Alexander Robert Campbell Johnston was a British diplomat who served “many years in China under H.M. Foreign and Colonial Offices.” He visited Los Angeles in 1883, where he bought the 2000 acre San Rafael Ranch, subdividing the first part of it as the Annandale Tract in 1886.
He was the son of Sir Alexander Johnston of the Clan Johnston who was Chief Justice of Ceylon. He married the daughter of Sir William Campbell of the Clan Campbell who descended from the Duke of Argyll, and who was the last British Governor of South Carolina. Together they had ten sons and two daughters.
Alexander Campbell Johnston left three of his sons, along with their cousin Robert Lindsay, to manage the San Rafael Ranch. Other sons were dropped off in Canada, Australia, Liberia, Fresno, and South Africa.
Led by number one son Conway and Robert Lindsay, the Campbell Johnston’s were the first to bring coursing, hunting, riding, driving, horse racing, tennis, cricket, croquet, polo, and golf, to California in the 1880’s, founding the Pasadena Hunt Club and its Rose Parade, and the Southern California lawn tennis association in Santa Monica.
To be continued…
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