David Johnston (1724-1809)
of "Annandale" Linlithgow, Dutchess County, New York
He was born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. He was a grandson of Dr Johnstone who emigrated to America in 1685 and became the 32nd Mayor of New York City. His maternal grandfather was Chief Justice Jamison, Secretary of State and Attorney-General of the Colony of New York, one of the so-called "Nine Partners" who in 1697 bought 145,000-acres in Dutchess County. David became a wine merchant dealing directly with the Netherlands on his own ship and in 1761 was elected to the General Assembly of New York. He had "a fine city mansion" on the east side of Bowling Green in New York City which was burned by the Americans during the Revolutionary War. He also owned a farm at Greenwich Village and a country residence at his birthplace, Perth Amboy, which was burned by the Hessians when the British occupied New Jersey. When his mother died, he inherited his share of the Nine Partners Patent and by 1800 had established himself at Linlithgow on an estate tendered by 15 slaves. He named the estate "Annandale" and made it his permanent home, dying there in 1809. He was proud of his Scottish ancestry and twice served as President of the Saint Andrew's Society of New York. He was married in 1753 and was the father of nine surviving children.
