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James Johnstone (1719), also known as Chevalier de Johnstone or Johnstone de Moffatt, was a Scottish
memoirist A memoir (; , ) is any nonfiction narrative A narrative, story, or tale is any account of a series of related events or experiences, whether non-fictional (memoir, biography, news report, documentary, travel literature, travelogue, etc.) ...
who is best remembered for his ''Memoirs of the Rebellion in 1745 and 1746'', first published in 1820. The son of an
Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...
merchant, he escaped to France after participating in the 1745 Jacobite rebellion. He was commissioned a
lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...
in the French Colonial Army, and served in French North America for several years. Following the loss of
Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...
to the
British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
in 1760, Johnstone returned to France and became a civilian. Little is known of his later life, and he is thought to have died sometime between 1791 and 1800.


Family and early life

James Johnstone was born 25 July 1719, only son of Jeremy Boone Johnstone, an
Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...
merchant; his mother was a distant relative of Lady Jane (or Jean) Douglas (c.1698–1753), later the centre of a famous inheritance case known as the
Douglas Cause The Douglas Cause was a cause célèbre and legal struggle contested in Great Britain during the 1760s. The main parties were Archibald Douglas, 1st Baron Douglas, Archibald Douglas (1748–1827) and James Hamilton, 7th Duke of Hamilton, James Do ...
. He had two sisters; the elder, Cecilia (c.1715–1746), married John Rollo (1708–1783), later 6th
Lord Rollo Lord Rollo, of Duncrub in the County of Perth, is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created on 10 January 1651 for Sir Andrew Rollo, with remainder to his heirs male whatsoever. His great-great-grandson, the fifth Lord, was a Brig ...
. His other sister, Jean, married Hugh Leslie of
Dalkeith Dalkeith ( ; , ) is a town in Midlothian, Scotland, on the River Esk. It was granted a burgh of barony in 1401 and a burgh of regality in 1541. The settlement of Dalkeith grew southwestwards from its 12th-century castle (now Dalkeith Pala ...
and their great-grandson purchased Johnstone's manuscripts in 1870. There is no record of Johnstone ever marrying or having children. Little is known of Johnstone's childhood and youth. In his autobiography, he admitted to being a poor student who was "given to dissipation and extravagance". He had a difficult relationship with his father, but was indulged by his mother and Lady Jane, who lent him money. In 1738, Johnstone persuaded his father to send him to
Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...
, where he stayed with his mother's uncle, James Hewitt, an expatriate Scot and merchant. Another uncle, Gustav Otto Douglas (1687–1771), was a
Russian Russian(s) may refer to: *Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *A citizen of Russia *Russian language, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages *''The Russians'', a b ...
general who was born in
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
, but changed sides after being captured at
Poltava Poltava (, ; , ) is a city located on the Vorskla, Vorskla River in Central Ukraine, Central Ukraine. It serves as the administrative center of Poltava Oblast as well as Poltava Raion within the oblast. It also hosts the administration of Po ...
in 1709. Douglas arranged a commission for Johnstone in the Russian military, but his father threatened to disinherit him if he accepted. After a period in
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
, he returned to Edinburgh in 1740. His sister Cecilia's marriage into the Rollo family connected Johnstone to the circle of Jacobite gentry in
Perthshire Perthshire (Scottish English, locally: ; ), officially the County of Perth, is a Shires of Scotland, historic county and registration county in central Scotland. Geographically it extends from Strathmore, Angus and Perth & Kinross, Strathmore ...
. This group is said to have supplied over 20% of the rebel army in the
1745 Rising The Jacobite rising of 1745 was an attempt by Charles Edward Stuart to regain the Monarchy of Great Britain, British throne for his father, James Francis Edward Stuart. It took place during the War of the Austrian Succession, when the bulk of t ...
.McCann, Jean E. (1963), ''The Organisation of the Jacobite Army'' (PHD thesis). Edinburgh University, OCLC 646764870, pp. xvi–xvii. Robert, 4th Lord Rollo (1679–1758) had participated in the
1715 Rising The Jacobite rising of 1715 ( ; or 'the Fifteen') was the attempt by James Edward Stuart (the Old Pretender) to regain the thrones of England, Ireland and Scotland for the exiled Stuarts. At Braemar, Aberdeenshire, local landowner the Ear ...
, although his son Andrew Rollo (1703–1765) served with the British army in
Flanders Flanders ( or ; ) is the Dutch language, Dutch-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, la ...
during the
War of the Austrian Succession The War of the Austrian Succession was a European conflict fought between 1740 and 1748, primarily in Central Europe, the Austrian Netherlands, Italian Peninsula, Italy, the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Related conflicts include King Ge ...
.


Jacobite rebellion, 1745–1746

Johnstone joined the Jacobites under
Charles Edward Stuart Charles Edward Louis John Sylvester Maria Casimir Stuart (31 December 1720 – 30 January 1788) was the elder son of James Francis Edward Stuart, making him the grandson of James VII and II, and the Stuart claimant to the thrones of England, ...
when they reached
Perth Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...
in early September 1745. He was appointed
captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
in the Duke of Perth's regiment. Although his claim to have been aide-de-camp to Lord George Murray cannot be verified, he was present throughout the campaign, and took part in the invasion of England. Perth ordered him to join the garrison left at
Carlisle Carlisle ( , ; from ) is a city in the Cumberland district of Cumbria, England. Carlisle's early history is marked by the establishment of a settlement called Luguvalium to serve forts along Hadrian's Wall in Roman Britain. Due to its pro ...
in December but he refused, saying he "would never be a victim by choice". At Culloden in April 1746, he allegedly took part in the attack on the government lines, before he escaped by taking someone else's horse. He made his way to
Ruthven Barracks Ruthven Barracks (), near Ruthven, Badenoch, Ruthven in Badenoch, Scotland, are the best preserved of the four barracks built in 1719 after the 1715 Jacobitism, Jacobite rising. Set on an old castle mound, the complex comprises two large three-st ...
with around 1,500 other survivors; on 20 April, Stuart ordered them to disperse until he returned from France with additional support. Johnstone accompanied Lord Ogilvy to Clova, in Angus, and then spent several weeks hiding in the
Highlands Highland is a broad term for areas of higher elevation, such as a mountain range or mountainous plateau. Highland, Highlands, or The Highlands, may also refer to: Places Africa * Highlands, Johannesburg, South Africa * Highlands, Harare, Zimbab ...
until he could return to Edinburgh. His old friend Lady Jane Douglas helped him escape to London, where he watched members of the Jacobite Manchester Regiment being taken to
Kennington Common Kennington Common was a swathe of common land mainly within the London Borough of Lambeth. It was one of the earliest venues for cricket around London, with matches played between 1724 and 1785. G B Buckley, ''Fresh Light on 18th Century Cric ...
for their execution on 30 July 1746. Disguised as one of Lady Jane's servants, he accompanied her to
The Hague The Hague ( ) is the capital city of the South Holland province of the Netherlands. With a population of over half a million, it is the third-largest city in the Netherlands. Situated on the west coast facing the North Sea, The Hague is the c ...
, where they parted.


French Colonial Army

Although he had originally intended to return to Russia, Johnstone stayed in Paris until Stuart was expelled from France after the 1748 Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle. In 1750, a connection to the Marquis de Puisieulx, then
French Foreign Minister The Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (, MEAE) is the ministry of the Government of France that handles France's foreign relations. Since 1855, its headquarters have been located at 37 Quai d'Orsay, close to the National Assembly. The ter ...
led to his appointment as
ensign Ensign most often refers to: * Ensign (flag), a flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality * Ensign (rank), a navy (and former army) officer rank Ensign or The Ensign may also refer to: Places * Ensign, Alberta, Alberta, Canada * Ensign, Ka ...
in the Compagnies Franches de la Marine. These were regular troops raised for service in French North America, and Johnstone was posted to ÃŽle-Royale, Nova Scotia. A recurring theme of his ''Memoirs'' is his complaint of unfair treatment as he considered his rank an insult; however, when he arrived at
Louisbourg Louisbourg is an unincorporated community and former town in Cape Breton Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia. History The harbour had been used by European mariners since at least the 1590s, when it was known as English Port and Havre à l'An ...
in 1754, he was promoted
lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...
. The colonial dispute between Britain and France, known as the
French and Indian War The French and Indian War, 1754 to 1763, was a colonial conflict in North America between Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of France, France, along with their respective Native Americans in the United States, Native American ...
, began in 1754. Two years later, it merged into the global
Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War, 1756 to 1763, was a Great Power conflict fought primarily in Europe, with significant subsidiary campaigns in North America and South Asia. The protagonists were Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of Prus ...
. When the British captured Louisbourg in June 1758, Johnstone was stationed on
Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island is an island Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. While it is the smallest province by land area and population, it is the most densely populated. The island has several nicknames: "Garden of the Gulf", ...
and escaped to
Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...
. He served under General Montcalm, commander at Quebec until his death on 13 September in the
Battle of the Plains of Abraham The Battle of the Plains of Abraham, also known as the Battle of Quebec (), was a pivotal battle in the Seven Years' War (referred to as the French and Indian War to describe the North American theatre). The battle, which took place on 13 Sept ...
. Despite being recognised by the British as a Scot, Johnstone was allowed to return to France in October 1760. The loss of North America resulted in the disbandment of the Compagnies and Johnstone's military career ended. He was paid a small pension and appointed to the
Order of Saint Louis The Royal and Military Order of Saint Louis () is a dynastic order of chivalry founded 5 April 1693 by King Louis XIV, named after Saint Louis (King Louis IX of France). It was intended as a reward for exceptional officers, notable as the fi ...
in 1762. Although the ''Memoirs'' often refer to his preference for a military life, his career had been undistinguished. There are few details of his life thereafter; he apparently visited Scotland in 1779 but seems to have had little contact with his family. The parlous state of French government finances resulted in his pension being reduced in the 1770s; it was stopped completely following the 1789 French Revolution but later restored. While it is generally agreed he died in Paris, the date is uncertain; the
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from History of the British Isles, British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') ...
suggests circa 1800. There is no record of him after 1791, which is used by the
Dictionary of Canadian Biography The ''Dictionary of Canadian Biography'' (''DCB''; ) is a dictionary of biographical entries for individuals who have contributed to the history of Canada. The ''DCB'', which was initiated in 1959, is a collaboration between the University of Toro ...
and other sources.


Manuscripts

Johnstone reportedly deposited his manuscripts in the Scots College, Paris, including ''Memoirs of the Rebellion in 1745 and 1746'', translated into English and published in 1822. While full of complaints about the injustice of the world and often extremely self-centred, they are lively and include the occasional flash of insight. Like many, Johnstone disliked Charles Stuart. He was an admirer of Lord George Murray, but criticised him because Murray's talents were offset by a quick temper, arrogance, and inability to take advice. Other works dealing with Johnstone's time in Canada were printed in Quebec in 1887: ''The Campaign of 1760 in Canada'' and ''A dialogue in Hades: a parallel of military errors, of which the French and English armies were guilty, during the campaign of 1759, in Canada''.


References


Sources

* * * * McCann, Jean E. (1963) ''The Organisation of the Jacobite Army'' (PHD thesis) Edinburgh University, OCLC 646764870 * *


External links

* * *
L'Encyclopédie de l'histoire du Québec / The Quebec History Encyclopedia – "James Chevalier de Johnstone"
*
''Memoirs of the rebellion in 1745 and 1746'' – media and intelligence in James Johnstone's autobiography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnstone, Chevalier De 1719 births 1791 deaths Order of Saint Louis recipients Scottish Jacobites Military personnel from Edinburgh Jacobite military personnel of the Jacobite rising of 1745 People of New France British people of the French and Indian War French military personnel of the Seven Years' War