James Johnstone, 3rd Earl of Annandale and Hartfell and 2nd Marquess of Annandale, was born about 1687-8 and was the eldest son of William Johnstone, 2nd Earl of Annandale and Hartfell and 1st Marquess of Annandale

William Johnstone, 1st Marquess of Annandale

William Johnstone, 2nd Earl of Annandale and Hartfell, 1st Marquess of Annandale KT was a Scottish nobleman. He was the son of James Johnstone, 1st Earl of Hartfell and Henrietta Douglas...

, by his first wife Sophia Fairholm. He succeeded his father in 1721.

He spent most of his adult life traveling in Italy where he amassed a great collection of art and antiquities. In 1726 he attempted to legally prevent his half-brothers from inheriting his peerage

Peerage

The Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...

s and estates and directed that these should pass to his sister Henrietta Hope, Countess of Hopetoun

Henrietta Hope, Countess of Hopetoun

Henrietta Hope , Countess of Hopetoun was a Scottish noblewoman born in Lockwood, Dumfries, Scotland. She was the daughter of Sir William Johnstone, 1st Marquess of Annandale and Sophia Fairholm...

, and her descendants. However, this attempt was only partly successful for, when he died in Italy in 1730 aged 42, only his Scottish lands and his art collection passed to Henrietta, while his peerages (which could not be lawfully alienated in the way he intended) passed to his half-brother George

George Vanden-Bempde, 3rd Marquess of Annandale

George Vanden Bempde , 3rd Marquess of Annandale, succeeded James Johnstone, 2nd Marquess of Annandale on his death in 1730 , and enjoyed that title from then to his own death, whereupon the title became extinct.- See also :* Earl of Annandale and Hartfell* Sir Richard Vanden-Bempde-Johnstone, 1st...

 who succeeded as 4th Earl of Annandale and Hartfell and 3rd Marquess of Annandale.

His body was returned from Italy and buried in Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey

The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...

. His portrait hangs today at Hopetoun House

Hopetoun House

Hopetoun House is the traditional residence of the Earl of Hopetoun . It was built 1699-1701, designed by William Bruce. It was then hugely extended from 1721 by William Adam until his death in 1748 being one of his most notable projects. The interior was completed by his sons John Adam and Robert...

near Edinburgh.