My Family Tree

COL. ERNEST WILBUR JOHNSTONE - from A History of Long River
Colonel Ernest Wilbur Johnstone was born and reared on a farm
in Long River, the son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Johnstone. He
attended the Long River School where he acquired a faculty for extensive
reading, a practice which he has followed diligently through his life.
Following the out-break of the First World War, when he reached the military age, he volunteered for service and was in the Eighth Siege Battery. Later he was transferred to the
Battery, owing to the fact that his brother Arthur was with the Eighth.

For thirteen months Mr. Johnstone was in active service, partici-pating in many of the fiercest battles in the entire war. Good fortune however favored him in many crucial moments, leaving him unscathed at the end of the war ready to return to his home and many friends.
Arthur who had served more than a year in the front lines was less
fortunate than his brother Ernest. The cruel fates of war claimed him as
one of its victims. Arthur made the supreme sacrifice defending freedom
and Christian principles.
Mr. Johnstone on his return from overseas engaged in farming
on his fathers farm and remained there for some time, until he pur-
chased a large farm in Burlington, owned by the late J. B. Millman, now
the setting of the famous Woodleigh Replicas.
Shortly after moving to his new home, he married Miss Janie McEwen of Campbellton, Prince
Edward Island. They have three children, two girls and a boy. The son
Archie is now a partner of his father in the operation of the farm and
various enterprises. Their daughter Doris is married to Mr. Vernon E.
WPiams, Charlottetown and their second daughter Elizabeth is married
to Mr. David Black of Rhode Island. Their son Archie is married to Felicia
Clark, Kensington.
Mr. Johnstone although engaged in many activities
did not entirely disengage himself from military persuits. He joined
the militia in Charlottetown and became a member of the Prince Ed-
ward Island Light Horse, spending part of each year on military duty.
Mr. Johnstone's keen interest in his brigade and his devotion to duty
mer tad for him successive promotions until he was finally made Colonel
of the Brigade.
On the outbreak of World War Two he was appointed officer in
command of the Home Guard.
While in Europe and Scotland Mr. Johnstone was deeply impress-
ed with the architecture and beauty of many structures he saw while
there. He was visionary and ambitious to translate some of his dreams
into rctuality. He would build the exact replica of one of the buildings
he had seen. He finally decided that his first creation would be Glamis
Castle, the birth place of The Queen Mother Elizabeth. An understanding
of this nature necessitated a vast amount of study and planning as
well as extra trips to Europe. Finally the day arrived when work started
and continued for several months until the castle was completed in 1946.
The exact scaling and meticulous work done by Mr. Johnstone on this
project made the little castle an exact replica in most minute detail
of Glamis Castle in Scotland. Since then Mr. Johnstone has been adding
yearly to the group of English and Scottish replicas.