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John Johnston


Johnstone, John, Belleville, Inspector of Schools for South Hastings and the City of Belleville, was born twelve miles from Inverness, Scotland, in the year 1838. In 1846 he arrived in Belleville with his parents, William and Susanna Johnstone. When he had attained his eighth year he began to attend the public schools of Belleville, and continued to do so for five years. When he became old enough to be of service, he worked during the spring, summer, and early autumn upon the farm with his father, and attended school in the winter. So great were his industry and capacity that he was able to keep up his year's work notwithstanding his summer absence. In the sprint of 1857 he obtained from the county board a first-class certificate, and on the 1st December of the same year, began to teach a public school in the second concession of Sidney, being then in his nineteenth year. He taught here for two and a half years, and then proceeded to Toronto, where he entered the Normal School, under Thomas J. Robertson, M.A., as head master, and Herbert Sangster, as second master, obtaining at the close of the term a provincial certificate, second-class, grade A. In 1861 he began to teach the very school at which he attended while working upon the farm. In May of the same year he married Augusta Rowe, of Sydney, and settled down to teaching and education as a life work. In 1866 the trustees of his school permitted him to attend the Normal institution; and during his absence his wife took charge of his school. He now took a first-class provincial certificate, grade B; and in June, 1871, obtained a grade A. He taught this school with so much success, and in a manner so satisfactory to the public, that in April, 1871, the county council unanimously appointed him inspector of schools for South Hastings. In 1874 he was likewise appointed inspector of schools for Belleville. Inspector Johnstone is a member of the St. Andrew's Presbyterian church, under the ministrations of the Rev. M. W. McLean, M.A. He has likewise been president of the South Hastings Teachers' Association since 1871. It is not overstating the case to say that Mr. Johnstone is one of the most popular, and at the same time most efficient school inspectors in the province of Ontario.


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