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

WAR WITH ENGLAND S3
messenger who carries seven letters from the Regent to the Lairds of Johnstoun,
Mouswald, Newbie, Holmains, and Cockpool.
In 1523 the Laird of Johnstoun was " ordained keeper of the West Borders."
He died the next year. Lord Maxwell succeeded him, and entered into an
arrangement with the new English Warden to pacify the Debatcable Land,
which was chiefly occupied by the Armstrongs.
The Earl of Northumberland, writing to the King's Treasurer in 1582,
estimated the Armstrongs with their adherents to be capable of mustering 3000
horsemen. 1 A Cumberland MS. of the sixteenth century says they were
tolerated by England because at any time they could produce 300 or 400 men
to oppose the Scots.
Just before the above agreement was signed, the Earl of Angus ravaged
the Armstrong territory as if it had been an enemy's, burnt many houses, and
drove off 600 cattle, 3000 sheep, 500 goats, and many horses. The Armstrongs
retaliated on the English border. But Maxwell saw that they might help
him to reduce the influence of the Johnstouns and drive them out of Newbie.
He formed a bond of manrent with their Chief, the celebrated Johnnie, and
feued to him the lands of Stablegorton and Langholm, for the Johnstoun
family claimed and owned Glendining and Arkilton in that neighbourhood.
John Johnstoun 2 succeeded his father as laird in 1524. The Keltic blood
inherited from Scotts, Maxwells, Carruthers, Carliles, and other maternal
ancestors predominated over any other in his composition, and many years
of his life were passed in prison, or " at the horn " (as an outlaw), besides
sharing in any dispute which happened to be taking place. He had already
appeared before a court for molesting the Corries in Newbie, and enlarged his
mind by a visit to England with Lord Maxwell, who was killed at Flodden.
There is no doubt that he supported William Johnstoun of Graitney in
his occupation of Newbie in 1524, the year that Laird James, having been
Warden for a year, died, and while Thomas Corrie was "at the horn." The
Barony of Corrie after long delay had been conferred by Crown Charter on
Laird James in 1 5 16, and the same year his second son, Adam, married the
heiress of Sir Thomas de Corrie. This settled the question of the part of
the Barony called Corrie, and Adam Johnstoun inherited it without opposition
on the death of his father. No deed exists to show how Arkilton and
Cavertholme came to William of Graitney. The last is included in Laird
James's retour and in the retours of his ancestors, but appears in the possessions
of William in 1536, and his descendant owned it till 161 8.
1 Ten times more than the estimate of the Johnstone Clan in 1585.
2 Sir W. Fraser, with no authority but the special pleading uf Mr Fleming, Q.C., =ays that
John was born in 1507. Mr Fleming interpreted the ward of his estate to refer to minority,
whereas the term was used at that time when the Crown had outlawed a laird and sequestered
the rents, and it suited Mr Fleming's case to make him as young as possible. The evidence is
against this date. Why are his tutors or his "tutory" not mentioned, and who else was the
John of Johnstoun who went to England with Lord Maxwell, and for whom Adam of Johnstoun
stood security? Sir W. Fraser once stated that his younger brother, Adam, was married in
1516, and the Crown gave this Adam a "pension" in 1531. Johns daughter was married
in 1531-