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THE STORY OF JOHNSTONE CASTLE reproduced with the kind permission of Catherine LamontThe original building i.e. fortalice dates back to 16th/17th century. This came about sometime after the Battle of Flodden 1513 when Scotland was defeated. King James 1V, together with many nobles and subjects were slaughtered. This meant that many homes in Scotland became derelict for sometime. Later in the reign of James VI, which was during the Reformation, it was decided to distribute the land among more people, as large territories owned by one family, or by the Church, could prove a threat to the monarchy. A condition of distribution was that a 'fortalice' be erected by the owners as a safeguard against feuds etc. The original owners of the area known today as Renfrewshire were the Earls of Dundonald. Passing down in time Sir Ludovic Houstoun moved from his home in Houstoun to land known as Johnstone, which previously belonged to William Wallace, at the same time acquiring Easter Cochrane. This took place around 1645. That part known as Easter Cochrane was later acquired by George Houstoun, grandson of Sir Ludovic Houstoun, with the understanding that it would now be known as Johnstone. This is where Johnstone Castle stands today. In 1771 and 1812 George Houston, the fourth laird of Johnstone Castle, had it extended in castellated design. James Gillespie Graham, born 1776, was the architect involved with the second part of this building alteration. This laird was most enterprising. He was responsible for feuing off land, developing coal mining in the area and making Johnstone a prosperous community to belong to. Johnstone, in fact, became a Burgh in 1857. Johnstone Castle appears to have been at its best in the 19th century. Frederick Chopin, the famous composer, was a guest of the Houstoun family in September 1848, at this time having been in concert in Glasgow. He was known to the family having tutored the wife of the then fifth laird, Ludovic Houstoun, in Paris. There was a rumoured romance between Chopin and Jane Stirling sister-in-law of Ludovic, and he had apparently dedicated some compositions to her. Sadly, Chopin did not enjoy good health and died in Paris a few months after his visit to Johnstone. He obviously meant much to Jane Stirling as she and her sister Katherine Erskine helped defray the funeral expenses incurred. The last laird to stay in Johnstone Castle was George Ludovic Houstoun who retired to Cyprus, where he died on 3rd September 1931. Lady May, widow of Sir Edward May was the last private owner of the castle, which she rented out, one of her tenants being the Watson family of the Paper Mill in Linwood. During the 2nd World War the castle was taken over by the War Office and a prisoner-of-war camp was set up in the grounds. During the war years there were Polish servicemen billeted in Johnstone. One of these servicemen died and was buried in the Rannoch Woods close by the castle, but because of overgrown bushes and vegetation the grave is no longer visible. There is a ghostly tale of the Polish composer's music being heard in September moonlit evenings, drifting from the castle to the nearby Rannoch woods, where the Polish serviceman lies in the now secret grave. After the 2nd World War, Lady May sold the castle and land to the Johnstone Town
Council. They acquired it for the building of houses to help with the Glasgow
overspill. The castle by this time was in a derelict state, declared unsafe and
demolition was started. Thanks to the intervention of Major David Somervell, first
cousin to the last laird, what remains of the castle was saved from the hammer. April 2001 |
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