Author: Johnstone, John
Biography:
JOHNSTONE, John (1761-1849: ancestry.co.uk)
He is not to be confused with John Johnstone, editor, printer, and husband of Christian Isobel Johnstone. He was born to John Johnstone and his wife Agnes (maiden name unknown) who lived in a cottage on the banks of the Corrie, a tributary of the Annan. As a boy, he worked as a shepherd’s assistant before apprenticing as a shoemaker. He became a master shoemaker at Craighouse, and married Agnes (maiden name was probably Wright) with whom he had three sons and four daughters. W. Johnstone calls him “the bard of Corrie” and his home was a popular gathering place for people from all walks of life. Johnstone is said to have asked those who came to him for shoe repair to read to him while he worked. In about 1819 he moved to Sheepknowes on the Earl of Hopetoun’s estate, and he died there. (“Memoir” W. Johnstone, ed., Poems and Songs by John Johnstone: A New Edition [1857]; ancestry.co.uk 9 Aug 2019)