Edward Jonstone studied law in Greensborough in Westmoreland County, PA., and in the summer of 1837 immigrated to the West. His first residence was Mineral Point, and in the fall of 1837 went to Burlington and acted as one of the Clerks of the Legislature of Wisconsin Territory, which then held its sessions at that place. During the session of 1837-8 the Legislature appointed three Commissioners to collect testimony with regard to the title of the Half-Breed lands in Lee County, and report the same to the District Court, of which number Mr. Johnsonstone was one. This duty called him to Montrose in the spring of 1838, where he remained till January, 1830. He then removed to Ft. Madison, andhaving been employed by the St. Louis claimants of Half-Breed lands, instituted proceeding in conjunction with Hugh T. Reid for the division of said lands under the general partition law of the State, which resulted in the "Decree Title," by which the lands are now held. In the summer of 1838 Mr.Johnstone was elected to te Legislature, and for two consecutive terms-regular and special-was Speaker of the House. In 1840 he was elected a member of the Counsel from Lee County. He was United States District Attorney for the Judicial District of Iowa under the administration of President Polk. In 1851 he was elected Judge of the County Court of Lee County, and served in that capacity for four years. After the expiration of his term of office, he engaged in the banking business in the firm of McMurphy, Johnstone & Bacon, which was subsequently changed to Johnstone & Bacon. In 1848 he was elected a delegate to the Constitutional Convention. In September, 1868, he removed to Keokuk and took charge as cashier of the Keokuk Savings Bank, in which position he still remains. He was married in April, 1949, in St. Louis County, Missouri, to ELizabeth Vander Burgh Richards. They have four children living, three sons and one daughter. (Ref; Page 128 Pioneer Law-Makers - Biographical Sketches. Reunion of 1892, C-1893.)
Four Children are:
Alexander Edward Johnstone
Mary Milburn Johnstone
Edward Richards Johnstone
Hugo Richards Johnstone
He was one of a family of ten children, eight brothers and two sisters. Each of the eight sons was over six feet tall and weighed over 200 pounts. (Ref: Pg 623, Annals of Iowa, Jul 1921, Vol XIII, NO.1, Des Moines, Iowa.)
(Ref: Lee County History, Biographical Sketches, Keokuk, City)
JOHNSTONE, EDWARD; this distinguished citizen of Keokuk was born in Westmoreland Co., Penn., July 4, 1815, where he received an education that fitted him for the study of law, which he practiced in Greensburg, that county; at the age of 22, he was admitted to the bar, and "started West to grow up with the country;" he first settled at Mineral Point, Wis., where he remained until the fall of that year, when he went to Burlington and served as clerk in the Territorial Legislature; during that session he was appointed one of three commissioners to collect testimony relating to the titles to the half-breed lands; the discharge of this duty called him to settle at Montrose, in the spring of 1838, where he remained until January, 1839, then removed to Fort Madison, after the law was repealed, under which he was appointed. Mr. Johnstone and Gen. H. T. Reid were employed by the St. Louis Land Company, who had been speculating in half-breed titles, to institute proceedings to secure a division of the lands under the partition laws of the Territory, which resulted in the Decree Title, under which the titles to the lands are now held; in 1839, Mr. Johnstone was elected to the Legislature, and was chosen to preside over the deliberations of the House, and, in 1840, was elected to the Council. When James K. Polk succeeded to the Presidency, was appointed United States Attorney for the Judicial District of Iowa; in 1851, when the Board of County Commissioners was abolished, he was elected to be County Judge of Lee Co., and made the most efficient guardian of the interests of the taxpayers to whom the management of the public affairs of the county were ever intrusted. He was elected to the Constitutional Convention
on the ticket with Col. Wm. Patterson, and took a prominent part in the deliberations of that body; in 1868, he removed to Keokuk to become Cashier of the Keokuk Savings Bank, a position which he is still filling to the satisfaction of the patrons of that bank. In all the relations of life, public or private, Judge Johnstone has but few, if any, superiors; he is a public-spirited, enterprising citizen, and one whose honesty and fidelity to public and private trusts is unimpeachable; he is an excellent scholar, a close reader and deep thinker; is eminently qualified by nature and education to be a leader in the affairs of State and nation. Judge Johnstone married in April, 1849, in St. Louis Co., Mo., Miss Elizabeth V. Richards; has had four children.
Four Children are:
Alexander Edward Johnstone
Mary Milburn Johnstone
Edward Richards Johnstone
Hugo Richards Johnstone
He was one of a family of ten children, eight brothers and two sisters. Each of the eight sons was over six feet tall and weighed over 200 pounts. (Ref: Pg 623, Annals of Iowa, Jul 1921, Vol XIII, NO.1, Des Moines, Iowa.)
(Ref: Lee County History, Biographical Sketches, Keokuk, City)
JOHNSTONE, EDWARD; this distinguished citizen of Keokuk was born in Westmoreland Co., Penn., July 4, 1815, where he received an education that fitted him for the study of law, which he practiced in Greensburg, that county; at the age of 22, he was admitted to the bar, and "started West to grow up with the country;" he first settled at Mineral Point, Wis., where he remained until the fall of that year, when he went to Burlington and served as clerk in the Territorial Legislature; during that session he was appointed one of three commissioners to collect testimony relating to the titles to the half-breed lands; the discharge of this duty called him to settle at Montrose, in the spring of 1838, where he remained until January, 1839, then removed to Fort Madison, after the law was repealed, under which he was appointed. Mr. Johnstone and Gen. H. T. Reid were employed by the St. Louis Land Company, who had been speculating in half-breed titles, to institute proceedings to secure a division of the lands under the partition laws of the Territory, which resulted in the Decree Title, under which the titles to the lands are now held; in 1839, Mr. Johnstone was elected to the Legislature, and was chosen to preside over the deliberations of the House, and, in 1840, was elected to the Council. When James K. Polk succeeded to the Presidency, was appointed United States Attorney for the Judicial District of Iowa; in 1851, when the Board of County Commissioners was abolished, he was elected to be County Judge of Lee Co., and made the most efficient guardian of the interests of the taxpayers to whom the management of the public affairs of the county were ever intrusted. He was elected to the Constitutional Convention
on the ticket with Col. Wm. Patterson, and took a prominent part in the deliberations of that body; in 1868, he removed to Keokuk to become Cashier of the Keokuk Savings Bank, a position which he is still filling to the satisfaction of the patrons of that bank. In all the relations of life, public or private, Judge Johnstone has but few, if any, superiors; he is a public-spirited, enterprising citizen, and one whose honesty and fidelity to public and private trusts is unimpeachable; he is an excellent scholar, a close reader and deep thinker; is eminently qualified by nature and education to be a leader in the affairs of State and nation. Judge Johnstone married in April, 1849, in St. Louis Co., Mo., Miss Elizabeth V. Richards; has had four children.
Edward Jonstone studied law in Greensborough in Westmoreland County, PA., and in the summer of 1837 immigrated to the West. His first residence was Mineral Point, and in the fall of 1837 went to Burlington and acted as one of the Clerks of the Legislature of Wisconsin Territory, which then held its sessions at that place. During the session of 1837-8 the Legislature appointed three Commissioners to collect testimony with regard to the title of the Half-Breed lands in Lee County, and report the same to the District Court, of which number Mr. Johnsonstone was one. This duty called him to Montrose in the spring of 1838, where he remained till January, 1830. He then removed to Ft. Madison, andhaving been employed by the St. Louis claimants of Half-Breed lands, instituted proceeding in conjunction with Hugh T. Reid for the division of said lands under the general partition law of the State, which resulted in the "Decree Title," by which the lands are now held. In the summer of 1838 Mr.Johnstone was elected to te Legislature, and for two consecutive terms-regular and special-was Speaker of the House. In 1840 he was elected a member of the Counsel from Lee County. He was United States District Attorney for the Judicial District of Iowa under the administration of President Polk. In 1851 he was elected Judge of the County Court of Lee County, and served in that capacity for four years. After the expiration of his term of office, he engaged in the banking business in the firm of McMurphy, Johnstone & Bacon, which was subsequently changed to Johnstone & Bacon. In 1848 he was elected a delegate to the Constitutional Convention. In September, 1868, he removed to Keokuk and took charge as cashier of the Keokuk Savings Bank, in which position he still remains. He was married in April, 1949, in St. Louis County, Missouri, to ELizabeth Vander Burgh Richards. They have four children living, three sons and one daughter. (Ref; Page 128 Pioneer Law-Makers - Biographical Sketches. Reunion of 1892, C-1893.)
Four Children are:
Alexander Edward Johnstone
Mary Milburn Johnstone
Edward Richards Johnstone
Hugo Richards Johnstone
He was one of a family of ten children, eight brothers and two sisters. Each of the eight sons was over six feet tall and weighed over 200 pounts. (Ref: Pg 623, Annals of Iowa, Jul 1921, Vol XIII, NO.1, Des Moines, Iowa.)
(Ref: Lee County History, Biographical Sketches, Keokuk, City)
JOHNSTONE, EDWARD; this distinguished citizen of Keokuk was born in Westmoreland Co., Penn., July 4, 1815, where he received an education that fitted him for the study of law, which he practiced in Greensburg, that county; at the age of 22, he was admitted to the bar, and "started West to grow up with the country;" he first settled at Mineral Point, Wis., where he remained until the fall of that year, when he went to Burlington and served as clerk in the Territorial Legislature; during that session he was appointed one of three commissioners to collect testimony relating to the titles to the half-breed lands; the discharge of this duty called him to settle at Montrose, in the spring of 1838, where he remained until January, 1839, then removed to Fort Madison, after the law was repealed, under which he was appointed. Mr. Johnstone and Gen. H. T. Reid were employed by the St. Louis Land Company, who had been speculating in half-breed titles, to institute proceedings to secure a division of the lands under the partition laws of the Territory, which resulted in the Decree Title, under which the titles to the lands are now held; in 1839, Mr. Johnstone was elected to the Legislature, and was chosen to preside over the deliberations of the House, and, in 1840, was elected to the Council. When James K. Polk succeeded to the Presidency, was appointed United States Attorney for the Judicial District of Iowa; in 1851, when the Board of County Commissioners was abolished, he was elected to be County Judge of Lee Co., and made the most efficient guardian of the interests of the taxpayers to whom the management of the public affairs of the county were ever intrusted. He was elected to the Constitutional Convention
on the ticket with Col. Wm. Patterson, and took a prominent part in the deliberations of that body; in 1868, he removed to Keokuk to become Cashier of the Keokuk Savings Bank, a position which he is still filling to the satisfaction of the patrons of that bank. In all the relations of life, public or private, Judge Johnstone has but few, if any, superiors; he is a public-spirited, enterprising citizen, and one whose honesty and fidelity to public and private trusts is unimpeachable; he is an excellent scholar, a close reader and deep thinker; is eminently qualified by nature and education to be a leader in the affairs of State and nation. Judge Johnstone married in April, 1849, in St. Louis Co., Mo., Miss Elizabeth V. Richards; has had four children.
Four Children are:
Alexander Edward Johnstone
Mary Milburn Johnstone
Edward Richards Johnstone
Hugo Richards Johnstone
He was one of a family of ten children, eight brothers and two sisters. Each of the eight sons was over six feet tall and weighed over 200 pounts. (Ref: Pg 623, Annals of Iowa, Jul 1921, Vol XIII, NO.1, Des Moines, Iowa.)
(Ref: Lee County History, Biographical Sketches, Keokuk, City)
JOHNSTONE, EDWARD; this distinguished citizen of Keokuk was born in Westmoreland Co., Penn., July 4, 1815, where he received an education that fitted him for the study of law, which he practiced in Greensburg, that county; at the age of 22, he was admitted to the bar, and "started West to grow up with the country;" he first settled at Mineral Point, Wis., where he remained until the fall of that year, when he went to Burlington and served as clerk in the Territorial Legislature; during that session he was appointed one of three commissioners to collect testimony relating to the titles to the half-breed lands; the discharge of this duty called him to settle at Montrose, in the spring of 1838, where he remained until January, 1839, then removed to Fort Madison, after the law was repealed, under which he was appointed. Mr. Johnstone and Gen. H. T. Reid were employed by the St. Louis Land Company, who had been speculating in half-breed titles, to institute proceedings to secure a division of the lands under the partition laws of the Territory, which resulted in the Decree Title, under which the titles to the lands are now held; in 1839, Mr. Johnstone was elected to the Legislature, and was chosen to preside over the deliberations of the House, and, in 1840, was elected to the Council. When James K. Polk succeeded to the Presidency, was appointed United States Attorney for the Judicial District of Iowa; in 1851, when the Board of County Commissioners was abolished, he was elected to be County Judge of Lee Co., and made the most efficient guardian of the interests of the taxpayers to whom the management of the public affairs of the county were ever intrusted. He was elected to the Constitutional Convention
on the ticket with Col. Wm. Patterson, and took a prominent part in the deliberations of that body; in 1868, he removed to Keokuk to become Cashier of the Keokuk Savings Bank, a position which he is still filling to the satisfaction of the patrons of that bank. In all the relations of life, public or private, Judge Johnstone has but few, if any, superiors; he is a public-spirited, enterprising citizen, and one whose honesty and fidelity to public and private trusts is unimpeachable; he is an excellent scholar, a close reader and deep thinker; is eminently qualified by nature and education to be a leader in the affairs of State and nation. Judge Johnstone married in April, 1849, in St. Louis Co., Mo., Miss Elizabeth V. Richards; has had four children.
Family Members
Siblings
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