Gilbert Johnston

Born in Yell, Shetland.

Gilbert Johnson was baptised in Herra, Mid Yell, on 20th September,1780 by the Rev Andrew Dishington, noted for his contribution regarding Mid and South Yell to the (Old) Statistical Account of Scotland, that wonderful compilation of local history and geography published in 1790-93. He was minister for Mid Yell from 1788 until 1805. See https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=F15eAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA565&lpg=PA565...

Andrew Dishington describes a population of 1422 people, mostly making a living as tenant farmers, with cultivated land, sheep and a cow, and from fishing. By 1791 the scourge of smallpox had recently been defeated by an effective programme of vaccination, by a pioneer, John Williamson, known as 'Johnny Notions', who had developed his own highly reliable technique for weakening the virus.

Marriages were early, and most people were literate, although there were no schools in this district. "They delve all their little farms with the spade, and have no need of any considerable stock to begin life; all that is required being a cow, a pot, a spade, a tusker [peat cutter], a buthie [basket], fishing rods, and a rug or blanket. Thus, they increase in numbers, notwithstanding their poverty. Both sexes make a very decent and genteel appearance on Sundays."

Shipwright, Greenock.

In 1842, described as a 'mariner', living at 4 East Shaw Street, Greenock. (Hutcheson's Greenock Register)

In 1861 census, described as 'former ship's carpenter, pauper' and living in the Greenock poorhouse, aged 81.