Johnstone, a parish in Annandale, Dumfriesshire, whose church stands on the right bank of the Annan, 7 furlongs NW of Dinwoodie station on the Caledonian, this being 6 miles NNW of Lockerbie, under which there is a post office of Johnstone Bridge. Comprising the ancient parish of Johnstone and parts of those of Dumgree and Garvald, it is bounded N by Kirkpatrick-Juxta, E by Wamphray and Applegarth, S by Lochmaben, and SW and W by Kirkmichael. Its utmost length, from N to S, is 7½ miles; its breadth varies between 1½ and 53/8 miles; and its area is 13,607¼ acres, of which 116¾ are water. The Annan winds 6½ miles south-by-westward along or near to all the eastern boundary; and Kinnel Water 9 miles southward along the Kirkpatrick-Juxta boundary, across the western interior, and along or near to the Kirkmichael boundary, till it passes off into Lochmaben on its way to the Annan. In the extreme S the surface declines to 195 feet above sea-level, thence rising northward to 380 feet near Blackburn, 490 near Williamson, and 749 near Hazelbank, and north-north-westward, beyond Kinnel Water, to 1076 at Hangingshaw Hill, and 1308 at Minnygap Height. Red sandstone, prevailing for upwards of a mile from the southern boundary, has been quarried on a small scale; elsewhere eruptive rocks predominate, but have little or no economical value; and lead ore exists in circumstances to have induced a search for workable lodes, but has not answered expectations. Alluvial soil, chiefly dry loam or gravel, covers the level tract along the Annan; peat moss, extending over some hundreds of acres, occurs in other parts; and the soil of much of the arable lands on the slopes and hills is too poor to yield remunerative crops of wheat. About three-sevenths of the entire area are in tillage; woods cover some 1550 acres; and the rest is either pastoral or waste. Dr Matthew Halliday and Dr John Rogerson (1741-1823), successively first physicians to the Empress Catherine of Russia, were natives of Johnstone. Lochwood Castle, the chief antiquity, and Raehills, the principal mansion, are noticed separately; and J. J. Hope-Johnstone, Esq., is sole proprietor. Johnstone is in the presbytery of Lochmaben and synod of Dumfries; the living is worth £210. The parish church, built in 1733 and enlarged in 1818, contains 500 sittings. Johnstone and Wamphray Free church stands 2½ miles N by E; and Johnstone public, Cogrieburn, and Goodhope schools, with respective accommodation for 110, 58, and 73 children, had (1881) an average attendance of 96, 45, and 59, and grants of £77, 12s., £46, 10s., and £53, 2s. 6d. Valuation (1860) £5807, (1883) £8380, 14s. 8d. Pop. (1801) 740, (1831) 1234, (1861) 1149, (1871) 1089, (1881) 1002.—Ord. Sur., sh. 10, 1864.
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