Armstrong Clan News Blog

An Armstrong Family Bible Revisited

19/6/2016

Around 15 years ago, in January 2001, the Association began a quest to reunite an Armstrong family Bible with it's rightful owners.

The search began in response to an article in the Eskdale and Langholm Advertiser which read:

An appeal to the people of Eskdale to help solve the mystery of a family Bible has come from a Hampshire couple Kevin and Ginny Goodal. The Goodals, who live in Oakley near Basingstoke, bought the bible many years ago.
The book contains a family history on the last page and the names are Branchard (sic), Armstrong and Robson. They say these are not Hampshire names and certainly not local to their village.
A friend who works in the village comes from Scotland and told them the names were connected with the border area. Ginny said: "If these names do strike a note with any of your readers, I would be very pleased to hear from them.”

We couldn't trace any living descendants at the time but, 15 years later with the benefit of current internet search aids, we have traced descendants of the family to Canada, the USA and the UK. We've been fortunate to make contact with one living descendant of this family, but none bearing the Armstrong name so the quest continues.

The full story is published in The Armstrong News 82, including details of the various family lines that we're researching. Any help or information from Armstrongs in Canada, America or the UK would be appreciated.

All I want for Christmas is .... a dNA test?

16/11/2015

Some DNA tests can reveal your deep ancestry. Other DNA tests may help you connect to distant cousins, to share information that could help your family history research. They may even prove some parts of your family tree that you've often doubted.

DNA testing prices have fallen considerably in recent years, bringing these tests within reach of many amatur genealogists. A number of special Christmas promotions have made these tests even more attractive. However, to get value for money you need to choose a test that will help you achieve your goals. Choose the wrong test and you may be disappointed.

There's a discussion in the members forum about the different tests available, and what each testing service is aiming to achieve. Members can click here to request an invitation to join the forum. Once you've signed up, you'll have access to our private members-only discussion area where you can ask questions and get help to choose the best testing option for your needs.

Alternatively, non-members can click here to read our DNA Project page. The page has been updated to include special Christmas prices for the Armstrong Project at FamilyTreeDNA.com and ScotlandsDNA.com who have also issued a press release "Calling all Armstrongs" for their own research project.

If you're thinking about taking a DNA test, these Christmas promotions make the idea more attractive than ever.

Kroonstad Golden Wedding - 8 June 1935

24/10/2015

On 8 June 1935, the local paper in Kroonstad, South Africa reported the Mr & Mrs John Armstrong were celebrating their Golden Wedding Anniversary, having married at Jagersfontein 50 years earlier. The report says that John Armstrong was born in Victoria, Australia about 1860 and went to South Africa with his parents around 1864.

The report includes fascinating details of his involvement in the Zulu wars and the South African diamond mines. His knowledge of diamonds was even called upon in a Scotland Yard investigation, and helped "in laying the thief by the heels." That's an expression you don't hear every day.

The newspaper report is reproduced for members in issue 81 of the Armstrong news, and if anyone knows the story of John Armstrong's Australian roots then we'd like to hear from you.

Ancient Armstrong Ancestors

24/10/2015

Genetic evidence and more rigorous research methods are currently challenging the origin myths & legends of several clan surnames. We continue to explore this theme with more remarkable results from the Armstrong Y-DNA project reviewed alongside published academic works.

Many historians claimed the Viking occupation of the remote Orkney and Shetland Islands in the 9th century had largely supplanted the indigenous population. However, recent "People of the British Isles" research found that only 25% of Orcadian DNA was of Viking origin.

So, what does a Y-DNA testee in the Orkney Islands have in common with the Armstrong Clan? They share a specific genetic marker, or SNP, that suggests a direct paternal line to a common ancestor who seems likely to have lived during, or pre, the Iron Age (about 700BC). Is this more evidence that our clan's ancestors were of ancient indigenous Scottish stock? Association members can read the whole story in the Armstrong News 81.

The Armstrongs of Riccarton Mill, Castleton

24/10/2015

How many people have ancestors who lived & worked for over 200 years in the same historic 18th century Mill?

One new member of the Armstrong Clan Association can!

The earliest record of a meal mill at Riccarton, Castleton dates from 1611, and a new mill was built in 1718 for William Elliot, the tenant of RIccarton Farm, whose granddaughter Christian Elliot married Thomas Armstrong of Sorbie, and she moved back to the Mill after his death. The Elliot family held the tenancy of the Mill until 1766, when it passed to the widowed Christian Armstrong and remained in the hands of the Armstrongs for nearly 200 years

The Mill then passed down the Armstrong family, with visits by Sir Walter Scott, legends of hidden gold sovereigns nearby, and gifts from the Duke of Buccleugh over the years. The Armstrongs bought the Mill in 1919, and the family lived there until 1944. Jane Armstrong was one of the last of the line to live at the Mill, and her daughter recalls this special family history & memories in issue 81 of the Armstrong News.

1899 OS Map of Riccarton Mill, Castleton

Albania & the Heaton-Armstrongs

24/10/2015

Captain Duncan Heaton-Armstrong was private secretary to Prince William, the sovereign of the short-lived Principality of Albania. Less than a year after the fledgling country declared independence from Ottoman rule, the Balkans were engulfed in World War I. Duncan's diary tells the story of his adventures with "The Six Month Kingdom", published in 2005.

Duncan's brother, Jack, had also been in in Albania helping his brother at that time. and Jack's grandson brings the story up to date in issue 81 of the Armstrong News. It's a fascinating story of family treasures rescued from auctions, now in Albania's National Historic Museum, and the family's 100-year connection with Albanian independence commemorated in the Centenary celebrations.

Association members can read the story in Armstrong News issue 81.

Armstrong Lumber Company of Dubuque, Iowa

1/5/2015

James Armstrong was born in County Down, Ireland in 1842. His parents emigrated to the United States when he was a child, living briefly in New York before settling in Dubuque Iowa in 1854. His father build the county jail & jailhouse, and many of the areas bridges in the time before the Civil War.

James went on to have 12 children and found the Armstrong lumber Company in 1882. He became an important member of the community and held civic office, including a time as Mayor of Dyersville.

Issue 80 of the Armstrong News, available to all members of the Armstrong Clan Association, includes an account of his life.

The Armstrongs - Border Reivers or Seagoing Pirates?

1/11/2013

The Armstrong clan may have been famous "Border Reivers", but what about The Armstrong Pirates? They do exist, but they don't sail the seven seas, plundering treasure to invest in a nice little pension fund. These "Pirates" are the athletics teams of Armstrong Atlantic State University, named in memory of George F. Armstrong.

George F. Armstrong was descended from an Armstrong line that settled in Providence R.I. about 1750. He was a successful businessman in the shipping industry, who owned Armstrong House in Savannah Georgia. In 1935 his widow & daughter gave their former home to the city, to found the Armstrong Junior College that grew into Armstrong Atlantic State University.

Association Members can read a brief history of this learned institution in Issue 77 of the Armstrong News.

Canadian Pioneers - Armstrongs in Ontario and Manitoba

1/11/2013

The Armstrongs were among the early settlers in Canada. One branch of the clan came from Cumberland England, and settled in Ontario where they owned a farm and saw-mill. Their son, William Armstrong, was born in Ontario in 1842. William and his brother moved west to the Rossburn district of Manitoba in 1879, where they filed for homesteads, and were later joined by others from the Armstrong clan.

In 1920, William's daughter recalled the Armstrong's early days in Rossburn. Her story paints an interesting picture of the early settlers, and is reproduced in issue 77 of The Armstrong News for Association members.

Armstrong Origins

2/5/2013

What happens when you combine medieval history with modern genetic testing? You get some thought-provoking insights into the origins of the Armstrong Clan!

Medieval documents and ancient pedigree charts give one view of the Armstrongs' origins. However, modern DNA analysis can throw new light on these historic documents, and give extra information on the clan's genetic history.

Issue 76 of the Armstrong News explores several medieval documents with evidence from the Armstrong Y-DNA project, as part of this ongoing series.