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Johnstons of Leitrim

Does anyone know of a resource that lists the family tree of the Oakfield/Aughacashel Johnstons? They were a prominent family in the 18th and 19th centuries, so I keep hoping I can find something. Birth and death records are difficult to find because they were COI, so I am working mostly from newspaper notices.

George Johnston, I am told, came to County Leitrim from Fermanagh around the start of the 18th century. His eldest son James Johnston, Esq. was the first of several Johnstons to serve as High Sheriff (in 1783). The family's main seat seems to have been Oakfield, in Kinlough, but George Johnston also lived at Aughacashel, and a series of Johnstons after him did as well.

I have a series of puzzle pieces that I'm trying to fit together-! Can't find a good source to find the missing links. Here are my puzzle pieces: My 3d great-grandfather was Lewis Hawkes Morton, Esq., who married "Anne." I can find no birth record or marriage record, so all I know for sure is "Anne." My working theory is that she is the daughter of James Johnston, Esq. of Oakfield, because (1) they named their eldest son Johnston Morton, (2) Johnston Morton died at Aughacashel (at that time the residence of Joseph Johnston, Esq., who under my theory would have been his uncle), and (3) their granddaughter Annie listed "Rathcline" as her residence at the time of her marriage, which at that time was the residence of St. George Johnston, Esq., J.P., who under my theory would have been her first cousin twice removed. There are more clues, but these are the strongest links I've found thus far between the Mortons and the Johnstons ... I just need to find a source that will either confirm my theory or send me down a new rabbit hole! So I am looking for a family tree of the Johnstons of County Leitrim.

DianeFarr

18 replies

Hi Diane

you are operating on the outer reaches and I do not think there is a volunteer in that part of Leitrim. As my mothers family were from Leitrim I look at the queries from there.

Church of Ireland records are held here and an email should elicit what records are available as they were all supposed to be returned to here https://www.ireland.anglican.org/cmsfiles/pdf/AboutUs/library/registers…

and https://www.ireland.anglican.org/about/genealogy

Leitrim local history is here http://www.leitrimcoco.ie/eng/Community-Culture/Library/Local-Studies/ An email here may elicit a reply on anything they have on the family, if he family records survive the may be in our National Archives or PRONI in Northern Ireland.

Bear in mind that some local families with large land holding often had private family churches. Maynooth university have a local history section with a short booklet on Kiltubrid which is close to your area of Aughacashel. The main family appear to have been Slackes and one of them was a magistrate who took photos in the late 1800s and early 1900s, unfortunately names are not often included and I have not checked for Johnstons. https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/history/past-theses

I collect books on Leitrim, few and far between and have one on a famine in 1822, see 3 different Johnstons mentioned, Charles mainly in reports dated 1822. If you would like more details of this let me know and I can scan in some of it. My site email is stpeters@irelandxo.com if you want to communicate faster.

Also have a book on a rebellion in Leitrim in the 1790s but have not checked it for Johnstons but if I locate any will notify you. Also one other book of old photos.

There is a very famous architect born Armagh in 1760 called Francis Johnston, there is a detailed Wikipedia entry for him and his work which is widely known here. I think he may have worked with the chap who designed the White House but not on the White House.

Regards
Pat

St Peters LouthIrelandXO Volunteer

Pat, I am overwhelmed - thank you! Can't wait to check out the links. Regarding a rebellion in the 1790s, I found this at kinlough.net: "1797 - Insurgents belonging to the United Irishmen raid Oakfield House, the home of Captain Johnston of the Rossclogher Corps and take some of the yeomanry arms stored there.  Those who raided the house included: James Forster, John McNaughten, Jeffrey McGowan and Jeremiah Forster.  A fifth man, Roger Connolly, was implicated in storing the arms under a rock near Bundoran.  The information was supplied by John Dogher of Kinlough.  George Johnston is commissioned as an Ensign in the Leitrim Militia.  The Rossclogher Cavalry includes 2 subalterns, 3 sergeants, 1 drummer & trumpeter, 20 monted men and 50 infantry.  Captain of the Cavalry is James Johnston, with John Johnston as First Lieutenant and William Connolly as Second Lieutenant." I am posting this in case it may be of interest to others who are reading this message chain. I just found kinlough.net last week and haven't researched the rebellion(s) yet.

I do hope, if the Johnstons turn out to be my family (as I think they are), they weren't a bunch of jerks ... I'm almost afraid to keep researching! LOL! 

 

DianeFarr

Diane

you certainly are speedy with the reply, on reflection you mention the 18th and 19th century but not how you got there, ie when did they leave etc.

The earliest Irish records are for the 1600s when the land was taken, and families can be found here http://downsurvey.tcd.ie/landowners.php Walter Johnston is found in Down in 1641 an 4 times in Fermanagh in 1670, you can sort it out on the site as to what it was about. There are partial Hearth Money Rolls 1600s for some counties also on the site Failte Romhat http://www.failteromhat.com/ Only Armagh and lots of Johnston, also on this site is the Flax Growers List of 1796 and there are Johnstons in Leitrim including an Andrew I see in the book  By the way Failte Romhat is Gaelic Language for You are Welcome, a greeting when you visit someone.

More recently there is tithe appplottments of 1824 to 1838 here http://titheapplotmentbooks.nationalarchives.ie/search/tab/home.jsp 76 Johnston I think and 3 Morton in Leitrim, only landowner given with townland. By the way our main running stadium is called Morton Stadium after a Billy Morton who was big in track and field events admin in the 1960s.

Civil records for Protestant marriages began in 1845 and all BMDs in 1864 and contain lots of Johnstons and Mortons, they are free here but not all for the image link yet. https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/en/ You must click on civil records and follow the rigmarole but it is free. The church records are not at all complete except for Dublin and Kerry and some Cork.

Between 1848 and 1864 a land survey was done called Griffiths Valuation and is on various sites but here has a map and you can bring to modern maps by sliding the bar left. See http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/ Play around with it, the pop up window gives you the site number and this can be located when you zoom in on the map in another pop up, you will get the hang of it, where the name is not the ne you are searching then you are the landlord, see pop up for name. and then off to the census of 1901 and 1911 plus tiny bits of other years. See http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/search/ the default is to 1911, I see a 13 year old called Morton Johnston in Ballinamore in 1911, this is where my mother was born.

I will come back later in the week but it will be a busy week for me and I only get on late at night. Where are you located, I am in Drogheda on the east coast of Ireland, north of Dublin. 

If you have not already searched these you will be bogged down for awhile, fitting for a Leitrim person, bogs I am getting at as Leitrim is full of lakes and rivers.

Regards & Good Luck,

Pat

St Peters LouthIrelandXO Volunteer

Diane

should mention in the Civil records I see 81 hits for Johnston (BMD) in Lisnaskea in Fermanagh so that may be the area of interest there. You also mentioned you hped they were good people, well like us all I suppose a mixture but the reported contribution of George Johnston to the Famine Board is that the ruling class had let this happen by not investing enough in creating jobs etc so he was on the ball there. Also it appears a lot of the donations of money went astray, spme things do not change.

Pat

St Peters LouthIrelandXO Volunteer

Thank you Pat! I read somewhere that when Robert Johnston was in charge of Oakfield, he remodeled it and named it the more humble "Kinlough House" (it's in Kinlough) ... after selling a good bit of the land to his tenants. He felt strongly that the Irish should be allowed to buy the land they farmed. So his heart was in the right place, but of course it was shortsighted of him because the estate's rental income declined (obviously). "No good deed goes unpunished," as they say. :)

I am looking at the 18th and 18th century because I am coming at the family sideways, as it were ... I traced myself to Lewis Hawkes Morton, my 3rd great-grandfather, and started digging around to see if I could figure out who "Anne" might be (his wife). So far no luck finding Lewis Hawkes Morton's marriage record. I will try those sources you just gave me, but I have a sinking feeling that I may be repeating work I've already done. Never mind! Maybe I'll see something new. "Anne" died in 1837, and their first child, Johnston Morton, was born in 1788, so that is why I started combing through Johnstons of that time frame.

It's interesting that there was another Morton Johnston in 1911 ... the name seems to repeat; there is a Morton Johnston in the 18th/early 19th cent. as well, who may or may not be a son of the George Johnston who came to Letrim from Fermanagh and started the whole thing. There is also a Moreton Johnston in County Leitrim who seems to be slightly older than Morton Johnston, a captain of the militia, etc. ... at first I thought they were the same guy, spelled differently, but now I think not.

I love the Griffiths Valuation data, and am fascinated by how accurate the maps were -- and how persistent the Irish hedgerows are, so many of which still stand just where they did nearly 200 years ago! Amazing.

I had no luck finding photographs at the Maynooth University site, and the parish records that have been indexed were too sketchy ... I shall keep trying, since they are apparently adding more as time goes on. I very much appreciate your help!

I live in Citrus Heights, California. :)

DianeFarr

Hi Diane, I just happened to see this post from last September and reckon I can help you with your puzzle.  Anne, the wife of your 3d great-grandfather Lewis Hawkes Morton, was actually the daughter of Johnston Moreton.  I learned this through a documented account of the Moreton family by my wife's great grandfather which was drafted in 1874. According to that same document, Anne's mother's name was Molly Mc Govern. Hope this helps with your research.

 

IrelandXO member

BK, this is so exciting. Anne has been a mystery to me for a very long time! Is it possible to see a copy of the 1874 document? Has it been copied to any librarires, or does it reside online anywhere? I am so grateful for this information. Puzzled ... LOL... but grateful! Her son was Johnston Morton, but her father was Johnston Moreton -- is that correct? I am still trying to find her connection to the Johnstons, but am now hoping you have set me on the right track at last.

DianeFarr

Hi Diane, the document isn't online, it was simply handwritten and passed down through the generations. It's not something I'd post publically but would share with you directly if we found a way to do that. You're correct regarding the surnames. The document points out that the Moreton's and Morton's were two different families. Regarding connections to the Johnston's, an Andrew Johnston married Honoria Moreton (a niece of Johnston Moreton). My wife is a direct descendant of Andrew and Honoria.  There may be other connections with the Johnston's but I'm familiar with that one from my own research.

IrelandXO member

Diane & BK

I am still getting the site notifications and volunteering on the site. If you wish and do not like to share mails on line you can mail me at my site email and I will put you in touch, my email is stpeters@irelandxo.com or I am sure if you mail the site mail info@irelandxo.com as on the site the administrator will do so.

Was in Leitrim last year and had a lovely time, the local history section of the library is very helpful and it has a list on the website of documents held and it is searchable too.

 

Regards
Pat

St Peters LouthIrelandXO Volunteer

Thank you so much, Pat and BK. I have sent Pat my email address. :)

DianeFarr

BK, it is amazing that your wife is descended from my 3d g-grandmother's cousin. We must share a 4th great-grandfather. Small world!

DianeFarr

Hi Diane, I've just emailed Pat too.

There's a family connection on the Moreton side alright. 

We were looking at the photo of the house in Aughacashel you'd posted here - we'd been to see it a couple of years ago as part of our own research. 

@Pat - many thanks for the help and the info on the library. 

IrelandXO member

Thank you BK -- I am dying to see the Moreton notes, as I'm sure you can imagine. LOL! I am hoping you will be able to email me a scan or a photograph. What was Aughacashel like? Is it inhabited? I hope it is still as well-maintained as it appears in my photo; I wasn't sure how old the photo was. How lovely to be able to visit in person. I envy you. :)

Irish records are free at the moment on Ancestry and findmypast (through St. Patrick's Day) so I have been trying to unearth more information there, but am not having much luck -- although there are some interesting newspaper tidbits. Seems that "Johnston Morton" and "Moreton Johnston" and "Johnston Morton" and so on are names that were repeated through several generations, muddling the record somewhat. Without birth and death dates, it's difficult to decipher who is who.

cheers,

Cousin Diane

DianeFarr

Hi Diane - scanned and sent, it will help somewhat with confusion around names i hope. 

The house was as per the photo. It looked like it had been lived in till a few years before but didn't appear lived in when we dropped by. 

Enjoy the read!

IrelandXO member

Hi 

I stumbled upon this post from 2016 on the Johnstons of Oakfield Kinlough Co Leitrim. I live near Kinlough village and if you are still interested I can try and help you. I think a local womnan did some research on the Johnston family several years ago she still lives here and I can check with her if you wish also there was a book written on the area " Glack to Bendrowes" It contains several references to the Johnstons.

In the recordings by the Folklore Commission in 1938 there is reference to a Johnston girl eloping with a local catholic against the wishes of her father, I think this is also mentioned in the book Glack to Bundrowse.

There was a house called Mortons in Kinlough. 

smg

Thank you very much! I have yet to learn why and how "Morton/Moreton" and "Johnston" were connected. It may have been quite far back, since my 4th grand-grandfather, Johnston Moreton, was born probably in the second decade of the 18th century. (died in 1805, Liscarbin). I very much appreciate your hints of where to look next.

DianeFarr

Hello Diane,

I am writing from Australia where I volunteer transcribing convict files from Ireland. One convict had a reference from Joseph Johnston, Aughacashel, written in 1851.The letter is in the file. The convict also sent a thanks to Johnston in a letter of his from Australia which was included in the file.  I can forward this small story to you if you contact me via email.

Colleen 

rarulappu@optusnet.com.au

Colleen Arulappu

Hello Dianne & others, 

I too am writing from Australia hoping to find out more about my "Johnston" ancestors. 

My 3rd great-grandfather James Johnston (1812–1889) migrated to Australia from Belleek, Fermanagh, Northern Ireland in 1862 with his wife Elizabeth Johnston (nee McGoldrick) and two sons William (20) and John (29) who were both policeman.

I'm particularly interested in finding out (or should I say confirming) whether John Johnston (1834–1886) returned to Ireland to reside at Leitrim with his wife Rebecca Johnston (nee Worthington) who was born in Australia. I have reason to believe that their son James Johnston operated the Ballinamore County Leitrim Hotel during 1886-87 taking over   after his father's death.

Any assistance you can provide would be most helpful.

Kind regards,
James Johnston-Peters

E: jamespeters1771@gmail.com

jamespeters

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