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

2o THE JOHNSTOUNS OF WESTRAW
Matthew de Johnstoun, the first of Westraw, was dead in 1491, having
married Elizabeth Graham. Their son, John, who died in 1508, is believed to
have married a daughter of Home of Wedderburn, and left two sons— Herbert,
who lived till 1555, and John, married to Barbara Weir. David of Harthope,
Matthew's younger son, made a bond of manrent with Simon Johnstoun of
Powdene, and both with Lord Maxwell in 1520, one of the witnesses being
Robert Johnstoun. David was able to write, but Simon signed with his hand at
the pen.
David of Harthope died about 1523. In 1535 Herbert Johnstoun of
Westraw made a protest against James Johnstoun, the Sheriff of Lanark,
apparently his nephew, for refusing to return him as Harthope's heir. His
eldest son, Herbert, who married a Douglas, died before him, but his grandson,
James of Westraw, was returned heir to Harthope in 1569, and David is
then described as brother to Westraw's great-grandfather. There had been
serious disputes on the subject between the Chief and Westraw, so that the
Chief bound himself to have "no communing with any Johnstoun of Westraw."
But in 1604 Westraw obtained the Charter of the coveted land, and is at that
time described by his connection, Lord Somerville, as " a stout asserter of his
chief's interest, in whose just quarrels and his own defence he committed many
slaughters, being one of the famousest Border Riders." Yet Westraw and
Somerville had a noted quarrel, which ended in a fight in the street at Edin-
burgh, 1594.
The elder Herbert of Westraw had a younger son, John, whose son, Robert,
only appears once in the records, but he left a son, James Johnstoun of Lanark.
The younger Herbert, husband to Angus's sister, died in 1554. His son, James
of Westraw, was given the escheat in 1588 of either his own brother's or uncle's
goods, "Gavin, son to the deceased Herbert Johnstoun of Westraw, now in the
Queen's hands, through putting of the said Gavin to the horn for not finding
surety for art and part in the cruel slaughter of the deceased John Lindsay in
Corsig."
James, Laird of Westraw, was killed after the siege of Draffan in 1570 by
his connections, Claud and John Hamilton, sons of the Duke of Chatelherault
and lay Abbots of Paisley and Arbroath. Letters of Slain were taken out by
his widow and her children, but the matter was compromised by a payment of
2000 marks, which was generally done at that time when every life was of
consequence to defend the country against " its auld inimys of Ingland."
Florence signs the contract with her hand at the pen, being unable to write
herself, a common difficulty with Scottish ladies in the sixteenth century. She
was obliged to find sureties to obtain from her son the third part of the liferent
of Westraw, her marriage settlement. 1
1 Morals were extremely low at that period. The only tutors and spiritual advisers, the
priests and monks, were abolished by law, and the Reformation had not as yet sufficient
ministers to supply their place. The abuse of laymen holding Church benefices prevailed
before the Reformation, when the chief patronage was in the hands of the King and the landowners,
and its continuance after the Reformation probably helped to wreck Episcopacy in
Scotland.