Last name: Armstrong

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After William 1 conquered England in 1066, he rewarded his followers with land grants. Amongst these followers were ones known as "Forten Bras" which literally translates as "strong in the arm", itself a rare surname, and from these people developed the Armstrangs or Armstrongs. The clan has always been centred in Liddesdale in Cumbria, where its fierce and warlike members were enlisted by the Scottish and English kings in turn. The terms "Moss Troopers" and "Border Reivers" were applied to the clan Armstrong, the history of the clan being the history of "The Border" and the wars between England and Scotland. 

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As examples of their "strength", in 1342, Richard Harmestrang made a loan to King David 11 (1329 - 1371) of Scotland, whilst in 1363, William Armstrong was not only steward to the king, but ambassador to England. However, it is in the field of (literally) private enterprise that the Armstrongs made their mark, Armstrong of Gilnockie, a well known "free booter", being executed by James V of Scotland in 1529, whilst in 1596, Kinmont Willie (Armstrong), another "pirate" was seized by the Scots from Carlisle Castle, his subsequent fate is "unknown".

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Another unfortunate was Sir Thomas Armstrong (1624 - 1684), a well known monarchist, who fell foul of Judge Jeffreys and was executed. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Adam Armstrong, which was dated 1235, arrested and imprisoned for murder and later pardoned at Carlisle, during the reign of King Alexander 11 of Scotland, 1214 - 1249. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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My family's branch of Armstrongs which I have managed to trace so far seem to come from Hethersgill and Kirklinton, in the borders, or as it was known in the times of the Reivers ‘The debateable lands’ as both England and Scotland claimed it belonged to them. Nobody was allowed to live there, they could graze animals but that was all. When King James VI of Scotland and I of England died, King James II came to the throne. He was determined once and for all to rid the borders of the troublesome and feared Reiver clans. He confiscated all lands, property, goods and livestock, any person who decided not to leave the lands were hung. He stayed one night in Mangerton Tower, one of the Armstrongs strongholds and the morning after blew it up with dynamite totally destroying it. He had had enough of this dominating clan and decided to sort them out for good. Not only were the Armstrongs reivers but also protection racketeers along the borders stretching as far as Newcastle upon Tyne, a total of 60 miles.  Most of the clan from the Scottish borders fled to Ireland, it would seem that the English border Armstrongs stayed put but I haven’t got back that far to confirm this.  The Johnstones were also border reivers and were enemies of the Armstrongs.

The first recorded Armstrong in England was in the 1200s in Cumberland at a place called Unthank near Penrith, but there is some suggestion that  the Armstrongs were of Flemish origin who came to Britain with the Norman invasion.

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The Armstrongs were a huge family and there were many of them spread out in Cumberland, quite a lot  with the familiar  middle names. There were some who emigrated to America, namely Philadelphia Pensylvania, Washington and also to New Zealand.

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Some of the  Armstrongs from Benjamin Armstrong and Mary Johnstone were hotel keepers in Cumberland, David had the Royal Hotel in Bowness,  Benjamin had two hotels, The  Lodore Hotel and the Borrowdale Hotel.  John had the Royal Oak in Keswick.

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Both Benjamin Armstrong and his brother John were members of the Greta Lodge Freemasons in Keswick.

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Benjamin Armstrong, grandson of Benjamin Armstrong and Mary Johnstone had the Woolpack Inn at Millom, he passed this down to his son John. 

Hannah Armstrong, daughter of Benjamin Armstrong took over the Borrowdale Hotel after her fathers death, she married Edward Barron Goodfellow in 1875, she died four years later, the couple were childless. Her husband carried on as the Hotel keeper, he was also a member of the Greta Lodge Freemasons. In 1877 he received a ‘gift’ from South America of four crocodiles! it makes one wonder what happened to them, did they end up in the lake?

After Hannah’s death Edward married her sister Mary Armstrong and they had two children, Clara Frances Barron Goodfellow and John Goodfellow. Edward deserted his family and emigrated to New Zealand where he died in 1903.
Mary changed her family name back to Armstrong. Her daughter Clara married George Purdie Porteous (there are Porteous families in the Wass family tree) from Kells in Kirkcubridgeshire. He was a chief engineer in the Merchant Navy and was involved in both world wars. He was lost at sea along with all the crew after the ship SS Salama was torpedoed by a German U-37. The ship was en-route from Kingston Jamaica carrying 1500 tons of bananas. 

 

My Armstrong family tree:

 

Starting with Hannah Alice Talbot Armstrong who was born at the Royal Hotel, Bowness, Windermere in 1859, I couldn't find a baptism record for her.

In the 1861 census she was at home in the Hotel with her family. Hannah was only five when her father passed away and her life changed dramatically. The census shows that David her father had 20 staff members on the day the census was taken.

In 1871 Hannah A T and sisters Sarah and Grace E Baldwin Armstrong were staying in the Royal Oak Hotel in Keswick with uncle John Armstrong and aunty Martha (Davidson). John was also a hotel keeper (and also a farmer an employer of 2 men at his farm of 60 acres).

The other siblings in 1871 lived as follows: Mary Agnes was married and living with her family in Byker Northumberland, Annie was a barmaid in the Windermere Hotel, William Henry Talbot Armstrong was living with his uncle, Thomas Amstrong in Hensingham, Joseph Johnstone Talbot Armstrong was living with his uncle Benjamin Armstrong in the Borrowdale Hotel, there seems to be no trace of the youngest sister Catherine, as she was only a baby when her father died it may be that she passed away or could have been adopted? Mother Alice was living with her daughter Mary Agnes and family in Byker.

In 1881 Hannah was living in Giggleswick working as a cook at Giggleswick school. 

She married John O'neill in Settle in 1881. They went on to have five children.

In 1891 the family were living in Settle, in 1901 in Coniston Cold from where they moved into Skipton where John died shorty afterwards in 1901 in Victoria Street.

In 1911 Hannah was living in Hardcastle Yard Skipton with her son Bernard, her occupation was a cotton spinner. She moved to council property on Broughton Road in Skipton. 

Hannah died in 1938 aged 79.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                 Hannah is the seated lady.                                              The Royal Hotel as it would've been in David Armstrong's time.                                                                                                                                           

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Above, as it is now, a cafe and apartments.

The Royal Hotel was a favourite place of William Wordsworth

 

 

David Armstrong was born about 1823 in Kirklinton, Cumberland, son of Benjamin Armstrong and Mary Johnstone. He was baptised on 28th December 1823 at Kirklinton.

In the 1841 census he was living at Crossrigg in Bromfield, Cumberland with his parents, his father was a farmer, his brother Joseph was a file maker.

David married Alice Armistead on 29th April 1846 in St Nicholas, Liverpool. he was working as a waiter and lived at Great Cross Hall Street, Liverpool. Alice lived at Parliament Street, Lancaster.
The couple must have moved to Bowness not long after the marriage as their first daughter was born there in 1848. They had a total of 11 children:
Mary Agnes, Grace, Sarah, Annie, William Henry Talbot, Joseph Johnstone Talbot, Grace Ellen Baldwin, John Edward Talbot, Hannah Alice Talbot, Isabel Clark Talbot, Catherine.

The middle names of Johnston and Talbot come from surnames of the mothers. Talbot comes from Agnes Talbot born in Wray and married Henry Armistead in Tatham. Johnstone comes from Mary Johnstone who married Benjamin Armstrong. Baldwin comes from Grace Baldwin who married John Armistead in 1761.

In 1851 David was a at the Royal Hotel  Undermillbeck, Bowness, he started off as a waiter  becoming the hotel keeper there. He appears to have had numerous interests, he was a farmer as well as hotel keeper and had a prize bull, he regularly entered agricultural shows winning more or less every time or coming very close. He had a farm in Crossthwaite nearby. 

He was a collector of natural history items, he was the local taxidermist, postal master, had a museum and had a valuable collection of art, fossils, gemstones, stuffed animals etc. see here

David died in the Corn Exchange Hotel, in Newcastle on Tyne in 1864 aged 41, cause of death was Enteritis. The hotel owner there at the time was also an Armstrong, and he went there for a talk from Sir William G Armstrong about fossils and natural history. William was an engineer and his Armstrong Gun was famous. I haven't yet found a link between David and William but it's a very big coincidence so I'll keep looking.

After his death in 1864 all of his property including all his farming stock were sold off at auction and the family were dispersed.

David died on 30th June 1864 in the Corn Exchange Hotel, Newcastle Upon Tyne, aged 41. cause of death was Gastro Enteritis.

After a lot of searching I came across the reason for the auction. David was declared bankrupt before his death.

Alice was living with her daughter Mary Agnes and son in law Frederick John Fittes in 1871 in Byker and described as a former Inn Keeper.

In 1881 Alice was living in Low Mill, Whitehaven with her daughter Grace Ellen Baldwin and son in law Frederick Trump.

In 1891 Alice was living with her son William Henry Talbot Armstrong and daughter in law Jane Eileen A Armstrong in Egremont William and Jane were first cousins.

In 1901 Alice was still living in  Egremont with William and Jane. She died on 31st August 1905 aged 86 at 3 King Street, Cleator Moor, Cumberland. Cause of death was senile decay. 

 

Benjamin Armstrong was born about 1789 in Cumberland England.

He married Mary Johnstone in Kirklinton on 23rd May 1821. They had at least five children: David, John, Benjamin, Sarah, Thomas. Benjamin and Mary lived in  Bromfield Cumberland in 1841. In 1851 the family were living in Langrigg and Mealrigg, Cumberland, Benjamin was a labourer and Mary was also recorded as a labourer, either the enumerator made a mistake or she was one tough woman.

Benjamin died in 1851 aged 62.

Mary was living with her son Thomas and his family in 1861 and 1871 at Hensingham, Cumberland.

Mary died in 1881 aged 82.

 

 

Other descendants of Benjamin Armstrong.

 

John Armstrong 

  John was born in Kirklinton,  Cumberland about 1826, he was Christened on 21st May 1826 in Kirklinton.

John married Martha Davidson in Whitehaven in 1845, they had at least eight children: 

Mary, Elizabeth Shepherd Armstrong, James Johnstone Armstrong, John, David, William Sinclaire Armstrong, Jane Ellen A Armstrong, Hannah M Armstrong.

In 1851 the family were living in Hensingham and John was a groom. In 1861 John was a farmer of 126 acres emloying one man and one boy, the family still lived in Hensingham. 

By 1871 the family had moved to Keswick and had the Royal Oak Hotel, John was also still a farmer. In 1881 the family were living at what looks like Shady Crofts in Keswick, John was now a store keeper and an ironstone miner, they had a house full of children, sons, daughters and grandchildren, numbering ten in total.

The family moved again and in 1891 John was a widower living at 37 Springfield Road, Bigrigg, Egremont. He had his daughter Elizabeth S (widowed), son William S, and grandaughter Mary Newcome Suker staying with him.

In 1901 John was living at 45 Springfield Road, Egremont with his son William Sinclair and his family. William was a carter and employer at the Iron Ore mines.

In 1911 John had moved yet again, this time he was living at Hampton Place, St Bees, Cumberland with his daughter Martha (Bern), a widow living on private means. John was 85 and his occupation was a carter and employer. There were two of Marthas daughters at home, Mary Martha Claudia Bern and Constance Elizabeth Bern. Also living with them was Johns daughter Elizabeth S who was living on an army widows pension.

John died in 1918 aged  91.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The Royal Oak, Keswick.

Above as it was.

Left & right, today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thomas Armstrong 

Thomas was born in Kirklinton, Cumbria about 1837. He married Jane Sumpton in 1859 in Whitehaven, Cumbria. They had at least eight children:

Mary J, William, John, Mary, Libby, Mathew,Joseph, Rachael.

In the 1861 census the family were living in Hensingham in a Grocers shop, Thomas was a Grocer. His mother was living with him and was also living with him in the 1871 census when Thomas was still a grocer but also a farmer.

In 1881 Thomas and his family were living in Gosforth, Egremont and he was a farmer of 40 acres.

In 1891 Thomas and Mary were still living in Gosforth, neither were working and were living on their own means.They had a grandaughter Annie Moore staying with them.

Thomas was a retired farmer in 1901 and was with his wife Jane and grandaughter Annie, in 91 Trumpet Lane Cleator.

In 1911 Thomas and Jane were still in the same house with Annie the grandaughter who was 21. The birth records state the number of children born alive were 6, the number that had died was 4 so presumeably Annies mother died young.

 

Benjamin Armstrong

Benjamin was born in Kirklinton in 1828. He was a servant in 1851 in English Street, Bromfield, he was working in a hotel, The Royal Hotel as a house servant.

Benjamin married Mary Forrester in 1853 and they had at least six children: Hannah, Joseph Sarah, Benjamin, Mary, Ellenor.

In 1861 he was an inn keeper with his wife and in what looks like the 'Lindore' Hotel in Crosthwaite, Cumberland. They had four servants working for them but no sign of any children.

In 1871 the family were living in Borrowdale in the Borrowdale Hotel and Benjamin was the hotel keeper. They also had a nephew Joseph Armstrong staying.

 Benjamin died in 1873 aged 44. His will was proved at Carlise on 17th June 1873 and reads:

17 June. The Will of Benjamin Armstrong late of the "Borrowdale Hotel" in the parish of Crosthwaite in the county of Cumberland. Hotel keeper who died 23 May 1873 at Hensingham in the said County was proved at Carlisle by Hannah Armstrong of the "Borrowdale Hotel" spinster the daughter and Miles Wilson of Borrowdale in the said parish. Farmer. The executors. Effects under £2000.

In 1881  Mary was  in the Cumberland and Westomoreland County Asylum, St Cuthbert without Carleton, Cumberland. Mary was described as a patient and a lunatic, retired Inn Keeper. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo Above The Borrowdale Hotel as it was and below as it is today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Above left, Kirklinton Church. Right Hethersgill Church.

Below signpost in Hethersgill.

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Above Gilnockie Tower in Liddesdale, one of the stronghold's of the Armstrongs.

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                Left: Grave of Benjamin Armstrong at Borrowdale.

                       Below Borrowdale Church. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was a Sarah Armstrong born in 1834 but I don't have much information on her.

 

Please see the next page for descendents of David Armstrong.

 

 

Parents of David Armstrong:

Benjamin Armstrong and Mary Johnstone. Benjamin was born about 1790 in Newby, Irthington, Cumberland. Mary was born in Hethersgill, Cumberland on 9th September 1798, baptism 23rd December at Kirklinton Church.

The couple married in Kirklinton Church on 23rd May 1821 and went on to produce seven children:
Joseph, David, John, Benjamin, William, Sarah and Thomas.

In 1841 the family were living at Crossrigg, Bromfield, Cumberland and Benjamin was a farmer.

In 1851 they were living at Lanrigg and Mealrigg, (Bromfield) Carlisle, Benjamin was a labourer, and I  hope that the enumerator got mixed as he also had Mary as a labourer.

Benjamin died the same year from Consumption.
Spouse Mary was living with her son Thomas and his family in the 1861 census, in a Grocers shop in Hensingham, Cumberland, she was the housekeeper. She was still living there in 1871 as an annuitant, so she must have been left an annual amount of money in her husbands will. 

Mary died in 1880 in Hensingham.

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The parents of Benjamin Armstrong were John Armstrong and Jane. John was born in Cumberland, probably Arthuret, about 1765. In the 1841 census he was living at Slealands Burn, a farmer. His next door neighbour was William Armstrong who was 20 years younger so could be his son. He had a son named John who went bankrupt, he lived at Slealands Burn before his bankruptcy in 1861. 

It is very confusing without baptism records as there are so many Armstrongs in the area so I haven't got any further back as yet. There are a lot of possibles! 

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The Johnstone Family from Mary Johnstone:
Father David Johnstone, born in Hethersgill in 1745. Spouse Margaret Waters. Five children.

 

Father David Johnstone, born Kirklinton/Hethersgill. Baptised Kirklinton in 1696. Spouse Hannah Bulman.

 

Father Thomas Johnstone, born Lanercost 1674. Spouse not known.

 

Father Thomas Johnstone, born about 1645. Place of birth unknown.

 

The Johnstones were a Scottish reiver clan and Earls of Annandale.