Susan Stewart, part II re: Quaker Merchant, James JOHNSTON and Alderman Robert JOHNSTON [Between her letter to Dick Baldauf, excerpted in the recent SUSNRBTL.asc file, and this, Susan was able to study Dr. Lorand Johnson's article, "Quaker Merchant James Johnston", published in the "Aberdeen and North East Scotland Family History Society Journal", No. 20, AUG 1986. She raises some interesting points which may carry over into CLARK research as we begin to research the earlier VA immigrants. As in other things, the ideas are Susan's; typos are mine. LSS] Susan begins that the information gleaned from the article doesn't materially change the critical points she had previously outlined, with one exception: "the difference between the Old and New Style Calendar Year which makes it virtually impossible for the Edward Johnson who signed the 2 April 1677 Complaints to be the same man as the "cousin Edward Johnston" referred to in the 1676 letter written by Elizabeth Johnston Keith. [From here on, I'll quote Susan without benefit of quotation (") marks. LSS] I am sensitive to the fact there is a wide array of opinions regarding the value of Dr. Lorand Johnson's work. My own posi tion is that Dr. Johnson is right about some things and he is wrong about some things. Thus, I unilaterally can't dismiss his work but everything needs to be double-checked. In regard to this particualr 1986 article there are errors that I can identify with little difficulty. This forces me personally to continue double-checking all of this data to make sure there are not other mistakes which there probably are. I just don't know what they may be at this stage. With this caveat, I present the following material as a forum of discussion with the goal being to provide clues to pursue. From my correspondence file, it appears that this 1986 article ... has not been seen by everyone. Readers quickly will note that it would have been helpful if Dr. Johnson had cited more dates and sources for the individuals and events named. The most important elements, however, show some clear contradictions in what I already have in my file. Upon seeing such conflicting material, it became abundantly apparent to me that much work needs to be done to sort out what is the most correct. Such work is well worth the effort, in my opinion, for anyone who believes they can claim descent from the Johnstons of Caskieben. The title ... "Quaker Merchant James Johnston" ... is somewhat misleading because much of the material is devoted to relative Alderman Robert Johnston. This Alderman Robert Johnston was Deputy Treasurer of the Virginia Company and much involved in trading with the colony as well as helping to populate it. He holds a special significance in another way, too. He represents a CADET HOUSE of the Johnstons of Caskieben and his family moved to England. Up until this point, I had gotten the impression, perhaps er roneously, that the group might not have been aware that the Johnstons of Caskieben were not the only members of the clan who had Virginia involvement. Knowing that this is not the case may open up some possibilities for those people who believe they have a Johnston/Johnson ancestor who belongs to the Aberdeen clan. The individual lines just might not descend as thought. The information given by Dr. Lorand Johnson in regard to Alderman Johnston's family APPEARS to be irrefutable since he had a sister whose MUNDY father-in-law recorded Visitations and Heraldry. Dr. Johnson says, in fact, "...Richard Mundy, Editor of 'Visitations' series and books on Heraldry, which contained very exact accounts of these families." As I quickly discovered, Dr. Johnson has overstated how exact these accounts by Richard Mundy really were. However, anyone who has done extensive work with Visitations knows the quality of their completeness and often accuracy can have wide variations. I do have a collection of Visitations from English counties that I will review but I don't have a complete collection so am not sure I have the necessary ones for this project. Alderman Robert's father was Sir Robert Johns(t)on of Cayesmill, a cadet branch of Crimond and Caskieben. Sir Robert sold Cayes mill to join siblings in England when he received the appointment of Prebend of Sutton Regiscum Buckingham from Queen Elizabeth. He also was in the train of James I when the king passed from Scotland into England. Queen Elizabeth reigned from 1558 to 1603 whereupon James I, House of Stuart, ascended to the throne. Dr. Johnson doesn't give a date of birth or wife for Sir Robert, nor does he say the name of his father or the siblings. Thus, I am not in a position to state exactly when this cadet branch was formed. From "The Family of Johnston of that Ilk, and of Cas kieben" by Alexander Johnston Sr., writer to His Majesty's signet," published in 1832 in Edinburgh, my best guess is that this cadet house could have been formed by a younger son of No. 6 James Johnston of that Ilk, who married Clara, daughter of Barclay of Gartlie. James dies in 1548, one year after his heir, William, had fallen on the field of Pinkie in 1547. This William is termed "eldest son" in this sheet which implies there were others. It is Wil liam who was the father of Sir George, his only son, and the grandfather of Dr. Arthur. If this is a correct deduction, then Alderman Robert Johnston of the Virginia Company was a third cousin of Dr. Arthur Johnston. Dr. Lorand Johnson does not give the wife or children of the Al derman but he does give a brief account of his siblings, all children of Sir Robert Johns(t)on of Cayesmill. 1. Sir William who married Elizabeth, former wife of Sir Peter Colleton, who in his will granted "to Elizabeth Johnson, daughter of Sir William Johnson and Elizabeth Johnson, heretofore my wife, one thousand pounds." [Why does the surname COLLETON "ring a bell" with me? Was someone of that name one of the group who received the Carolina land grant with Sir Ashley Anthony Cooper? It "feels" like a possible CLARK connection ... can anyone en lighten me? LSS] Dr. Johnson could have made an error by terming the Elizabeth who married Sir William Johnston as a former wife of Sir Peter Col leton. Unless there was a divorce between Elizabeth (?) ?Colleton ?Johnson and Sir Peter Colleton had unusually amicable feelings about his former wife, I find this clause extremely un usual to bequeath such a vast sum of money to a daughter who is not his. Unless Sir Peter thought this Elizabeth actually was his child! Another possibility is that Sir Peter Colleton's wife actually is the daughter Elizabeth whose father was Sir William Johnson and an Elizabeth (?). I would have to read the entire will to get a better handle on what is the correct version because Dr. Johnson could have interpreted it inaccurately. This also is the first example that the Mundy father-in-law of Sir William's sister may not have done as thorough a job of documenting this particular Johns(t)on family as Dr. Lorand Johnson claims. 2. John Johnson who was Archdeacon of Worcester and who lived at Abbots Anne Hauts which could be Hants, instead. John married Elizabeth Mundy, daughter of Richard Mundy who did Visitations and Heraldry for the Crown. Most certainly, Richard Mundy was in an enviable position to record all that he knew of his son-in law's family but I don't think he did. See No. 1 for problems regarding Sir William's wife, Elizabeth. 3. EDWARD Johnson who married Catheryn Gardner of Surry in 1623. Here is proof that the name "Edward" was not confined to the Cas kieben family. Also please note that Dr. Johnson carefully desig- nates Alderman Robert's father as Sir Robert Johns(t)on with the "t" in parenthesis. And note that the surname for both Edward and John does NOT contain the "t". This shows how early the "t" could have been dropped by certain branches of the family. This couple is especially interesting for another very important reason. Catheryn Gardner was the sister of Edward Gardner who was dead by 1638. Edward Gardner's widow married in 1638 William CLARKE, says Dr. Johnson. This information apparently can be found in Nugent. I suspect that both Linda and Dick will be particularly interested in this piece of information as we have agreed there has to be a connec tion between her Edward Johnson of New Kent and Dick's Michael Johnson of New Kent who, we think, could have a connection to a Daniel Johnson of Henrico County. Perhaps father and son. It also would seem highly likely that this [#3] Edward Johnson, without the "t", could have had a son or grandson named Edward, as well. 4. A daughter who married secondly Ezekiel Rogers of Shalford, Essex, the Puritan clergyman who with a Thomas Johnson, a Robert Johnson and a John Johnson came to New England in 1637. The fact that the daughter is not named demonstrates another example that Richad Mundy was not as thorough in his recording of this family as Dr. Lorand Johnson states. Since Dick and I have done so much work over the years in New England research, we probably can determine whether or not Dr. Lorand Johnson is accurate in his information about this daughter being a sister of Alderman Robert Johnson. [I feel I should note here that a couple other members of this group are looking into possible New England CLARK connections to Capt. Christopher of New Kent Co. VA line. LSS] To continue on with additional information about the Alderman. Dr. Lorand Johnson begins his article with this paragraph: "Alderman Robert Johnston has been called the 'father of coloniza- tion' and 'the hand in the glove' of the Virginia Company. As a partner in the 'Magazine' trading Company, he was often accused of purchasing tobacco at less than going price, 'because it was mouldy.' He did maintain a high reputation within the Virginia Company because he could always find a buyer for distressed shares, could ALWAYS FIND RELATIVES or Scotsmen to immigrate as indentured to the planters." We probably would have the opinion that the Alderman was a bit slick in his business dealings. He obviously was not the best relative in the world to have either with his practice of inden turing poorer kinfolk as a means to help populate the Virginia colony. But if Dr. Lorand Johnson is correct, then the pos sibilities are limitless in how many of the Johnson/Johnstons in early Virginia could be of Caskieben Johnstons but most likely through a CADET house. We also don't know what proof Dr. Johnson had that the Alderman did recruit kinfolk to indenture themselves to planters in Virginia. In my opinion it is not an unlikely possibility because this was a huge family, and by the law of primogeniture, only the eldest son of each sire benefited the most from the father's estate. Land and wealth begin to run out after a few generations so al though a man could be well-born, he also could be quite poor with little or no inheritance, thus faced with a limited future or promise. Further information in this article indicates that Alderman Robert may have been a bit older than Dr. Arthur but he has an interesting connection to him. The Historical Manuscripts Commis- sion still has in its possession a letter from "Young Mr. Johnson to my master, 1602." This was a holograph in French, Italian and Latin to apply for a position after an European education follow ing his graduation from MARISCHAL COLLEGE. In 1625, we know from "Scotland's Men of Letters" that Dr. Arthur Johnston practiced medicine and taught at Marischal College. Why I am uncertain about the exact age of the Alderman in com parison to Dr. Arthur is that Dr. Lorand Johnson is not clear about the date of when he became Alderman. All that he tells us is that Robert wrote the holograph in 1602 to Sir Robert Cecil and as a result, became an Alderman and then Deputy Secretary Treasurer of the Virginia Company. Perhaps someone else can supply the date. Alderman Robert organized the 'lottery' for the benefit of the colonies and 'accidentally' one of the larger prizes was won by yet another relative, Archdeacon Robert Johnson of North Luf fenham. How this Archdeacon fits into the family tree is not ex plained. But it is humorous to note the Archdeacon's reaction to his winning 'ticket': He 'deemed it ungodly for a clergy to win at a gamble.' He turned the money back to the treasury for schools and churches in Virginia. Another interesting fact about Archdeacon Robert Johnson is that his grandchild Isaac Johnson, named in his will, was assistant under the Massachusetts Colony Charter, having sailed to New England on the "Arabella" in 1630. It is my recollection from prior research that Dr. Lorand Johnson is right about his relationship. ... Dr. Johnson goes on to say that in 1619 10,000 acres of land were appropriated to build a college in Hen rico and George Thorpe was the superintendent. ... This George Thorpe was a cousin to Isaac Johnson who married the widow of Al derman Johnston ... Dr. Johnson does not explain HOW George Thorpe was a cousin to Isaac Johnson but he does say that Thorpe was in Virginia by 1622. Dr. Johnson also does not tell us the death date for the Alderman. Thus there is no verification from Dr. Johnson that Robert Johnston died in time for Isaac Johnson to marry his widow. In fact, Dr. Johnson seems to be wrong about this marriage. "Ancestral Roots" by Weis shows that Isaac Johnson Esq. married Arbella Fiennes (or Clinton) and this is the only marriage shown for Arbella in Weis. Arella was the daughter of Thomas Fiennes (or Clinton), 3rd Earl of Lincoln, A.M. Christ Ch. Coll., Oxford 1688, who was born in 1568 and died 15 JAN 1618/19. He married circa 21 SEP 1584 Elizabeth Knyvett, daughter of Sir Henry Knyvett of Charlton, Wilts.