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

THE JOHNSTOUNS OK ELSIESHIELDS 31
Chief in arresting thieves; the order is repeated in 1560 by King Francis and
Queen Mary to " the lesser families of Johnstoun and Graham "— for Elsieshields,
Warn fray, and Corrie had been very deficient in that respect.
In 1580 Andrew Johnstoun was given the escheat of his own father, Andrew
Johnstoun of Marjoribanks. In 1584 he received or bought "the escheat of all
goods, movable and immovable, etc., which belonged to Sir Henry Loch, late
Prebendary of St. Giles's Kirk, in Edinburgh, and Margaret Crauford, his spouse,
now in England, also of all rents of the heritages, by reason of the said Sir
Henry and his spouse passing to and abiding in England without permission of
the King (Holyrood, Nov. 6)."
Seven years later one of the causes frequently brought against the Elsie-
shields and Powdene Johnstouns is recorded. Adam and Robert, brothers to
Elsieshields, David Johnstoun in Reidhall, James and William Johnstoun in
Hesilbrae, Nicolas Johnstoun in Elsieshields, and others of the same group, are
sued for their "wrong spoliation of the complainer's horses, cattle, corn, goods,
and gear.'' The whole clan has suffered in reputation from these lawless followers.
If an assassin were wanted, he could be obtained at short notice, and
while England and Scotland were disunited they were too useful in war to be
effectually checked.
An act of revenge on the part of Johnstoun of Reidhall, a cadet of Elsieshields,
for the death of his Chief, as well as of some of his near relatives, might
have been one of the causes which induced the King, a few years later, to
reduce the power of the clan, if his Majesty had not connived at it(?). The
victim (Maxwell of Newlaw) is said to have been a zealous Protestant. The
King, after his mother's execution, came to Dumfries in 1587 nominally to
arrest Lord Maxwell, also to allay the agitation which Mary's death had caused
in that quarter. The Proclamation he signed at Dumfries, April 4, describes
the outrage. " Forasmuch as the late John Maxwell of Newlaw (ex-Provost of
Dumfries), brother german to our dearest cousin and councillor, William, Lord
Herries, being a gentleman answerable in all good qualities to his birth, but
specially remarkable for the zeal and affection he always bore to our service,
being specially employed by us, accompanied with the lieutenant and others of
our guard, was on his way beset and most unmercifully murdered by Irving of
Gretna Hill, Johnstoun of Reidhall, and others, their adherents and accomplices,
thieves of detestable and most unworthy memory, without respect or reasonable
pretext. . . . Our will is that ye pass to the market crosses of Dumfries,
Lochmaben, etc., denouncing them by fire and sword."
Reidhall or his father had cost his securities, Elphinstone and Wcstraw,
2000 marks already by an escape from justice, and he got off again. The
Elsieshields lands were thickly peopled, and not easily attacked in the heart
of the Johnstoun territory, but an extract from the Privy Council Records shows
that it was avenged. "In Feb. 1602 Lord Maxwell, with twenty followers
armed with jacks, swords, steel bonnets, lance staves, hagbuts, pistolets, and
other forbidden weapons, having conceived a deadly feud, rancour, and malice
against the late William Johnstoun, brother to Wilkin Johnstoun of Elsieshields,