John Johnstone ( – 3 September 1732) was the 32nd

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

from 1714 to 1719.

Career

An associate of

George Scot of Pitlochie George Scot or Scott ( – 1685) of Pitlochie, Fife was a Scottish writer on colonisation in North America. Early life Scot, who was born around 1640, was the only son of John Scot of Scotstarvet by his second wife, Elizabeth Melville, daught ...

, he was a druggist from

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

and emigrated to what has since become the United States in 1685 aboard the ''Henry and Francis''. Scot himself died on board ship. In New Jersey, he was known as Dr. Johnstone. In 1686, Johnstone was granted a tract of 500 acres by the

East New Jersey The Province of East Jersey, along with the Province of West Jersey, between 1674 and 1702 in accordance with the Quintipartite Deed, were two distinct political divisions of the Province of New Jersey, which became the U.S. state of New Jersey. ...

Proprietors on account of his wife and another 30,000 acres in 1701. In spite of his investment in East New Jersey land, John Johnstone eventually settled in New York and was elected to the

New York General Assembly The General Assembly of New York, commonly known internationally as the New York General Assembly, and domestically simply as General Assembly, was the supreme legislative body of the Province of New York during its period of proprietal colonia ...

, serving in 1709 and 1710. Between 1710 and 1714 Johnstone represented Perth Amboy in the New Jersey General Assembly. By 1714 he was mayor of New York City, in which office he served until 1716. He was first recommended to the Crown for the New York Provincial Council by Governor Robert Hunter in 1715 to fill a vacancy caused by the death of Dr. Samuel Staats. Johnstone was finally appointed in 1720, but by 1722 Hunter's successor, William Burnet, complained that Dr. Johnstone had "without any leave obtained under the Hand and seal of any Governor or president, now resided for above two years last past in New Jersey", and asked for his removal from the Council. In July 1723 he was replaced by William Provost. Governor Burnet had first-hand knowledge of Johnstone's New Jersey residency, as he served as governor of both New York and New Jersey simultaneously. John Johnstone had returned to the New Jersey General Assembly in 1721, again representing Perth Amboy. He served as Speaker for most of that time, from 1721 through 1722, and again from 1725 through 1729, with the interim occupied by

William Trent William Trent (February 13, 1715–1787) was an American fur trader and merchant based in colonial Pennsylvania. He was commissioned as a captain of the Virginia Regiment in the early stages of the French and Indian War, when he served on the wes ...

. He remained in the Assembly until his death on September 3, 1732.''New Jersey Colonial Documents, Archives of the State of New Jersey, First Series, Vol. II''; Daily Advertiser Publishing House, Newark, New Jersey, 1882. p. 119

Personal life

In 1686, Johnstone was married to Euphame Scot, the daughter of

. Together, they were the parents of Euphemia Johnston, Isabel Johnstone, Katherine Johnstone, John Johnston, Jr., Margaret Johnston, Andrew Johnston, William Johnstone, Janet, James Johnstone, George Johnston, Lewis Johnston, Isabel Johnstone, and Mary Johnston. Johnstone died on 3 September 1732 in

Perth Amboy, New Jersey Perth Amboy is a city (New Jersey), city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, Middlesex County, New Jersey. Perth Amboy is part of the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 55,4 ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnstone, John Mayors of New York City Members of the New Jersey General Assembly 1661 births 1732 deaths Speakers of the New Jersey General Assembly Kingdom of Scotland emigrants to the Thirteen Colonies Politicians from Perth Amboy, New Jersey People from Middlesex County, New Jersey Politicians from Edinburgh Members of the East New Jersey Provincial Council