James Johnston (British Army officer, born 1721)

James Johnston (21 May 1721 – 26 November 1795) was a general of the British Army, colonel of the Royal Horse Guards (the Blues) then colonel of the Scots Greys where he succeeded his sister's husband, George Preston.

Early life

Johnston was the only surviving son of James Johnston (1655–1737) and his wife, Lucy (née Claxton) Johnston.D. Hayton, E. Cruickshanks, S. Handley, ed. The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1690–1715, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2006Johnston was often confused with another army officer of the same name and much the same age, James "Irish" Johnston whose father, George Johnston, was a third cousin of James, sharing descent from Archibald Johnston (died 1619) and his wife Rachel Arnot. His father's first wife was Catharine Poulett (a daughter of John Poulett, 2nd Baron Poulett). His sister, Lucy Johnston, was the wife of George Preston.

His father was the fourth and second surviving son of Archibald Johnston, Lord Warriston, and his second wife Helen Hay (a daughter of Alexander Hay, Lord Fosterseat). His maternal grandfather was Thomas Claxton of Dublin. Among his maternal family were aunts Frances, Countess of Rosse (and, later, Viscountess Jocelyn), Mary (née Claxton) Carter.

Career Johnston was first commissioned into the Royal Horse Guards and was present with the regiment at the Battle of Dettingen in 1743 and the Battle of Fontenoy in 1745. He became a major in the regiment on 29 November 1750, was promoted to lieutenant-colonel of the Royal Horse Guards on 17 December 1754War Office * and commanded the regiment in Germany in several engagements during the Seven Years' War.Richard Cannon, Historical record of the Fourth or Royal Irish Regiment of Dragoon Guards (London, 1839) page 90

Desperately wounded at the battle of Minden in 1759Sir Bernard Burke, A visitation of the seats and arms of the noblemen and gentlemen of Great Britain, Volume 1, London, Colburn, 1852 he was promoted to full colonel of Horse, Royal Horse Guards 9 March 1762,War Office * (the same day as his 'Irish' cousin was gazetted colonel of Dragoons)These appointments of the two James Johnstons: Major General, Lieutenant General and General, were identical and gazetted on the same day, one man listed beside the other without distinction.* In addition on 9 March 1762 they were gazetted respectively colonel of Horse and colonel of Dragoons beside each other. and appointed an aide-de-camp to King George III.

Promoted to major-general on 30 April 1770War Office *Robert Beatson, A political index to the histories of Great Britain and Ireland, volume II (London, 1806)page 120 on 2 May 1775 he received the additional appointment of colonelWar Office * of the 11th Regiment of Dragoons in place of the marquess of Lothian and was further promoted to lieutenant-general on 29 August 1777.War Office * On 2 April 1778 he was removed from his colonelcy of Royal Horse GuardsWar Office * and a fortnight later appointed colonel of the 6th Regiment of Dragoons.War Office * In succession to George Preston, his sister's husband, he was made colonel of the Scots Greys on 4 February 1785, a post he held until his death. On 25 October 1793 he was promoted general.War Office *

Personal life Johnston married twice. His first marriage was on 2 March 1747 to Lady Charlotte Montagu, youngest daughter of George Montagu, 1st Earl of Halifax and the former Mary Lumley. Charlotte's sister, Frances, was the wife of Sir Roger Burgoyne, 6th Baronet. Before her death during childbirth on 28 April 1762, Charlotte and James were the parents of least three sons and three daughters, including:

Richard Johnstone Charlotte Frances Johnston (–1820), who married her cousin, Maj.-Gen. John Burgoyne, a son of Sir Roger Burgoyne, 6th Baronet and cousin to John Burgoyne, in 1772. After his death, she married Maj.-Gen. Eyre Power Trench, a son of Richard Trench, MP, and brother to William Trench, 1st Earl of Clancarty, in 1797.

Johnston then married his cousin Frances (née Carter) Twysden. A daughter of Thomas Carter, Frances was the widow of Philip Twysden, Bishop of Raphoe, and the mother of Frances Villiers, Countess of Jersey.

Johnston lived at Overstone, Northamptonshire and in retirement at Weston House near Bath and with a house in St James's Place, Middlesex.General Johnston's Estate—All Persons having any Claims or Demands on the Estate of General James Johnston, late of Weston near Bath, in the County of Somerset, and of St James's-place, in the County of Middlesex, deceased, are desired to send an account either to Mr Daniel Robinson, Gray's-inn-place, or Mr Clarke, attorney at Bath. The Times, Friday, 25 December 1795; pg. 4; Issue 3474

Note

References

Will of James Johnston, General in His Majesty's Army of Weston near Bath, Somerset. Date 12 January 1796. Catalogue reference PROB 11/1270 Edward Almack. The history of the Second dragoons : Royal Scots greys.Lieutenant-General James Johnston.Colonel, 1785. Died, 26 November 1795.

External links James Johnston (1721-1797), General at National Portrait Gallery, London Lady Charlotte Johnstone (née Montagu) (died 1762), Wife of Colonel Johnstone; daughter of 1st Earl of Halifax at National Portrait Gallery, London