Grays, Mortimers & New Found Harbour Islands

Lewis Johnston Jr. Origin: Loyalist.

Lewis Johnston, Jr. was the son of Dr. Lewis Johnston of Georgia, and the brother of John Wood’s wife, Leleah Johnston Wood. There are an “L. Johnston Sr.” and “L. Johnston Jr.” on the 1783 list of Loyalists banished from Georgia, which we believe was this man and his father. It appears that Lewis Johnston Jr. went from Georgia to East Florida with his brother-in-law, John Wood. Between the two of them, they brought along 52 negro slaves.

When the Spanish assumed control of East Florida, Lewis Johnston Jr. and John Wood took passage on the transport ship the Elizabeth, which left for Nassau on 30, June 1784, bringing with them their families and negro slaves. Johnston Jr. received substantial land grants on Long Island, as did his brother-in-law, John Wood.

Lewis Johnston Jr. received two land grants in the current settlement of Grays: 450 acres granted on 19 March 1789, and 40 acres granted on 16 June 1790. He also received 20 acres on 19 June 1790. And finally, he received 180 acres in the current settlement of Mortimers on 1 December 1790.

On 7 November 1792, the younger Johnston and his wife Catherine sold 500 acres on New Providence for 100 pounds to his cousin John Martin. With the failure of cotton in the Bahamas, Lewis Johnston Jr. returned to St. Mary’s, Georgia in 1802 with his family and slaves.

References: BOL, LSC