Alexander, James and William Johnstone
Alexander, Sir James and William Johnstone, sons of Sir James Johnstone, 3rd Baronet of Westerhall in Dumfries, Scotland and his wife Barbara Murray daughter of Lord Elibank, are buried in the south cloister of Westminster Abbey. The gravestones are no longer readable but they are in front of Daniel Pulteney's monument.
Sir James Johnstone, 4th Baronet
He was born on 23rd January 1726 and educated at Leyden. In 1772 he was made a Lieutenant Colonel in the army and was Member of Parliament for Dumfries. On the death of the 3rd Marquis of Annandale he became head of the family of Johnstone and a claimant to the Marquisate. He was buried on 17th September 1794. His estates in the island of Grenada, left him by his brother Alexander, were bequeathed to his wife Louisa (Colclough), who was buried with him on 17th April 1797. His illegitimate children were Ann, wife of Mr Scott, and James Murray Johnstone. His brother William was his general heir.
Alexander Johnstone
He was buried on 21st January 1783 aged 55. He was Lt. Colonel of His Majesty's forces and died unmarried. His grave inscription was recorded in the early 19th century and read:
Sacred to the memory of Colonel Alexr. Johnstone of the Island of Grenada who died Jan 13 1783. Also of Sir James Johnstone Bart. of Whitehall who died Sep 3 1794.
William Johnstone, later Pulteney, and Henrietta Countess of Bath
His first wife was Frances, daughter of Daniel Pulteney. On her succeeding to the Bath estates he assumed the family surname of Pulteney and became the 5th Baronet. Frances was buried on 8th June 1782 in the south cloister. His second wife was Margaret, widow of Andrew Stuart. The journals of the day said that he was the richest commoner in the kingdom and the greatest American stockholder ever known (to that date).
His only child was Henrietta Laura, Countess of Bath, who was buried near her father on 23rd July 1808. She was born on 26th December 1766 and succeeded to her mother's estates in 1782. She was created Baroness of Bath in 1792. In 1794 she married her cousin General the Right Honourable Sir James Murray (died 1811), who took the surname Murray-Pulteney. They had no children. Her coffin was seen under the very large stone in this cloister in the 1970s when it was raised. Her grave is not marked.
Further reading
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