398 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES,
Mr. Shiells was married, and had a daughter, who died young. He was
much respected in his profession, and bore the character of a charitable and
humane man. He died on the. 23d September 1798. The boy was subsequently
for many years a porter in the Candlemaker Row.
The charge made for a visit was only one shilling I-yet Mr. Shiells accumulated
a good deal of money, the greater portion of which he left to his sister’s
family. His niece, Miss Lawrie, kept the shop for many years after her uncle’s
death, and was married to Mr. A. Henderson, jeweller.
No. CLVIII.
MR. ROBERT JOHNSTON,
AND
MISS SIBILLA HUTTON.
Nb other reason has been assigned by the artist for grouping these two
individuals together, than that they were the most corpulent shopkeepers in
Edinburgh at the time, and had their places of business in the Royal Exchange
buildings.
MR. JOHNSTON was the son of the Rev. John Johnston, minister of
Arngask,’ and brother-german to Dr. Johnston of North Leith. He carried
on business for many years as a private banker, in company with Mr. Donald
Smith, under the firm,of Johnston and Smith. This concern, however, proved
unfortunate, having met with a series of losses-among the first of which was a
robbery to a considerable amount, The particulars of this affair are fully given
in the following advertisements from the Cowant of 1768 :-
“On Friday evening last (the 12th August) the lock of the outer door of the compting-house of
Johnston and Smith, bankers in the Exchange, was opened by some wicked persons, as snpposed by
a counterfeit key, and eight hnndred pounds sterling stolen out of their drawers, in the following
Bank notes, viz.-
Of the Royal, and Bank of Scotland . E194 9 0
British Linen Company . 362 2 0
Dumfries Notes . 126 0 0
Glasgow Notes . . 64 10 0
General Bank of Perth . . 3 2 0 0
Dundee Notes (Jobson’s) . 4 0 0 0
Several small Notes and Silver . . 1 1 1 0
$830 2 0
The church at Arngask is called “the visible kirk,” from its great altitude.