady collected a number of papers relative to the
attempts of the Stuart family whom he favoured. These are now published
price five guineas by Anthony Aufrere, Esq., her husband, and I have a note
from her to her cousin, Dr Johnstone of Birmingham, desiring him to lend them
to me. The father of Mrs Aufrere (descended from Cromwell's sister) was
a general officer in the Austrian service, who routed the Poles in defiance of the
orders of his commander. He then rode post to Vienna and carried the tidings
of his disobedience to the Empress Maria Theresa, laying two flags which he
had taken at her feet and acknowledging that his life was forfeited. He
was made a Count . . . which honour his daughter now enjoys though she
does not assume it, and the two Polish flags were added to the family arms and
are now painted on her carriage."
General Lockhart had taken his young and beautiful wife to, what her
relatives affirmed from her description was the worst court in Europe. She
was presented by Lord Stormont, the Ambassador, as his own relation, and the
Emperor, Joseph II., stood sponsor at the baptism of her first son, who was
named Joseph, and died an infant. She was much attached to her uncle and
first cousins, her only near relatives, and stayed with them both at Kidder-
1 Reminiscences of a Gentlewoman.