Clan Johnston/e in America Membership

Not a member of Clan Johnston/e in America? Well now is the time to join.  The low yearly dues are due October 1st and entitles you to quarterly issues of the Spur and Phoenix.  You can access the clan's site by clicking on the link in the upper left-hand corner of this blog.  Past issues of the Spur and Phoenix can be found there and you can join and pay your membership there also.

Border Reivers

Clan Johnston/e is noted to be a Border Clan known for their reiving.  But what exactly does that mean?  A nice article by P.J. Nebergall explaining what this means can be found at  http://wings.buffalo.edu/research/anthrogis/JWA/V1N4/reivers-art.txt .

Another Cellphone Product

Dave Eastman has the scoop on a phone APP that will scan documents.  Check out his description at http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2010/08/scan2pdf-mobile.html#more

Scottish Naming Patterns

Boys:

1 - named for paternal grandfather
2 - named for maternal grandfather
3 - named for father

Girls:

1 - named for maternal grandmother
2 - named for paternal grandmother
3 - named for mother

You will often find middle names to be family surnames.

Brick Wall - Abraham Johnston, died 1824 in PA

Abraham Johnston who died in 1824 in Amwell, Washington County, PA. He is listed as Abraham Johnson on the 1781 tax list for Amwell and he registered his land in 1785 in the newly formed Washington County, PA. He had a number of sons; Abraham Jr., Robert, William, Samuel and Isaac. He had either a son or  brother named John Johnston who lived near him in the 1790 and 1800 censuses. I think he had a few daughters as well.


Isaac died in Meigs County, Ohio in 1849. It looks like Isaac's son Asa died between 1846 and 1850. Asa had two sons and two daughters. His son Reuben and his brother Selden came to Minnesota.

Brick Wall - George Johns(t)on Decendants

Trying to locate decendants of this particular Johns(t)on line.

..... 1 George Johnston b: 26 Mar 1824 in Edinburgh, SCOTLAND, d: 21 Aug 1902 in Wisconsin
..... + Catherine Thompson b: Mar 1834 in Scotland, d: Wisconsin
........... 2 William Johnston b: Feb 1862, d: 10 Mar 1951
........... + Lola Slagle b: 08 Feb 1868, d: 03 Apr 1913
................. 3 Lewis Marion Johnston b: 31 Aug 1897 in Westfield Twp., Marquette Co., WI, d: 22 Dec
1987 in Wautoma, Wisconsin
................. + Edith Dorthea Ingraham b: 22 Sep 1905 in Westfield Twp., Marquette Co., WI, m: 30 Jun
1922 in Westfield Twp., Marquette Co., WI, d: 01 Dec 1989 in Wautoma, Wisconsin
....................... 4 Mertice Johnston
....................... + Howard Foster
............................. 5 Constance Foster
............................. + Michael Magnuson
................................... 6 Karen Magnuson
................................... 6 Anne Magnuson
................. 3 Merton William Johnston b: 15 Jun 1900 in Wisconsin, d: May 1967
................. + Carol Smith
................. 3 Arno G. Johnston b: 23 Aug 1903 in Harris Twp., Wisconsin, d: 18 Mar 1985
................. 3 Hollis Dale Johnston b: 31 Jul 1905, d: 23 Oct 1989 in Montello, WI
................. + Vera LaVerne Haskey m: 07 May 1931 in Endeavor, WI, d: 11 Oct 1988 in Wisconsin
....................... 4 Jack Johnston
....................... 4 Van Johnston
....................... 4 Dale Johnston
........... 2 Jennie (Jane) Johnston b: Abt. 1864
...............+ Charles Whitney
................ 3 Walter Whitney
........... 2 Annie Johnston b: Abt. 1867 in Wisconsin
...............+Earl Cooper

Clan Johnston/e AGM

The Annual General Meeting of Clan Johnston/e in America will be held at the Pleasanton, CA games.  The games are September 4th and 5th.  Info on the games can be found at http://www.caledonian.org/home.html .  Information on the Annual General Meeting can be found on the Clan's website which can be accessed from the link in the upper left hand corner of the page.

Come on out and meet some fellow clansmen!

Genealogy Program for Android Phones

Eastman’s online newsletter gives info on a genealogy program called FamilyBee you can download to an Android phone.


Check out the info on this at http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2010/08/familybee-for-androidbased-cell-phones.html .
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Who Do You Think You Are?

If you missed it the first time around, NBC is planning to re-air four episodes of the TV show Who Do You Think You Are? starting on Friday, August 13 at 8/7.


You can see the repeated episodes that feature Lisa Kudrow, Sarah Jessica Parker, Emmitt Smith and Brooke Shields.

South Carolina Estate Inventories and Bills of Sale, 1732-1872

For a short period of time this collection can be searched at Footnote.com for free.

The collection includes a mix of 18th- and 19th-century South Carolina court records including estate inventories, appraisements books, bills of sale, and related court documents.

New Johnston Decendant

Cara Elizabeth, our newest Johnston decendant.  Doesn't she look great in plaid?

Civil War Research

I'm really excited about the Civil War Provost Marshall Records at the National Archives.  While at a conference recently, Jake Ersland of the Central Plains Branch of the National Archives, gave a talk on these records (Record Group 110).  What a wealth of information they contain!

In 1863, the Provost Marshall General Bureau was established and they were to produce lists of men eligible for the draft, examinations of eligible men, descriptions of the men, arrests of deserters and rejections. 

The states were divided into districts and then into sub-districts which were responsible for visiting all the males and determining their status and processing those who were enlisted or drafted.  This bureau produced the following lists:

     Consolidated list of men eligible (subject) to draft - this gives you a broad look at all the male     
             individuals within a district.
     Register of Drafted Men, Recruits and Substitutes
     Medical Registers of Examinations of Recruits and Substitutes - a description of health and features
     Register of Medical Examinations Showing Rejections and Exemptions
     Descriptive Book of Deserters
     Veteran's Reserve Corp.

So, if you know where your Civil War era ancestor lived, accessing this record group could get you a wealth of information on their description, why you can't find them on any Civil War unit rosters, and other family member living in the area.

Unfortunately, these records have not been microfilmed.  To look at them requires on-site research at the appropriate National Archives branch.  If you can be specific enough, you can contact the National Archives holding the records for the region your ancestor lived and researchers at the archives will copy the information for you.  If you are unfamiliar with which National Archives holds the records for the area of the country you are interested in, you can find the information on the archives.gov website.