George Johnston Berwickshire

[Neale1961]

For centuries, London has been a cosmopolitan city, attracting people from all across Britain and the world, who were looking for new opportunities.

When George Johnston joined the London police in 1868, he would have had to say his year of birth was 1847 to be old enough (full age) to join. Young men joining the navy and army, etc., often lied about their age in order to successfully attest.

Well it appears he was illegitimate. The father was William Johnston from Middlestots and it says that he was BORN on the 17th July 1849. Which is different to what George himself has recorded.

The Police Pension record was NOT filled out by George. It was completed by a clerk.
George signed at the bottom of page 2, nothing else.


When you look at every census record for George from 1851 through to 1911, you will see his age consistently gives a birth in 1849.

I'm ok with the Durno side of the family …………..

I have not seen your tree, but I would suggest NOT copying unchecked data from anyone else. Ancestry is full of incorrect trees because people copy mistakes of others, and don't check facts.

When trying to learn about the life of an ancestor, better understanding, and answers to questions can often come from researching the wider family line – siblings, aunts and uncles, etc.
I assumed by your above comment that you had done this.

George’s Aunt Christiana Durno married in Newington, London in 1860.
George's mother died in 1864. Did he come to his Aunt in London after that? What happened to his younger sister?

[Neale1961]

There is every indication that George Johnston knew something of his father, which is not always the case with illegitimate children. So William was probably around the area where George grew up.

When George Johnston married in 1871 he named his father as William Johnston, "agricultural labourer".

Middlestots farm was (still is) just 3 miles from Duns.  I cannot see any other place in the area with that same name.

The William Johnston at Middlestots in 1841 with his family, was still in the district in 1851 working as an agricultural labourer.
In 1851 he was working at Edrom Newton farm for Mr. George Carnegie. I think he is quite possibly the William Johnston you are looking for.

I haven’t found William in 1861 census.

By 1871 census William Johnston is in Haldimand, Ontario, Canada working as a farm labourer for the McNeill family.
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M4Q6-3RC?lang=en

In 1872 William Johnston (age 44) married Martha DUNCAN (age 42) in Ontario.
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FMKC-RY2?lang=en

I don’t believe they had any children, at least none showing in 1881 census.
I can’t yet find a death for William, but when Martha died in 1905 she was a widow.

William’s parents and many of his siblings came to Canada before him.
The 1851 census for Haldimand, Ontario, Canada -
Adam Johnston, 62, farmer, and
wife Christian, 61, with children
Patrick 28,   John 18     and Agness 21.

The 1871 census for Otonabee, Peterborough East, Ontario
Shows Adam and Christian Johnston farming, still with some of his adult children living with him.
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M471-B72?lang=en

Adam died in 1872 and Christian died in 1873.

If you have done a DNA test, I would check to see if you have any links with Johnstons in Canada.


[Perhaps a connection ALSO with the Johnston family of Middlestots Farm, Duns and New South Wales, Australia.
See this wikitree – don’t trust it, until you have checked all sources.
https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Johnston-8403]