Author: Johnstone, Charles
Biography:
JOHNSTONE, Charles (1719?-1800?: DIB)
Buthred is attributed to Charles Johnstone (or Johnsrton) on anecdotal evidence. He was born at Carrigogunnell, County Limerick, but the names of his parents are not known. He studied at Trinity College Dublin, left without taking a degree, and moved to London where he was called to the bar. His deafness inhibited his legal career and he began writing to supplement his income. His most successful work, Chrysal, or, The Adventures of a Guinea (1760-65), was much imitated and translated; he also wrote five other novels. He was married but no details about his wife have been located; the author of an account of his life published in the Gentleman’s Magazine states that Johnstone and his wife were living in Great Russell Street, London, in 1771 and that Johnstone was a good classical scholar who could also speak and read Irish. In 1775 he was imprisoned in the King’s Bench prison for debt; after his release he went to Dieppe to evade his creditors but returned in about 1778 when he wrote Buthred. The play was not successful. By 1782 his wife had died and Johnstone sailed for India, hoping to secure financial aid from people he had formerly helped. He wrote for the Bengal press and became joint proprietor of a newspaper. The precise date of his death in India is not known. (DIB 20 Apr. 2021; ODNB 20 Apr. 2021; GM 160 [1836] 135-38)