John Johnstone (28 April 1734 – 10 December 1795)[3] was a Scottish nabob,[4] a corrupt official of the British East India Company who returned home with great wealth.

[8] In 1764, the Company had adopted new regulations which required its officers to sign a covenant that they would accept non-trivial gifts only with the prior approval of the directors.

[6] The Johnstone family account says that he spent "about a ninth" of his money on the estates at Alva, Hangingshaw and Denovan, and "lived quietly" there until his election to Parliament.

[5] His allies, led by George Dempster, lobbied on his behalf[8] and in his defence Johnstone published in 1766 "A letter to the proprietors of East-India stock", subtitled "Vindication of His Conduct in Receiving Presents from the Native Governments of India".

[5][12] In May 1767, the General Court of the East India Company over-ruled its directors, and dropped all prosecutions against its former servants, and Johnstone walked free.

The Caledonian Mercury reported on 2 November 1774 that Johnstone did not declare his interest until after the burghs had chosen their delegates, and caught the sitting MP James Oswald by surprise.

[13] However, at the 1780 election Johnstone lost the support of Burntisland to his opponent John Henderson, who won the seat on the casting vote of Kirkcaldy.

The court at Perth accepted her petition to be banished "to one or other of His Majestys (sic) Plantations or settlements in the East or West Indies or in America".

[16] Slavery was found to be "not recognised by the laws of this kingdom" by the Perth court in 1774, when an enslaved man, Joseph Knight brought a claim to be free of his master John Wedderburn.

[16] Johnstone died on 10 December 1795, aged 61, at home in Alva House,[6] which had been remodelled and expanded in 1789 to the designs of Robert Adam.