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

3 i4 JOHNSTONS IN EDINBURGH
was twice married— first, to Margaret, daughter of J. Pearson, of Fala, who died
1865 ; secondly, to Georgiana Augusta, daughter of William Ker of Gateshaw,
and widow of the Rev. William Scoresby. After filling various public posts in
Edinburgh he served in the office of Lord Provost (1848-51). His brother,
Alexander Keith, was an eminent geographer—appointed to that office for the
Queen—and he travelled round Europe and in Palestine, meeting the best
known foreign travellers and geographers, among them Humboldt, while he
was planning the Physical Atlas of Natural Phenomena and Gazetteer, and a
list of publications occupying a column in the Dictionary of National Biography.
The two brothers founded the firm of W. & A. K. Johnston, of Edinburgh and
London, and while the elder was knighted, the younger received the LL.D.
degree from the University of Edinburgh, and was awarded the Patron's or
Victoria Medal from the Royal Geographical Society, of which he was a Fellow,
as well as of the sister society in Paris, and a corresponding member of those of
Vienna, St. Petersburg, Bombay, and America. Sir William was elected a
Fellow of the Antiquarian Society in 1852, and retired from business in 1867, to
live on his own estate at Kirkhill, in Midlothian. There he died Feb. 7,
1888, and was buried in the Grange Cemetery.
His brother, Alexander Keith, died of a sudden illness at Ben-Rhydding
in 1 87 1. He married Margaret, daughter of Robert Gray, by whom he had eleven
children, six surviving him. The eldest son, Alexander Keith, born in 1844, was
educated at the Edinburgh Institution and Grange House School, but early settled
in London, where in 1868 he was elected a life member of the Geographical
Society, and was employed in its service. He went as Geographer with an
expedition for a survey of Paraguay, and published a book on the subject,
besides relating his experiences to the British Association in 1875. He was
next, in 1879, sent as leader of the Society's expedition to the head of Lake
Nyassa, via Zanzibar. He was soon prostrated with illness, and, though with
great spirit he continued to direct his colleagues from the stretcher on which he
was carried in a dying state, he expired about 120 miles from the coast, and was
buried under a tree. He had already published eight important books, and four
more appeared after his death.
Thomas Brumby, D.L., the younger brother of Sir William and Alexander
Keith, born 1814, died 1897. He married Jane Ruddiman, daughter of
Thomas Ruddiman (of the Latin Grammarian's family). She died March 23,
1892. They had six sons and three daughters : (1) Archibald, married Amelia,
daughter of Philip Whitehead, and has two sons and two daughters. (2) William,
died unmarried 1863. (3) Thomas Ruddiman, married Alice, daughter of John
Beale Mullins. (4) James Wilson, died 1906, married Mary, daughter of
Joseph Whitaker, and had a daughter. (5) John Keegan, died s.p. 1901 ;
married Sarah, daughter of Hugh Taylor. (6) George Harvey, married Ellen,
daughter of James Bentley Ashton. (7) Helen Jane, married Rev. Francis, son
of Rev. William Shepherd, and has issue. (8) Margaret Isabella, married
Francis James, son of Rev. John Tobin, and has issue. (9) Rossie Marr, married
James, son of John Stevenson, who died 1899.