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

26 THE JOHNSTONS OF CLAUCHRIE
deceased Mr John Cunningham of Dargavell, alias Lochermore. If he is the
same as the physician who died in 17 14, he married twice, and his younger
children, George, and Helen, who married Donald Gowan, belonged to his
second wife, Helen Little.
In 1690 a Charter under the Great Seal settles Clochrie on John Johnston,
M.D., and his direct heirs, whom failing, to his brother, George. He was the
first Professor of Medicine appointed to the University of Glasgow, and pro-
bably, like most Scottish doctors at that time, educated at Padua or in Paris.
His Will calls him "doctor of medicine of Paisley," while his wife's Will styles
him "doctor of medicine in Glasgow," and his brother's, "Johnston of Clochrie."
He died in 1714, his widow, Helen Little (from Gretna), living till 1728.
Dr Johnston was the eldest son of the merchant, from whom he inherited Upper,
Mid, and Nether Dargavell. His son, John, a baillie in Glasgow, appears
to be the same as John Johnston in Glasgow, married to Janet Cumyng, and the
father of two younger sons— John, who received .£1000 legacy from his greatuncle,
James, and James, who had .£400 from the same uncle—besides his heir,
Thomas, who married Janet, daughter of Edward Maxwell, and owned Over
and Mid Clauchrie (March 8, 1733). Thomas left one child, Margaret,
married to Hugh M'Cornoch, of Dumfries.
A Crown Charter of 1706 grants to Captain Robert Johnston of Kelton
(born 1642, died 1715), late Provost of Dumfries, second brother to Clauchrie
{i.e., the M.D.), and to Robert, his son, the lands of Threive Grange on the Dee,
and the hereditary keepership of the Castle of Threive. Kelton was buried at
Dumfries, where his handsome monument is still seen. He married Grizel
Craik, who died 1732. Their son, Robert, married Margaret, lawful daughter to
Sir A. Hope of Kerse Bank. He carried on a suit against John Little, in
Gretna, where his family had bought land. He died s.p. about 1730, his sisters,
Ann and Mary Ann Johnston, being his heirs.
Of the direct descendants of Dr Johnston, the third grandson, James, married
Barbara Maxwell of Barncleuch, and their son, who was a surgeon in Calcutta,
on inheriting his uncle's lands took the name of Maxwell. Wellwood Johnston
Maxwell married Catherine Maxwell, and had thirteen children ; the eldest
surviving son, J. H. Maxwell, died 1843, was a Writer to the Signet. He
married his cousin, Clementine Herries Maxwell, and their son, Wellwood, born
1 8 17, married Jane, the eldest daughter of Sir W. Jardine. The present representative,
Mr William Jardine Herries Maxwell is at the Scottish Bar. He was
born in 1852, and married Dora, second daughter of C. M. Kirwan of Dalgin
Park, Co. Mayo. He was an M.P. for Dumfriesshire in 1892, and succeeded
his father in Barncleuch and Munches in 1900. Three of his great-uncles,
Wellwood, Alexander, and George, were merchants in Liverpool.
As Duchrae, now Hensol, near Dairy, was once owned by Charteris 1
of Amisfield, the superior of some lands held by Johnstouns of Powdene, and
Elsieshields in Dumfriesshire, a scion of one of these branches possibly migrated
1 A family of Charteris, or Charters, lived in Duchrae till recent times, and married
with the Johnstouns.