Husband Alexander Johnston 1 2 3
Born: 10 Jul 1773 - County Fermanagh, Ireland 1 2 3
Christened:
Died: 16 Jul 1872 - Kingston House, near Youngstown, Westmoreland Co, PA 1 3
Buried:
Father: [Ancestor] Johnston ( - )
Mother:
Marriage: - Greensburg, Westmoreland Co, PA
• Biographical Sketch: George Dallas Albert, History of the County of Westmoreland, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: L. H. Everts & Co., 1882).
To read this brief biographical sketch of his life and career, click here.
Wife Elizabeth Freame 2 3
Born: Nov 1781 - Franklin Co, PA 2
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
Father: William Freame ( - ) 2
Mother: Elizabeth Johnston ( - ) 4
Children
1 F Isabella Johnston 5
Born: Abt 1800 - Kingston, Westmoreland Co, PA
Christened:
Died: 4 Feb 1841 - Greensburg, Westmoreland Co, PA 6
Buried: - St. Clair Cemetery, Greensburg, Westmoreland Co, PA
Spouse: John Young Barclay (1798-1841) 7
2 M Thomas Johnston 8
Born:
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
3 M Alexander Johnston 8
Born:
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
4 M Gov. William Freame Johnston 2 10
AKA: William Freame Johnson 9
Born: 29 Nov 1808 - Greensburg, Westmoreland Co, PA 2 9
Christened:
Died: 25 Oct 1872 - Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co, PA 2 9
Buried:
Spouse: Mary Monteith ( - ) 2 9
Marr: 12 Apr 1832 2 9
5 M Hon. Edward Johnston 4 8
Born:
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
6 M Andrew A. Johnston 3
AKA: Alexander A. Johnston 8
Born: 23 Oct 1812 - Youngstown, Westmoreland Co, PA 3
Christened:
Died: 31 Mar 1885 - Youngstown, Westmoreland Co, PA 3
Buried:
Spouse: Caroline Fritz (1830-Aft 1890) 8
Marr: 10 Jan 1850 8
7 M James Johnston 8
Born:
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
8 M Col. John Williams Johnston 8 11
Born: 22 May 1820 - Unity Twp, Westmoreland Co, PA 8 11
Christened:
Died: Aft 1890
Buried:
Spouse: Sarah Rebecca Byerly ( - ) 12 13
Marr: 1867 12 13
9 M Lt. Richard Henry Lee Johnston 4 8
Born:
Christened:
Died: 8 Sep 1847 - Mexico 14
Buried:
General Notes: Husband - Alexander Johnston
He was born in County Tyrone, Barony of Omagh, and parish of Killskerry, at a place called Scar Brae, which is two miles from Lowtherstown, five miles from Enniskillen, and near the border of the County Fermanagh.
He was born at Scarbrae, county Tyrone, Ireland. [BHCWC, 472]
He came to Carlisle, Pennsylvania, where his cousin, Gen. William Irvine, advised him to seek a home west of the Alleghenies. His family located at Greensburg, Westmoreland County.
An incident concerning his leaving Ireland is well worthy of mention. Col. John McFarland, of Ligonier, frequently related that in 1844 he and Alexander Johnston had driven to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, together in a buggy, and on the way the latter told him that when he was a very young man he lived in the south of Ireland and had fallen in love and become the accepted suitor of a young woman of the neighborhood. Upon going to the father of the girl to ask his consent and to contract for the marriage, the old gentleman became very much enraged, and told him that he was too wild and unpromising to marry his daughter. Harsher words from each followed, whereupon Johnston struck his desired father-in-law and knocked him down. This he said, caused such an uproar in the community, the old gentleman being of a very prominent family, that warrants were taken out for his arrest, and he was compelled to leave the country or suffer the consequences, which might have been very serious. So with the assistance of friends he secured a passage and sailed at once for America. He arrived in 1797 and remained for a short time in Philadelphia, after which he journeyed to Carlisle, Pennsylvania, where his relative, Gen. William Irvine, who was quite familiar with western Pennsylvania, advised him to settle in that part of the state. The young man accordingly crossed the Allegheny mountains and located first in Butler County. Becoming dissatisfied there, he removed to Westmoreland, where he met William Freame, another Irishman, whose daughter Elizabeth he afterwards married.
He was for many years a resident of Greensburg, Pennsylvania, and served several terms in county offices of Westmoreland County. Later he purchased a large tract of land at the base of the Chestnut Ridge, in Unity, Derry and Ligonier townships. Upon this he erected a forge, rolling mill, etc., and became one of the early iron-masters of western Pennsylvania. These works were called the Kingston Works, this being the name of the tract of land upon which they were located. Nearby he built the stone house called Kingston House, which was yet well preserved one hundred years later, and was one of the landmarks of the past. It was built in 1815, as a tablet on its front wall indicated. His adventure in the production of iron was not successful, perhaps from the inferiority of the ore. Kingston iron never sold at a high price, and the business, instead of making him a fortune, involved him in pecuniary trouble. His house, Kingston House, near the pike, afterwards constructed, was converted into a public inn. After some years he removed to Greensburg, and was appointed register and recorder by Governor Wolf, for he had in the meantime taken an active part in the early politics of the county. He was a Federalist, and remained with that party until its final dissolution. He became a Jackson Democrat in 1824, and voted with that party as against the Anti-Mason and National Republican parties. He held several offices by election, namely sheriff, justice of the peace, and treasurer, and was register and recorder by appointment. The dates of his commissions were as follows: Sheriff, November 4, 1807; justice of the peace, October 24, 1822; treasurer, December 27, 1826; register and recorder, January 21, 1830. In the latter position he served six years; and then returned to his home, Kingston House, a most beautiful place at that early day, and remained there until his death.
At the time of his death he was said to be the oldest living Freemason in the United States, having joined the fraternity in Ireland, and having participated first in a Masonic demonstration as early as 1795. By special authority he organized the grand lodge of Pennsylvania and the Masonic lodge in Greensburg, and was also authorized to organize the lodge in Somerset. He was a leader among men naturally, and always enjoyed the highest confidence of his neighbors. One of his most remarkable traits was his polished manners. It mattered not whether he met the rich or the poor, the high or the low, he greeted them in a most polished and dignified way; nor did he relax his courteous manners with advancing years, though in one sense of the word he never grew old. He took great pleasure in conversing with the young people around him, which was always an evidence of a young and vigorous mind. His memory was stored with interesting anecdotes and historical reminiscences, and nothing seemed to delight him more than to gather around him a company of young men and women and entertain them with his recollections of the past. He had been all his life a reader of books and a close observer of the events through which he passed, and moreover had a retentive memory. He remembered the ringing of the bells in Ireland and the cry of the watchman at night when the news reached them that Cornwallis in America had been compelled to surrender his sword to Washington at Yorktown. The Irish, he said, seemed to take great pleasure in the downfall of the English armies in the new world. The latter years of his life were all that any one could wish for. He had full possession of his mental powers, and even the physical decline, which always comes with advancing years, came slowly to him, and only when he was nearing his hundredth year.
He and his wife had ten sons and two daughters; two of the sons died in infancy. The physical stature of the sons was remarkable, varying in height from six feet to six feet six inches, and in weight from two hundred to two hundred and fifty pounds.
The two eldest sons were educated at West Point, and served as commissioned officers in the regular army. Gov. W. F. was not the only member of the family who attained exalted position. Several of the sons bore themselves gallantly as officers in the Mexican war and the war for the Union.