Notes for James Johnston

Notes for James Johnston

*****The following data is suggested as "proof" for the death date of 1803 versus 1820*****
Dr. Lorand V. Johnson wrote a long time ago that James Johnston s/o William & Ann Chew Johnston must have died about 1820. However, he never said where or why he thought this. My guess was that several James Johnstons died around 1820 and he assumed one of them must have been him. I researched all of the James Johnstons who died around this time period, none of which seem to match the Caroline County James who married Mary Ware. Additionally, it concerned me that our James Johnston was a military man, serving in the French & Indian War & The Revolution among other campaigns, so you would have thought if he lived to c1820 he would have at least applied for a military pension in 1818. Yet there is not on
While doing research I came across a note card which said James Johnston died 1803 in Chester County, PA. My James Johnston was last recorded leaving Greenbrier County, VA in 1784. The interesting part of the note card was that the adminsters of the Will were William & Thomas Johnston. James Johnston of Greenbrier County had two sons; William & Thomas. I thought this may have been just a coincidence, but it was worth 10 dollars to have Chester County, PA send me a copy of the Will. In the Will James Johnston of Chester County, PA lists children, William, Thomas, James, John & Margaret; wife Jane; brother-in-law; James Patterson and "Old Aunt Margaret".
Could this be James Johnston of Caroline, Spottsylvania & Greenbrier Counties final location? The interesting thing about William & Thomas is they can not be found living with or around James in Chester County, PA on the 1790 or 1800 census. This meets the first challenge, because my William & Thomas were in Western Virginia during this period. Secondly, James Patterson (grandfather of Jane who married James Johnston) died c1740 in Chester County, PA. His wife Ann removed the family to Augusta County, VA and then remarried a man named Andrew Erwin. Andrew Erwin can later be found in the court books of Greenbrier County, VA so we know from that, that the families of Johnston, Patterson & Erwin are in close location to one another. Addtionally, if James Johnston of Greenbrier County is the same as that of Caroline/Spottslvania County then the last known record of James & his wife Mary Ware was in Spottsylvania County in 1771, so you could assume that
Mary Ware Johnston died c1772 to 1783. The reason for the end date is because Greenbrier Co. James Johnston is recorded is leaving the County in 1784 as well as resigning his post as Captain. This is important because the 1800 census in Chester County, PA has the 3 children of James Johnston (James, John & Margaret) all under the age of 16. You could then say that James Johnston remarried to Jane Patterson c1784. Still not convenced? James son of James Johnston of Chester County, PA had a daughter Jane Patterson Johnston born 1816 who married a Gibson, she named her boys after her great-grandfathers; James Patterson Gibson & William Johnston Gibson (as in Lord William Johnston). Finally, when comparing signatures of William Johnston (s/o James Johnston) of Greenbrier County to the one signed on the Will in Chester County, PA they are a match!
*****The above data is suggested as "proof" for the death date of 1803 versus 1820*****
****NOTE: carl johnson can be emailed at: carlleonardjohnson@@yahoo.com*****
To those who think that the 1st Marquess of Annnadale did die in 1721 and no one covered it up.
If they can give a decent answer to these questions then they must be right.
TOP 20 QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ANNANDALE JOHNSTONES & GEORGE KELLY
1. No current author will come close to Annandale's life from 1715 to 1721. WHY?
2. Annandale coat of arms has two large anchors on it, there was a ship called the Annandale, as well as letters referring to this business, yet nothing written about it. WHY?
3. Annandale had a child with Ann Harris circa 1717, no mention of that either. WHY?
4. National Archieves has the Will of Annandale signed in December 1720. But none of his children are on it! WHY?
5. William Johnstone of Westerhall removed information and pedigree from Lockwood Castle after Annandales supposed death in 1721. WHY?
6. The House of Lords passed a law in 1721, after their secret meetings concerning the South Sea Scheme, that no one can write about a current or previous member of the House of Lords without their permission. WHY?
7. The current Earl of Annandale says that the Annandale Johnstones were not Jacobites, yet James Johnstone, 2nd Earl of Annandale was denied by the House of Lords because he was believed to be a Jacobite. WHY?
8. George Kelly used the alias James Johnston and emidiatly it was changed at his trial to James Johnson. WHY?
9. The King and some members of the House of Lords wanted George Kelly's head. But they were overturned by a majority. WHY?
10. Andrew Lang leaves hints about George Kelly in his book Parson Kelly. WHY?
11. George Kelly, a master of code, has his book sent out, one day after his escape from the Tower of London in 1736. But, some today don't think there is a code in it. WHY?
12. George Kelly becomes secretary to Bonnie Prince Charlie, leading up to the 2nd Jacobite Rebellion, there are two George Kellys and then once the rebellion has started there is only one. WHY?
13. George Johnstone, 3rd Marquess of Annandale had been labeled a lunatic after his brother Johns death c1742. Later, Bishop P.J. Browne was believed to be really John Johnstone, George's brother. Additionally, in George's bio, it says he was never married, yet he was. WHY?
14. The 1st Marquess of Annandale's second wife is on the Jacobite payroll as late as 1745. WHY?
15. William Johnstone, son of the 1st Marquess fought in a duel against an English Guard in March of 1720. His supposed death was not until December of 1721. No mention of where he was for a year and half. WHY?
16. A man named William Johnston shows up in Port Royal Virginia in 1723. Marries one the wealthiest ladies in the colonies- Ann Chew, becomes sheriff of a county and captain in the militia, is given large sums of land by Governor Alexander Spotswood, who is a direct decendant of Robert De Bruce making him a cousin to the Annandale Johnstones and Governor Spotswood upon getting to know this William Johnston marries the goddaughter to James Butler, Duke of Ormond who was the best of friends to George Kelly. But, some can't see the connection. WHY?
17. Charles Johnstone is listed in the Peerage as the son of the 1st Marquess of Annandale's second wife in the 19th Century, but later is removed. WHY?
18. Author Charles Johnstone who wrote Chrysal and was a child of the Annandale Johnstones is banned from Great Britain in the 1780's after writing on several scandalous topics. WHY?
19. A later William Johnstone of Westerhall in the 18th century would change his name to Pulteney and then change his name back to Johnstone near the end of his life, WHY?
20. Several descendants of William and Ann Chew Johnston wrote in their family Bibles that William was the son of the 1st Marquess of Annandale. WHY?
****NOTE: carl johnson can be emailed at: carlleonardjohnson@@yahoo.com*****
******************He has much more information on the Johnson family******************

!Wm. Armstrong Crozier, ed. "Virginia County Records," Spotsylvania Co., 1721-1800," pub. New York: Fox Duffield & Co. for The Genealogical Association:
8 May 1764 - "Wm. Johnston of Caroline Co., Gent., to his son, James Johnston. Deed of Gift. 188 acres in St. Geo. Parish, Spts. Co.; also 50 acres in ____me Parish and Co. bounded by lines of Richard Johnston, John Benger, and others, on west side Tarkiln Branch, remainder of the tract whereon said Wm. Johnston lived, and now divided between his sons, Richard and James Johnston, etc. No witnesses."
8 Apr 1769 - "James Johnston of Caroline Co. and Mary, his wife, and Richard Johnston and Dorothy, his wife, to John McCauley of Spts. Co....279 acres in Spts. Co.; also 48 acres called Farkiln Branch Tract " including as one of the witnesses "B. Johnston." on page 268 (perhaps Benjamin)
18 Apr 1771 - "James Johnston and Mary, his wife, of Caroline Co., to Betty Benger of Spts.Co., Tract of land in Spts Co., whereon said Johnston lately lived." Among witnesses was "B. Johnston."

!Judith McGhan, ed. "Virginia Will Records, From the Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, the William and Mary College Quarterly, and Tyler's Quarterly," Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1982:
James Johnston was indeed in August 1777 a militia company commander of Caroline County according to Caroline County order books. I have not been able to find YOUR Captain James Johnston clearly identified as a militia captain in any other source. There was another James Johnston of Lunenberg Co., VA who was also a captain of VA militia during the Revolution that I have seen in two or three sources. The Lunenberg James Johnston is not your ancestor, however.
*********the above information is from Bruce at Mapmaker3@@aol.com**************