Lineage of the DNA testers
While Y-DNA has proven that the Caskieben line is not related to the two Presidents and the Virginia families there are a few valuable research lessons to be learned from looking at the family and at Lorand’s attempt to connect to them.
The Peerage provides online details of the Caskieben family. It was helpful in finding the two DNA testers.
http://www.thepeerage.com/p48806.htm#i488059
524288. Stiven Cherie Johnston married Margaret de Garviach
262144. John de Johnston of Caskieben was born (date unknown). Marjory of Leighton of Ulysseshaven o and John de Johnston of Caskieben were married.
131072. Gilbert de Johnston of Ballindalloch & Caskieben owned on 10 Nov 1430. He died in 1476. Elizabert Vans or Vaus and Gilbert de Johnston of Ballindalloch & Caskieben were married.
65536. Alexander Johnston was born (date unknown). Agnes Gloster and Alexander Johnston were married in 1476.
32768. William Johnston died on 9 Sep 1513 in Flodden. Margaret Meldrum and William Johnston were married.
16384. James Johnston died in 1548. Clare Barclay of Gartlie and James Johnston were married in 1521.
8192. William Johnston died on 10 Sep 1547 in Pinkie Cleugh, Edinburghshire, Scotland. Margaret Hay was born in 1520. She died in 1559 at the age of 39.
4096. George "8th Laird" Johnston 1st Baronet of Caskieben was born in 1544. He held the title of Chiefship of the Ilk in 1548. He owned on 16 Oct 1567. 8th Laird owned on 21 May 1580. He owned on 7 Jan 1586. He died in 1593 at the age of 49. Christine Forbes and George "8th Laird" Johnston 1st Baronet of Caskieben were married in 1570. (also had Dr. William b.1588 who had Elizabeth v.1640 = Quakers)
2048. John "9th Laird" Johnston was born in 1565. He owned in 1595. He died on 14 Feb 1614 at the age of 49 in Monkegy Kirk, Scotland. Katherine Lundy and John "9th Laird" Johnston were married in 1597.
1024. Thomas "Laird of Craig" Johnston owned on 29 Nov 1615. He owned in 1631–1635. He served in the military in 1646–1649. Laird of Craig died in Aug 1656. He was buried in Dyce, Aberdeen, Scotland. Mary Irvine and Thomas "Laird of Craig" Johnston were married.
512. John "of Bishopstown" Johnston was born on 29 Nov 1649 in Dyce, Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom. He died in 1716 at the age of 67 in Bishopstown, Scotland, Great Britain. Margaret Alexander and John "of Bishopstown" Johnston were married on 13 Nov 1672 at St. Nicholas Church in Aberdeen, Scotland.
256. John "of Boginjoss" Johnston was buried at Kirk or Kirkyard in Dyce, Aberdeen, Scotland. Christian "Isabel" Marnoch and John "of Boginjoss" Johnston were married in 1721.
128. John Johnston was born in Feb 1725 at Standingstones in Dyce, Aberdeen, Scotland. He died in 1774 at the age of 49. He was buried in 1774 at Kirk or Kirkyard in Dyce, Aberdeen, Scotland. Margaret Chalmers and John Johnston were married in Jul 1758 in Dyce, Aberdeen, Scotland, Great Britain.
64. Andrew Johnston was born in 1769. He died in 1845 at the age of 76. Margaret Ingils and Andrew Johnston were married in 1794.
32. William Johnston was born in 1795. He died in 1865 at the age of 70. Ann Craig and William Johnston were married in 1818.
16. William Johnston was born in 1822. He died during a Huricane on 20 Sep 1906 at the age of 84 in Mobile, Alabama, United States. He was buried on 21 Sep 1906 at Magnolia Cemetery in Mobile, Alabama, United States.
Isabel Ladner
8. Thomas Alexander Johnston 11th Baronet of Caskieben was born on 15 Dec 1857. He died on 20 Dec 1950 at the age of 93. Mary Norville and Thomas Alexander Johnston 11th Baronet of Caskieben were married in 1887.
4. Sons of #8
2. Grandsons of #8
1. Great Grandsons of #8: Kit #954415 & Kit #973177 (they are 2nd cousins)
Lorand picked James the Litster, the 4th son of Thomas of Craig for his fabricated connection to America because little was known about his death and that his children had similar names to many in America. After the children's ages were discovered to be too young to be the ones in America Lorand fabricated an earlier marriage with similar named children. He wanted to be connected to the Caskiebens!
Since almost every publication on the Johnson family after Lorand’s first publication was influenced by him we need to look at earlier publications on the family and see what they say about James and his descendants. Rule: Work from Known to Unknown.
Publications before Lorand’s
The Heraldry of the Johnstons
by G. Harvey Johnston, 1905
He was mainly interested in the path of the title. The chart shows the various family lines and the title. In the text older sons that held the title or had no issue were discussed in more detail. Younger sons were not detailed
“In or before 1380 Andrew Garviach, Lord of Caskyben, gave a charter of Kinbruyn and Badechash to his son-in-law, Stephen Cherie, and Margaret, his wife; Johnston near Aberdeen,...”
Even though Stiven inherited the title from his father-in-law the title was only passed down by primogeniture (to the oldest son’s oldest living son.) When a line died out it went back up to the next oldest male and then down that line to a living male.
After Sir John, 4th Baronet died in 1724 the title went back up the line to descendants of the John who died in 1614 and the oldest child of his second marriage (to Katherine Lundie). This son, Thomas of Craig had died 1656 and his third son John of Bishopstown who had died in 1716 was the oldest son with issue. The title therefore went to his son Sir William, who became the 5th Baronet and has been passed down to the current holder.
Genealogical account of the family of Johnston of that Ilk, formerly of Caskieben, in the shire of Aberdeen, and of its principal branches:
Johnston, Alexander, Writer to the Signet
By Alexander Johnston Junior, Edinburgh 1832
Alexander was interested in providing more genealogical information and listed his sources.
Pages 16 & 17
Thomas Johnston of Craig, eldest son of John Johnston of Johnston, (No 1X) by Katherine Lundie of Lundie, his second wife. This gentleman, on 29th November 1615 was served heir in general to his father John Johnston of that Ilk.
He married Mary, daughter of Irvine of Kingcausie, in the Mearns, by whom he had four sons and three daughters:
Sons:
1st Thomas of Craig. Died unmarried.
2nd William of Craig – married by died without issue.
3rd John of Bishoptown > current title & DNA kits
4th James the Litster – (see Page 40 below)
Daughters:
1st ? married John Johnston by Newplace
2nd ? married to Charles Dun of Cordyee
3rd ? married John Johnston of Cults
page 40
James Johnston, litster in Aberdeed, was the fourth and youngest son of Thomas of Craig, by Mrs. Mary Irvine.
He married Miss Jean Ogilvie, by whom he has three sons, vis
1 Alexander
2 William
3 John
and two daughters
1 Mary
2 Jean
The after history of these children is unknow, The date of James' death is also unknown, he as alive anno 1704.
Alexander Johnston’s Memoir of James Young (1861) Appendix p 45
Thomas of Craig was twice married. After the decease of his first wife, named Elspet Strachan,—by whom Thomas left no male issue, — he married Mary Irvine, daughter of Irvine of Kingeausie in the Mearus, a cadet of the Drum family,* who bore to tlie Laird of Craig Johnston, besides some daughters, four sons:
1. Thomas of Craig, who died, unmarried, in January, 1686, and was interred within the old church of St. Nicholas ;
2. William Johnston, who succeeded his brother, Thomas, in the lands of Craig Johnston and others, and was an Officer in the Army: this gentleman married in Holland, but died without issue; his wife— whose maiden name was Joanna Van Millan—survived her husband for several years, and in her widowhood resided at Rotterdam ;
3. John Johnston of Bishopstown ; this son was progenitor of the now existing branches of the family; and
4. James Johnston, litster in Aberdeen, born in the parish of Dyce, in July, 1656; he, by his second wife, Mrs. Jean Ogilvie, was father of William Johnston, burgess, Pewterer in Aberdeen, who became proprietor of Badiefurrow.
Thomas Johnston of Craig died in August, 1656, and Mary Irvine, his widow, in September, 1659; both were interred at Dyce.
James Johnston of Badiefurrow, in the parish of Inverury,—to whom were addressed the above enumerated letters, —was the only child born of the marriage, solemnized iu November, 1741, between William Johnston, Pewterer, Burgess of Aberdeen, who frequently filled the office of Convener, or President, of the Incorporated Trades of that city, and Jean, only daughter of William Forbes of Badiefurrow, in Aberdeenshire.
James Johnston's paternal grandfather was James Johnston, Merchant Burgess of Aberdeen, youngest child of Thomas Johnston of Craig, by his spouse, Mary Irvine, of the family of Kingeausie.
In his youth, James Johnston had been bred to the business of a Litster, or Dyer, and became a member of the Litsters' Society of Aberdeen ; —a fraternity which, about the end of the seventeenth century, had upon its roll of members the names of younger sons of some of the most respectable families in the north of Scotland. After the decease of his first wife—named Faith Leith,—James, the Litster, married Miss Jean Ogilvie, and had by her several children, —amongst others—William Johnston, afterwards of Badiefurrow, who was born, at Aberdeen, in October, 1699.
James Johnston of Badiefurrow, the son of William, was born at Aberdeen in November 1742:
The Baronetage and Knightage - Google Books
by Joseph Foster 1881 p 347 & 348