James Johnston -Belleville, Ontario, Can c. 1830
James Johnston marriedEllen Smith in Belleville, Ontario, Canada about 1850. The only detail that I have about the family is that they were of Irish ancestry.
One of their grandson's, Robert L. Chambers, wrote about them in his 1974 memoir:
"My mother [Marion Johnston, 1864] was born in Belleville, Ontario County, Canada. Her grandfather was one of the big shots of the APA's - the anti-Catholic organization of that time. I imagine her grandmother was also a member of whatever the auxiliary was. Her mother, who was my grandmother, was a Catholic and had converted her father, who was my grandfather, to the Catholic faith. I remember having my mother tell me from time to time that when her grandfather died, the APA organization caused a regular holiday to be declared in Belleville and possibly other parts of the county, to celebrate a day of mourning. I used to hear fearful tales of the APA but never knew what the name stood for because it was initials that spelled out something, but they were a pretty bitter crowd who delighted in stoning or burning down Catholic churches, attacking priests, and in all likelihood committing murder. Most of my mother's family, or rather to my recollection all of them, eventually moved into the United States wither through choice or by reason of marriage."
I have no idea how factual this is, but I would sure be interested in finding out more about the Smiths & the Johnstons in Belleville in the mid-1800s.
Ellen Smith & James Johnston had several children who were born in Belleville: Robert Johnston, William Johnston [d. 1916, San Francisco] , Thomas Johnston [b. 1856] , Ellen Bly Johnston Hunt [1865-1954], Marion Johnston Chambers [1867-1911], Samuel Johnston[1969-1912], Suzanne Johnston McNally [b. 1873].