Patrick Johnstone

Sir Patrick Johnston (1650–1736) of Edinburgh was a Scottish merchant and politician who sat in the Parliament of Scotland from 1702 to 1707 and as a Whig in the British House of Commons between 1707 and 1713. He was Lord Provost of Edinburgh three times from 1700 to 1702, from 1704 to 1706, and from 1708 to 1710. Early life Johnstone was a younger son of Joseph Johnstone of Hilton, Berwickshire (near Whitsome) and his wife Mary Douglas, daughter of Sir Robert Douglas of Blackerstone, Berwickshire. He was apprenticed to an Edinburgh merchant in 1677 and became burgess of Edinburgh in 1684. He married Margaret Kynnear (Kinnear) on 9 June 1684. He became involved in local politics in Edinburgh, and was a merchant councilor in 1694 and bailie in 1695. In 1695 he was one of the 30 men who set up the "Company of Scotland Trading in Africa and the Indies" generally just called the Company of Scotland. The company collapsed in 1698 after the ill-fated Darien Scheme an attempt to colonise Panama and all investors, including Johnston, lost a fortune. He was baron bailie for Canongate in 1696 and bailie for Edinburgh again in 1699 Political career In 1700 Johnstone became Lord Provost of Edinburgh in succession to Sir George Home of Kello. It was not allowed for anyone to serve for more than two consecutive years as Provost and in 1702 he was succeeded by Hugh Cunningham of Bonnington. He was knighted before 1702. In 1702, he was elected Burgh Commissioner for Edinburgh. He became a member of the Scottish Privy Council from 1702 to 1704. In 1704 he became Provost again for two years and was also Privy Counseller again for two years. He was appointed to the Commission for union with England in 1706, as a gesture towards the capital’s governing body. He managed to obtain important concessions for Edinburgh, such as the continuation of the ale duty; and the majority of the council was persuaded to support union with England. The people of Edinburgh were unconvinced, and let out their frustration on Johnstone. In October 1706 his house was attacked by the mob, ‘who threw stones at his windows, broke open his doors and searched his house for him, but he had narrowly made his escape. In parliament he generally voted for the Court. After the Union of 1707 he was one of the Scottish representatives to the first Parliament of Great Britain and was appointed Commissioner of the Equivalent.