The Johnston's, a
family immortalized in song, prose, and legend, are one of Scotland's most
prestigious border clans.
Legend states that the Johnston clan descends
from Amlethus, a Danish Prince. Scholars believe the life of Amlethus
inspired Shakespeare's tragedy, "Hamlet".
The founder of the
Johnston clan was John, 1st Laird of Lochwood
(ca.1170-1194).
The Clan
Johnston crest is a winged spur and the proud motto reads "Nunquam non
paratus" meaning in Latin "Never unprepared".
In the 13th century,
says Lieutenant Charles Johnston in his history of this family, "There lived
in the mountainous district of Annandale, Dumbriesshire, Scotland, just
north of Firth of Solway, a small but hardy clan of borderers, whose chief
was called John. They were doubtless of Saxon origin, and up to this time
were little known. As the clan grew stronger their Chieftain became
ambitious to take his place among the chiefs of the larger clans. A
little after the middle of the 13th century of chief of the clan applied to
the Earl of Annandale, who was the grandfather of Robert Bruce, to purchase
a tract of land near the center of the district; the deal was consummated,
and it thereupon became necessary to give name to the tract in question;
Bruce, in the charter, called it Jonistourn (now Perth), and this
chieftain, now Lord Jonistoun, was called Sir John de Jonistoun. His clan
was thereafter known as Jonistoun, or Johnistouns, the name now being
spelled Johnstone or Johnston. Some writers have fallen into the error
that the name is synonymous with Johnson, but a glance at the derivation of
the names easily discloses the error; Johnson is derived from
and means the son of John, while Johnston signifies John's Town; the
one shows locality, the other indicates descent."
As the
Johnston family
grew in stature, they were recognized for their achievements and service. By
1381, the Crown named a descendent of Sir John "Warden of the
Western Marches". Since that time, several other generations of our clan
have also held the title.
Adam Johnstone was named Laird of Johnstone near
the beginning of the 15th century and took part in the Battle of Sark in
1448. Adam's son assisted King James II in his struggle with the Douglas
family and was rewarded with land near Threave Castle which had previously
belonged to the Douglas's. Adam's eldest son (another John) was the ancestor
of the Annandale branch of the family while another son Mathew is said to
have married a daughter of the Earl of Angus (chief of the Red Douglas's)
and his descendants formed the Westerhall branch.
The Johnstones
were one of the many Border families who frequently raided the north of
England over the centuries. These raids provide historians
with details concerning the blood feud between the Johnston's and the Maxwell's. The feud
lasted nearly three hundred years, until it was resolved by the intervention
of King James VI in 1623.
One of
the more notable feud stories tells of our direct ancestress, Sir James Johnston's wife, finding
Lord Maxwell dying on the battlefield, and clubbing him to death with the
keys to the castle. Several
years later, Sir James went to meet with the sons of Lord Maxwell to make
final plans for peace, he was subsequently shot and killed.
James Johnstone, the chief of the clan, was made Lord Johnstone of Lochwood
in 1633 by King Charles I and Earl of Hartfell in 1643. King Charles II
elevated him to Earl of Annandale, and Lord Johnstone of Lochwood, Lochmaben,
Moffatdale and Evandal. He
was succeeded by his son James; both were of the Peerage and served in
the English House of Lords.
In 1701, a descendant was raised to the rank of Marquess of Annandale.
The Johnston's and Scott's were near neighbors in Scotland. Sir Walter
Scott, in his "Fair Maid of Perth," gives considerable prominence to
the Johnston Clan, and adds some verses which run as follows:
Within the bounds of Annandale
The gentle Johnston's ride,
They have been here a thousand years
And a thousand more they'll bide.
Members of the Johnston
family continued to serve the government for many generations. Members of
the Johnston family have also distinguished themselves in service for the
United States, at Valley Forge under Washington, and in colonial
legislatures.
William
Johnston, our emigrant ancestor, was born in Fermanagh County, Ireland in
May of 1785. He emigrated to the United States in 1816, leaving Ireland from
the port of Sligo on the ship 'Orient' bound for New York City.
Upon arrival in
New York, William made his way into the western part of Ohio where a
relative lived who had emigrated to America when a young boy. This man was
Colonel John Johnston, a well-known federal Indian agent.
William worked
for the government for several years at the Indian agency in Anderson, Indiana.
He also transported supplies from Ohio into Indiana, and rode 'express'
with messages for Governor Cass.
In 1821 during
the James Monroe administration, William took up land in Shelby County which
was situated in the E1/2SE1/4 of Section 18, Township 9, Range 5, which
contained 80 acres. An early map of Shelby County shows that 'Nine Mile
Creek' runs through this property.
William returned
to the employ of the Government for several years and was sent to
the Indian agency in Wapakoneta, Ohio. William left this position in 1823 to take up residence on
the land he had acquired.
Due to the fact
that there were two other William Johnston's in the Shelby County area, our
William was known as William Johnston of 'Nine Mile Creek' and was
identified as such when he purchased more land in 1846.
On the 12th day
of February 1824, William was united in marriage with Mary (Polly) Wyatt.
Mary was the
daughter of Thomas and Mary Reese Wyatt. Mary was a descendant of Sir
Thomas Wyatt. Sir Thomas was a political ally of Queen Elizabeth I and cousin to Henry the Eighth's second wife, Ann Boleyn. This Wyatt family is of
Plantagenet descent.
In 1830 William
received his citizenship papers and became a bona fide citizen of the United
States.
William Johnston
died in April of 1858 and was survived by his wife and eight children.
His will was probated in May of that year. Mary
Wyatt Johnston died in September of 1865. Both are buried in the Johnston
(Swift Run) Cemetery
in Piqua, Ohio.
John Johnston, eldest son of William and Mary Johnston, was
born in Loramie Township, (Shelby County, Ohio) on November 15, 1824. He was
a carpenter by trade, a business he kept for a number of years. He later
turned his attention to farming an 80 acre farm. On April 6, 1848, he
married Miss Elizabeth "Betsy" Black. She was the daughter of Jacob and Christina
Black. By this union they had six children, three of whom survived. Their
names were Mary Ann, Thomas Henry, and John Adam.
John was a township trustee for
several years. He died on June 4, 1900. John and his beloved wife Betsy are buried at the Johnston Cemetery (Swift Run Cemetery) in Miami County,
Ohio.
John Adam Johnston was born August 20, 1865. On January
16, 1890, he married Samantha "Mantie" Frees, daughter of Peter and Martha (Whisler)
Frees. To this union one son, Parker Lee, was born. John A. and his
family lived in Loramie Township, Shelby County, Ohio, on his grandfather
William's homestead. He was a member of the Order of United American
Mechanics (O.U.A.M.), a fraternal order whose members were required to
purchase products made in the United States and were strongly opposed the
use of emigrant and foreign labor. John A. died on July 15,1928, and was survived by
his wife and son. He and Mantie are buried in the Green Lawn Cemetery
in Versailles, Ohio.
Parker
Lee Johnston, my maternal grandfather, was born to Samantha Jane (Frees)
and John Adams Johnston on May 25, 1893, in Shelby County, Ohio. Dr.
Parker, a local country doctor, assisted in the delivery. After his
birth, the doctor stated that since the child was named after him, he
wanted to leave him a gift, -a pocket knife that he had carried
throughout his career. The knife is now in my possession.
The youth
was known to friends and family as Lee. In his teenage years he was
very active in musicals, plays, and programs sponsored by his church’s
youth group, the Y.P.B. Not every teenage memory was joyfully
remembered. While hunting he was accidentally shot in the chest. He
bore a protruding scar as a lifetime reminder of the wound.
Lee
graduated from Houston High School in 1912 and from Normal School (a
teaching program) in 1919. He became a schoolteacher at Mills school on
State Route 66 between Stoker and Mills Rd. The school still stands
today and is used as a residence.
After he
stopped teaching he went to work at the Hickock Candy Factory. He
became attracted to a coworker, Florence “Irene” Gueth. Lee discovered
that she was attending the wedding of a mutual acquaintance and
promised the bride-to-be a dozen roses if she would invite him. He then
offered the local librarian, Vera Ginn, who was also attending the
nuptials, a box of chocolate if she would introduce him to Irene. The
two were introduced and thus began their romance. (Many years later Mrs.
Rickey showed my mother, Rose (Johnston) Mann, a picture of herself
holding the roses.)
On May
24, 1920, Lee married Irene Gueth, daughter of Fred and Sarah (Moothart)
Gueth, of Anna, Ohio. Five children were born to this union. My aunts
and uncles, by order of birth are: Mary Eileen -born in 1921, Dale
Edgar -born in 1924, Irma Jean -born 1926, Robert Dean –born in 1934,
and my mother, Rosalyn Marie –born in 1936 on their wedding
anniversary.
After they married Lee took a job as an insurance agent with the Western
Southern Life Insurance Company, and also sold waterless cookware. He
later started “Johnston’s Typewriter and Adding Machine Service”. His
business brought him notoriety in Auglaize, Darke, Shelby, and
Montgomery Counties. I am also in the possession of an Underwood
typewriter with a cover that bears the name and address of his business,
and one of the advertising postcards he used in the 1950’s.
During World War II, Lee aided the war effort by applying his natural
mechanical abilities at Sidney Machine Tool Company. He was employed there
as a machinist, working at night while maintaining his business
throughout the day.
Lee
enjoyed visiting and talking with people, entertaining Irene’s nieces
and nephews, repairing mechanical objects, visiting his aunt Ora and
Uncle Will Agney in Versailles, and riding his Indian motorcycle. He
was a robust man who carried the Johnston facial features and Irish
temper that can still be seen in members of my family.
In the
mid 1950’s Lee developed prostate cancer. He became very ill and was no
longer able to work. On October 09, 1956, Parker “Lee” Johnston died as
the result of abdominal injuries he received in an automobile accident.
His wife, Irene, died on September
07, 1987. Both are buried in Pearl Cemetery near
Swanders, Ohio.
Dale Edgar Johnston,
my mother’s eldest brother, was born to Florence Irene (Gueth) and
Parker Lee Johnston on April 18, 1924, in Anna Ohio, at his maternal
grandparent’s residence. He was raised in Sidney, Ohio.
Dale
was drafted into the United States Army during WWII. In the spring
of 1943 he graduated from basic training at Anniston, Alabama. He was
then sent to combat training in Greenville, Pennsylvania.
He was
assigned to the 34th "Red Bull" Division and sent to the European Theatre. I do not know the chronological order of his assignments, but have
gathered some information from family members and military papers
pertaining to his service in the U.S. Army.
While in Italy,
Dale
displayed heroism in several battles. At Anzio he was shot in the hand
while defending retreating civilians on a bridge over the Po River. He
also participated in the Battle of Salerno. Salerno was a beach head
where U.S. troops landed and the battle was very bloody. The Germans
held the high ground overlooking the landing and it was very nearly a
disaster for our troops. Other U.S. troops, (to which Dale was
assigned), landed further up the coast, flanked the Germans and saved
the day. In this battle he received a back injury when an explosion
threw him into the rubble of a building.
He also
saw action at Monte Casino. Monte Casino was an Italian abbey on
top of a mountain, which the Germans took and fortified as an obstacle to
any further progress up the Italian peninsula. They were well dug
in and heavily fortified and it took immense aerial bombardment to drive
them out after the mountain top had been turned into rubble.
At some point during
his tour of combat duty he was required to swim the Rhone River. He
told me that in addition to service in Europe he spent time in Africa. I am unable to find records concerning this service.
After returning to
Sidney he married Helen "Dee" Bynum, and was employed as a supervisor by the
United Telephone Company for many years. He remained in Sidney until he
and Helen separated. At that time he relocated to Chillicothe, Ohio,
with my aunt and uncle, Mary (Johnston) and Paul Montavon. He later
returned to Sidney, and was employed as a telephone contractor by the Henkle-McCoy Company.
Dale was a tall, lean, muscular man. He was very quiet, and liked
outdoor sports (hunting and fishing). He died of liver cancer on
November 11, 1978.
To review additional information concerning our Johnston lineage, click
here.
Copyright 1999, 2004, 2006. Timothy A. Mann