Captain George Johnstone (1730 – 24 May 1787) was a Royal Navy officer, politician and colonial administrator who served in the War of the Austrian Succession, the Seven Years' War and the American War of Independence. In a multifaceted career he was also a member of parliament, a director of the East India Company, a member of the Carlisle Peace Commission and the governor of West Florida from 1763 until 1767.

Johnstone was born into a Scottish gentry family in 1730, and embarked on a naval career. Early in his service there occurred several incidents which revealed both positive and negative aspects of his character. In several naval engagements Johnstone was praised for his bravery, and incidents where he was censured for disobedience. He rose through the ranks to his own commands and had some success with small cruisers against French merchantmen and privateers. After the end of the Seven Years' War he had made friends with several powerful figures, and was appointed governor of West Florida. He achieved a measure of success in the delicate operations of running a new colony, but ultimately clashed with his political masters and failed to cultivate support amongst the wider sections of colonial society. Returning to Britain he became active in politics, supporting conciliatory measures for the Americans, and the removal of government interference from the affairs of the East India Company. His stance on the former led to his appointment as a member of the Carlisle Peace Commission, but he was accused of offering bribes and the Americans would have nothing to do with him.

Returning to active naval service with a lucrative posting as commodore, he cruised with success off Portugal, and was then entrusted with a secret mission to capture the Dutch Cape Colony. While en route to the colony, he was surprised by a French fleet sent to thwart his goal, and though he fought it off at the Battle of Porto Praya, he allowed the French to push on and reinforce the Cape Colony. Thwarted in his mission, he had some consolation in discovering a valuable fleet of Dutch East Indiamen, and capturing most of them. Returning to politics in England after the war he spoke on a number of issues, but was not asked to join an administration. He became a director of the East India Company towards the end of his life, before illness forced him to retire from business and politics shortly before his death in 1787.

Family and early life

George Johnstone was born in 1730 in Dumfriesshire the fourth son of Sir James Johnstone, 3rd Baronet of Westerhall, Dumfries, and his wife Barbara Murray, the oldest sister of the literary patron Patrick Murray, 5th Lord Elibank. He was a younger brother of William Johnstone (later Sir William Pulteney) and Margaret Ogilvy, and an older brother of the East India Company (EIC) official John Johnstone (1734–1795).

War of the Austrian Succession and Seven Years' War

He began his career at sea in the Merchant Navy, then entered the Royal Navy in 1746. He served in the War of the Austrian Succession, spending some time aboard , where he gained a reputation for bravery for an instance when he boarded a French fire ship so that it could be towed away from a British squadron off Port Louis, Hispaniola. He spent some time as a midshipman aboard under Captain John Crookshanks. For reasons unknown Crookshanks refused to grant Johnstone his certificate, upon which Johnstone challenged him to a duel. The challenge being accepted, the two duelled and Crookshanks was wounded in the neck. The end of the war in 1748 left him without active employment, though he passed his lieutenant's examination in 1749. He spent some time in the merchant service during the years of peace, captaining at least one merchant vessel to the Caribbean. He was recalled to the navy at his new rank on the outbreak of the Seven Years' War, serving aboard . He was however soon court-martialed for "insubordination and disobedience", and though he was found guilty his record of gallantry in combat was taken into account, and he was given a reprimand in 1757 and ordered to resume his duties.

Johnstone went on to serve aboard , seeing action at the Battle of Cap-Français on 21 October 1757 and receiving praise for his bravery from the squadron's commander, Commodore Arthur Forrest. Johnstone however made an enemy of Rear-Admiral Thomas Cotes as a result of a dispute over prize money. His combative nature was also demonstrated in 1758 when, while serving as first lieutenant aboard , he demanded a court martial of his captain Thomas Cookson for alleged incompetence in sailing the ship. The proposed court martial was dismissed out of hand by Admiralty. Despite these incidents, Johnstone was briefly made acting captain of the 70-gun in June 1759.

By 1759 Johnstone, by now in poor health, found himself without a ship. After a period of delays, the first Lord of the Admiralty George Anson, 1st Baron Anson gave him his first command, the 14-gun sloop . She was initially assigned to carry out escort duties in the North Sea, during one of which Johnstone was faced with a mutiny, which he skilfully put down with minimal loss of life. Hornet was then ordered to Lisbon. On the voyage, Johnstone captured several prizes, and took several more after his arrival. Among them was the 8-gun privateer Chevalier D’Artesay off Granville on 8 January 1761, followed by the 6-gun privateer Société on 15 January. He was then sent to inform Admiral George Rodney in January 1762 of the British declaration of war against Spain. Rodney was able to use this early notice to capture a number of valuable prizes, before the Spanish in the region became aware that they were at war. Johnstone was promoted to post-captain in May 1762, shortly before the end of the Seven Years' War. On 11 August 1762 he received command of the 24-gun . He was appointed to the 24-gun before the end of the year, but received a new commission before he could take it up.

Governor of West Florida

Johnstone was appointed governor of West Florida in November 1763 by the Prime Minister, John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute. Johnstone was friends at the time with the dramatist and fellow Scot John Home, who was Bute's secretary. Johnstone was one of several Scots appointed by Bute to govern all four of the new British colonies, which provoked much criticism from the opposition. Johnstone became notorious for cudgelling a writer for The North Briton over his comments on Bute's appointments. Johnstone took up his position eagerly, feeling that his new province's strategic location would give it a profitable future, and envisaging West Florida as 'The Emporium of the New World'.

He arrived at his capital, Pensacola, on 21 October 1764 and having established himself, went on to encourage immigration while keeping order among a relatively lawless pioneer population. He carried out skilful negotiations with the local Indians, and established the basics of civil government in the region. He oversaw the establishment of a fairly effective provincial legislative assembly, and the elections of representatives to it, which he worked well enough with to be able to pass a number of pieces of legislation. He did not enjoy a similar relationship with the military in society, through his claim of an authority over them which was contrary to usual colonial practice. By 1766 he had determined on the necessity of war with the Creek Indians, despite the government's attempts to secure peace in North America. He soon clashed with William Petty, 2nd Earl of Shelburne, the new Secretary of State for the Southern Department, which led to Shelburne's demand for Johnstone's removal. By now Johnstone had been frustrated in his hopes for commercial prosperity in the region, and enjoyed little popular support from civil society, and so decided to apply for a leave of absence. He left the colony on 13 January 1767, and never returned. Shortly after his departure the Chatham ministry removed him from his office. During his time in Florida he had begun a long-term relationship with Martha Ford, by whom he had four illegitimate children, all of whom he supported: George Lindsay Johnstone (later a member of Parliament), James Primrose Johnstone, Alexander Johnstone and Sophia Johnstone.

British politics

Johnstone returned to Britain in 1767, where he once more became involved in the politics of the East India Company. He had previously been one of a number of his family to support Robert Clive, 1st Baron Clive in 1764, but by 1767 Clive was persecuting George's brother John Johnstone, who was at this time a member of the EIC's council in Bengal. George Johnstone spoke out and voted against Clive, gaining a reputation as an orator. He sought election to Parliament on the back of this reputation, and after securing the patronage of Sir James Lowther was elected to represent Cockermouth in 1768. He became part of the parliamentary group supporting Lowther's interests, and retained his membership after his election to the constituency of Appleby in 1774. He continued to be active in the politics of the EIC, using his parliamentary position to make speeches attacking the North ministry's schemes for Indian reform, and laying the blame for the chaos in Bengal at Clive's door. He found favour for doing so with the East India Company's court of proprietors, who made him chair of a proprietary committee aiming to block plans for reforming the EIC. Despite these efforts Prime Minister Lord North was able to pass an act regulating the East India Company in 1773.

Johnstone supported the Rockingham faction, which was opposed to North's policies in American affairs. He was particularly skilled at denunciations and obstructing legislation, attacking the 1773 Tea Act as 'criminally absurd', and argued that the Boston Port Bill would unite Americans against Britain. He also opposed the altering of the charter of Massachusetts and the 1774 Quebec Act. Other matters he spoke on in Parliament included his opposition to the Irish penal laws, the imprisonment of debtors and the Royal Navy's use of impressment. He also criticised the slave trade between the Miskito people and British merchants, calling it "a commerce... of the most barbarous and cruel kind that ever disgraced the transactions of any civilised people". He tended towards pragmatism on other affairs, believing that while taxing American colonists was legal, it was inexpedient, and that sending British troops to America would be ultimately fruitless and that to maintain order would require the garrisoning of forces in the colonies at great expense. Instead he urged conciliation to redress colonial grievances. His temper occasionally got the better of him, leading to difficult situations, and on one occasion a duel with Lord George Germain.

The Carlisle Peace Commission

Johnstone's stance on conciliation probably led to his selection by North to form part of the peace commission sent to America in 1778 under Frederick Howard, 5th Earl of Carlisle. Confident of success Johnstone attempted to sway influential Americans with the argument that reconciling with Britain was preferable to dependence on France. In his communications he made vague hints of rewards to those who helped secure this outcome, and was eventually accused of attempting to bribe American general Joseph Reed with 10,000 guineas. The charge was never proved, but the Continental Congress voted to have nothing more to do with him, and Johnstone returned home in 1778, before the rest of the commissioners.

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