James Johnston was of Scotch-Irish stock, born in 1813 in Ulster Province, north of Ireland. He had two brothers and two sisters. he married Mary Graham, also of Scotch descent, and born in the north of Ireland. They were married in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, in 1833. Johnston came to Ontario when a young man, and in 1843 settled at Barrie, Canada. He was a stone mason, following the masons’ trade all of his active life. Children: John, mentioned elsewhere; William, born at Kingston in 1838; Robert, born at Kingston in 1841; James B., born at Barrie, 1844; Thomas, at Barrie, 1847.
