Apparently William Johnstoun of Gretna and of Newbie was not the first of his line as 2 others have been found with his title. This destroys the story that he was a descendant of Clan Chief John Johnstoun.

There is a Gilbert Johnstoun of Gretna living in 1454, and a Thomas Johnstoun, "young laird of Gartno" living in 1513. The Lord Chancellor suggested that Thomas was the father of William Johnstoun of Gretna and of Newbie. Our JOHNSTON Phylogenetic Tree suggests that our connection to our Clan Chiefs goes back to the early 1400s with the first Sir Adam Johnstoun.