A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Johnstone, William James Hope
JOHNSTONE. (Captain, 1823.)
William James Hope Johnstone, born 28 July, 1798, is second son of the late Vice-Admiral the Right Hon. Sir Wm. Johnstone Hope, G.C.B., M.P.[1], Treasurer and Receiver-General of the Royal Hospital at Greenwich, by his first wife. Lady Anne Hope Johnstone, eldest daughter of James, third Earl of Hopetoun; and brother of the late Capts. Chas. Jas. Hope Johnstone and Geo. Jas. Hope Johnstone, both of the R.N. By his father’s second marriage he is connected with the noble families of Athlone, Auckland, and Henley.
This officer entered the Navy, 20 June, 181 1, as Sec.-ol. Vol., on board the Sarcedon brig, Capt. Jas. Green, on the Leith station, where he removed, in Sept. following, to the Adamant 50, flag-ship of Vice-Admiral Wm. Albany Otway. Joining next, in April, 1812, the Venerable 74, Capt. Sir Home Popham, he assisted, in the course of that year, at the reduction of Lequeytio and Castro, on the north coast of Spain; also in the attacks made upon Puerta Galetta, Guetaria, and Santander; and at the destruction of the fortifications of Bermeo [errata 1], Plencia, Galea, Algorta, Begona, El Carapillo las Quersas, and Xebiles. On his return to England in June, 1814, Mr. Hope Johnstone, after having escorted Earl Moira to India in the Stirling Castle 74, Capt. Sir H. Popham, joined the Latona 38, bearing his father’s flag at Leith. During the three years immediately antecedent to his promotion to the rank of Lieutenant, which took place 2 May, 1818, we find him employed in the Channel, at Portsmouth, in the Mediterranean, and again at Leith, on board the Endymion 44, Capt. Henry Hope, Tagus 38, Capt. Jas. Whitley Deans Dundas, Satellite sloop, Capt. Jas. Murray, and Ramillies, bearing the flag of his father. On 3 June, 1819, he obtained an appointment to the Vengeur 74, Capt. Fred. Lewis Maitland, which ship, it appears, conveyed Lord Beresford from Rio de Janeiro to the river Tagus, and the King of the Two Sicilies from Naples to Leghorn, in 1820. Being presented on 9 Sept. in that year with a Commander’s commission, which had been placed at the disposal of Sir Home Popham on his return from the chief command at Jamaica, Capt. Hope Johnstone, on 28 Feb. 1823, was invested with the command of the Éclair sloop, and ordered to South America, where, in the same vessel, and in the Doris 42 (into which frigate he was posted 21 Oct. 1823), he was employed in affording protection to the British interests at Pemambuco, and on other parts of the Brazilian coast, frequently under very trying circumstances, until the close of 1824. He paid the Doris off 12 Jan. 1825; and officiated, lastly, as Flag-Captain, from 6 June, 1828, until Oct. 1831, to Sir Pulteney Malcolm, in the Asia 84, and Britannia 120, On the Mediterranean station, and from 6 May, 1845, until 1847, to Sir Thos. John Cochrane, in the Agincourt 72, on the East India station. During an expedition conducted, in July, 1846, by the Commander-in-Chief against the Sultan of Borneo, Capt. Hope Johnstone assumed command of the whole of the seamen and of the field-piece and rocket-parties, and on 8 of that month assisted at the capture and destruction of the enemy’s forts and batteries in the river Brune.[2]
He married, in 1826, Eleanor, eldest daughter of the late Sir Thos. Kirkpatrick, Bart., and has issue.