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Biographical Description

John Johnston (d. 1791) was a prominent planter in Bertie County. The nephew of a former royal governor and the brother of a future state governor, Johnston represented Bertie in the 2nd-5th sittings of the provincial congress. He also served as the clerk of the Bertie County Court, in which role he was involved in number depositions and bonds for individuals involved in the Gourd Patch Conspiracy or who otherwise opposed the new state government. Johnston likely had little sympathy for the conspirators, as one intended victim of the plot, William Williams, was his father-in-law and his two nephews, James and Nathan Mayo, were also targeted.