JOHNSTON, PATRICK [SSNE 2744]
Text source
Patrick Johnston was an officer in Swedish service from 1659-1672. He was a major in the Östgöta infantry regiment. He died in 1672. Patrick became involved in a dispute over an inheritance claim of kinsman Francis Johnstone. According to his testament of 1657, Johnstone authorised his countryman Colonel Patrick Ogilvie, governor of Riga castle, to serve as his factor. In the event of Ogilvie’s death Henrik Johnstone and Captain Patrick Johnstone were to take possession of his goods until Henrik had travelled to Scotland to put matters in the hands of Johnstone’s brother back in Scotland. Matters became more complicated when John Forsyth in Riga allegedly sent various letters to Colonel Johnstone’s heir in Scotland, Mary Johnstone, apparently misrepresenting the disposition left with Thomas Clayhill in Riga with the intent of defrauding her from her inheritance. The Scottish Privy Council was therefore asked to intervene in the issue, which given the distance involved may have seemed to have given Mary little chance of satisfaction. Nonetheless she invoked her kin-network and received confirmation from William Johnstone of Bishopcleuch that she was the rightful heir of the colonel’s estate. More importantly James Johnstone, 2nd Earl of Annandale, concurred and intervened on behalf of his distant cousin’s daughter. While Mary did not have the power to contest the will, Annandale did. In 1664 Annandale despatched his factor, George Galbraith, to Riga in pursuit of 7,000 rdl. which he claimed ‘by right of progress’. Having vouched that Mary was the legal heir, this indicates that he had bought her inheritance rights from her, relieving her of any legal burden and allowing him the chance to both aid a distressed relative and undoubtedly turn a small profit in the process.Swedish Krigsarkiv, Muster Roll, 1659/5; 1660/5; 1661/4; 1662/4; 1663/5; 1664/4; 1665/5; 1666/4,9; 1668/4; 1669/4,10A,10B,F.184; 1670/4; 1671/1,DEAD; 1672/5,9,DEAD; Earl of Annandale and Hartfell Private Archive - NRAS, 2171, ‘Marquess of Annandale’, Bundle 126. Testament of Francis Johnstone, 20 July 1657 and Memorial of un-clarified items, 5 May 1657; ‘German’ Memorial, 11 June 1657; Memorial relating to Colonel Igelström, 3 June 1659; Steve Murdoch, Network North: Scottish Kin, Commercial and Covert Associations in Northern Europe, 1603-1746 (Brill, Leiden, 2006), p.231.
Service record
- SWEDEN, OSTGOTA INFANTRY
- Departed 1672-12-31, as MAJOR
- Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY