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==Governorship==
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{{Infobox Biography
| subject_name =George Johnstone
| image_name =GeorgeJohnstone.jpg
| image_size =180px
| image_caption =
| date_of_birth =[[1730]]
| place_of_birth =
| date_of_death =[[1787]]
| place_of_death =
| occupation =
| religion =
| spouse =Charlotte Dee
| parents =Sir James Johnstone and Barbara Murray
| children =George Lindsay Johnstone<br/>James Primrose Johnstone<br/>Alexander Johnstone<br/>Sophia Johnstone<br/>John Lowther Johnstone
| signature =
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}}
'''George Johnstone''' ([[1730]]-[[1787]]) was the first governor of [[British West Florida]].
==Appointment Early life & arrivalappointment==A Scottish officer with a distinguished naval career, Captain Johnstone was the third a son of Sir James Johnstone, Bt3rd [[Wikipedia:Baronet of Westerhall|Baronet of Westerhall]], [[Wikipedia:Dumfries|Dumfries]], and his wife Barbara Murray, the oldest sister of the literary patron [[Wikipedia:Patrick Murray, 5th Lord Elibank|Patrick Murray]].He was a younger brother of [[Wikipedia:Sir William Pulteney, 5th Baronet|William Johnstone (later Pulteney)]]. He began his career at sea in the Merchant Navy, then entered the Royal Navy in 1746. Shortly after his promotion to Lieutenant in 1755, Johnstone was court martialed for "insubordination and disobedience" however, his record of Westerhallgallantry in combat taken into account, Dumfriesshirehe was given a reprimand in 1757. He was promoted Captain in 1762. Johnstone was known for his pugnacious personality and a propensity for dueling. When the ''North Briton'' newspaper criticized his [[November 20]], [[1763]] appointment to the West Florida governorship, Johnstone instigated a fistfight with the author.<ref>Colon Cordon Calloway. ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=Uupt349A40EC The Scratch of a Pen: 1763 and the Transformation of North America]''. Oxford University Press, 2006.</ref> He did not travel to the colony until late [[1764]], setting sail from Jamaica on [[September 21]] and arriving in Pensacola on [[October 21]]. Surveyor general [[Elias Durnford]] traveled with him, as did Scottish writers [[James Macpherson]] and [[Archibald Campbell]]<ref>Kevin M. McCarthy. ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=LJ0Z1_Y45LQC The Book lover's guide to Florida]''. Pineapple Press Inc., 1992.</ref> and a regiment of Highlanders. The ==Governorship==When Johnstone arrived in Pensacola, the military government at Pensacola was led at the time by Colonel [[William Taylor]], under orders of General [[Wikipedia:Thomas Gage|Thomas Gage]] (for whom [[Gage Hill]] was named), and he and Johnstone regularly quarreled on matters of authority.
Johnstone described the city as he found it:
{{cquote|An assembly of poor despicable huts, to the number of one hundred and twelve; but it has all the advantages which a sandy soil can afford, namely health, good water, a noble port, beautiful situations surrounding it, infinite communications by water, capable of easy communications by land, great plenty of fish, and excellent vegetables.<ref name="historiccities">David F. Marley. ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=q1a4j2HNmjUC Historic Cities of the Americas]''. ABC-CLIO, 2005.</ref>}}
Johnstone sent garrisons to the other West Florida forts, including [[Mobile]]'s Fort Conde, which he renamed [[Fort Charlotte]] in honor of [[Wikipedia:Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz|the Queen]]. Among Johnstone's other accomplishments was the [[1765]] "[[Congress of Pensacola]]," where he and Indian agent [[John Stuart]] met with [[Creek]] leaders to negotiate trade regulations. Johnstone was concerned about the effect of excessive competition on the trading economy, so he proposed a limit of one trader per 300 gunmen, the licenses to be determined by lottery. Johnstone and Stuart instituted a total of nineteen trade regulations with the Creeks, Chickasaws and Choctaws. Enforcement proved impossible, however, and the arrangement was deemed by one trader "a shameful farce on œconomy and good order" as the traders "notoriously violated every essential part of their instructions."<ref>Kathryn E. Holland Braund. ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=LHAZXaJXrRgC Deerskins and Duffels: The Creek Indian Trade with Anglo-America, 1685-1815]''. University of Nevada Press, 2008.</ref>
{{cquote|To see the fortifications, churches, hospitals, and public buildings which are everywhere erecting in the Spanish dominions since the arrival of Don [[Wikipedia:Antonio de Ulloa|Antonio de Ulloa]], whilst nothing is undertaken on our part, is extremely mortifying.<ref name="historiccities"/>}}
While in Pensacola, Johnstone had a long-term relationship with Martha Ford, by whom he had the following illegitimate issue, all of whom he supported: George Lindsay Johnstone (later a member of Parliament), James Primrose Johnstone, Alexander Johnstone, and Sophia Johnstone. Anglican missionary Charles Woodmason visited Pensacola circa 1765 and wrote disparagingly of the colony under Johnstonerelationship:
{{cquote|The Governour is a Single Person, keeps a Concubine, has a Child by her and the Infection rages, and is copied. Greatly is it to be lamented (on the Side of Virtue and Religion) that Immoral and reprobate Persons are sent out as Governours of Provinces, and more especially New, and to be cultivated Provinces. One such Person, at the beginning of Things does more Damage to the Nation, more Mischief to Mankind, more Hurt to Goodness than twenty Succeeding Him can repair.<ref>Charles Woodmason and Richard J. Hooker. ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=e0FA9YqH0JsC The Carolina Backcountry on the Eve of the Revolution: The Journal and Other Writings of Charles Woodmason, Anglican Itinerant]''. UNC Press, 1969.</ref>}}
Johnstone was recalled from Pensacola in early [[1767]], leaving Lieutenant Governor [[Montfort Browne]] serving in an interim capacity for more than a year until the arrival of [[John Eliot]].
Returning to England, he was elected to Parliament as MP of [[Wikipedia:Appleby -in-Westmorland|Appleby]] (1774-80), [[Wikipedia:Lostwithiel|Lostwithiel]] (1780-84) and [[Wikipedia:Ilchester|Ilchester]] (1786-87), taking an independent line. During his time in Parliament his conduct was criticized for "his shameless and Cockermouth scurrilous utterances" and in December 1770, after publicly insulting Lord [[Wikipedia:George Germain|George Germain]] for "cowardice in 1768battle", he eventually fought Germain in a duel, although ending inconclusively. He Johnstone was a member of the [[Wikipedia:Carlisle Peace Commission|Carlisle Peace Commission]] during the [[American Revolution]], but was sent back to America ten years later Britain in 1778 after members of the [[Wikipedia:Second Continental Congress|Second Continental Congress]] accused him of attempted bribery and refused to negotiate . During his time in America, he met up with the new United States governmenthis first cousin, but quickly sent home after attempting to bribe an American lawyer[[Patrick Ferguson]]. He However, in exchange for politically supporting Lord Sandwich, Johnstone was named commodore in given command of a naval squadron off the coast of Portugalin May 1779. Patrolling the South Atlantic, and in 1780 he Johnstone met his future wifewith moderate success capturing the French 44-gun frigate ''Artois'' before successfully defending against Vice Admiral [[Wikipedia:Pierre André de Suffren de Saint Tropez|Pierre André de Suffren de Saint Tropez]] at the [[Wikipedia:Battle of Porto Praya|Battle of Porto Praya]] off the coast of Praia, Charlotte DeeCape Verde on April 16, while living in Lisbon1781. After commanding an expedition against a Dutch East India Company base at Although he planned to attack the [[Wikipedia:Cape of Good Hope|Cape of Good Hope]], he later decided on returning to England. In 1782, Johnstone married Charlotte Dee , whom he had met while living in 1781 and returned to his parliamentary seatLisbon. In They had one son, John Lowther Johnstone (1783 he became a -1811). Following the war, Johnstone served as director of the [[Wikipedia:British East India Company|East India Company]] for two years until his resignation due to poor health in 1785. (He was suffering from throat cancer.)
Johnstone died in Bristol in [[1787]]. His son John later succeeded his uncle William Johnstone Pulteney as 6th Baronet of Westerhall.
==References==
