Features a published genealogy by Mr. Ray Montgomery -- received via e-mail from Glenda Kleppin, 5 May 1998.

Note By Glenda Kleppin: The source of this handwritten history is unknown. It was in the possession of Rolla S.Armstrong, my grandfather, who died in 1952. Based
on a comparison of handwriting on postcards in my possession, this family history was
NOT written by Lillian Depew or her son Harlan Depew.

The Armstrong Family

Siward - the Strong Arm - was the first known member of the family. He lived at
Tynedale which is located near New Castle on the river tyne. His coat of arms is below.

[The shield is roughly rectangular, wider than tall. The top edge is composed of approximately equal parts, the outside two shaped as approximately 1/4 of a circle, and the two inside parts as two half circles. Along the top of the shield is the lettering: Biget bye LANC ARMSTRONG. The center of the shield is an arm. The shield also contains one or more acorn, a sword, and the date 1559]

The shield was made of bear skin on oak. Siward was as strong and sturdy as an oak, hence the acorn. All Armstrongs have strong muscular arms hence the arm. Siward was an expert with his sword, hence the sword.

There were four sons and they are the roots of the family. From these four sons came seven sons which gave the seven branches of the family. This is the family symbol representing the four roots and the seven branches. It was used as a family trademark. [Drawing with four "roots" pointed down and seven "branches" pointed up]

Our branch of the family came from Siward's son Christopher. The branch was
Christopher's son William.

Mac Cauleys History of England tells the story of the bravery of Willie Armstrong. When William the Norman conquered England, the Armstrong clan stopped him at Northumberland. A cross was erected here and the peace terms stated that this cross marks the far decline of England and the Armsrong clan and their descendants would never have to pay tribute to the King of England.

The Armstrong clan had four hundred of the finest fighters. They were noted for their superior physical endurance and for their unusual mental alertness. The clan was noted for their industry. They owned many cattle, with mills and granaries. The family castle and burying ground was at Maingertoun [sp] where there remains the shell of the old castle and the monuments built for members of the family.

The Armstrong men were noted for their eloquence. They were very musical, had good voices, and wrote their own ballads. These ballads have been recorded in "A Collection of Old Ballads" printed in 1728.

The story of the moving trees in Shakespeares Macbeth was actually an account of the battle in which the Armstrongs defeated the Normans. Siward was given the title of Duke of North umberland.

The Armstrongs became Christian early in the history of English Christianity. The apron worn by one of our ancestors on the crusade to the Holy Land is in the Masonic Museum in Ann Arbor, Mich.

After the family turned Christian, the Coat of Arms was changed with only the arm upon it. The arm on the Arm and Hammer Soda box is the Armstrong Arm.

The family names were Wat, Rolla for Rolland, Edmund, Walter, Hubert, Robert, John, Edward, Thomas, and Martin.

There is a room in West Minister Abbey where our ancestors are buried. The generation, children of David Wing Armstrong are buried there.

William, the son of Christopher, fled to Ireland and built a large house with walls, dykes, and byres.

William had three sons - John of Gilnockie, Christopher of Langholm, and William of Gilnockie.

We are descended from William of Gilnockie. Edward (1650) the son of William of Gilnockie married a gypsie princess with black hair and snapping black eyes. Edward moved to Brookbora Ireland and built a beautiful home. It is still a grand old place now used as a hotel. Over the door is the Arm and Sword of the Armstrong clan.

Martin, the son of Edward, came to Pennsylvania where a number of the clan had established a settlement. They joined with a group of Dutch Puritans.

Martin married the Lady Elizabeth Elliot. There were two sons. Our family descended from Martin's son Elliot.[sp] Eliot [sp] married Elinor [sp] Phelps. For some time they lived on Long Island. At the time of the revolutionary war, they moved to Fort Ticonderoga on Lake Champlain for protection. Later Eliot moved to East Shoreham, Vermont. He is buried there in a little yard walled in with a rough stone wall.1.Eliot [sp] was born before 8, 1772. He married Elinor Phelps (Polly) daughter of Elnathan Phelps on August 7, 1792.

The children of Eliot and Elinor were:

Elnathan born May 2, 1794; Chauncey; Will; Chester - Charles; Eleanor, Ransom - daughter Anne Stephen who is the mother of Frank Ste. Johns of Mattawan, Mich.; Spencer; David born in West Shoreham VT Aug 13-1807; Eliot; Irene; Eleanor.

2. David Wing Armstrong, Born Aug. 13, 1807; Married Sarah Treadway, Died, Parma Mich, Nov 5, 1858.

Children:

David Mansel - born Shoreham, Vt. June 24, 1830
Jerome B. - children Carrie, Grace, Orah, Mary, Rome, Carl, Louise
Sarah Ann - children Cora, Ema Lewis
John Armstrong of Ausauble Forks, N.Y.
Ellen - children Minnie, Olive, Ellen, Dell, Edna, Geo(?)
Alanson -
Alva David - Lillian, Rolla, Frank, Mary Ellen
Rolla Silas - Ransome, Howard, Effa, Arthur
Olive - Nora, Lillie, Rolla, Sidney Heath, Howard, Raymond Goold
Lillian

3. Alva David - Lillian, Rolla, Frank, Mary Ellen

4. Rolla - Esther - Leah Ellen, LEAH AMANDA DUNCAN ARMSTRONG

I recently discovered, on the web, genealogical records submitted by Ray Montgomery, apparently dealing mostly with European sites and names. The Armstrong records which he included were based on the Bibiography of Brigider General John Armstrong; Chronicals of the Armstrongs; and group sheet of Edward Armstrong of the border. The names and chronology set forth in these records matches, almost exactly, that in my handwritten family tree, beginning with the infamous John "Johnny" Armstrong in 1497. The only problem is that there is apparently one or more "missing" generation(s) between Martin Armstrong, born 1678 and the Martin Armstrong who married Elizabeth and produced Eliot.

Perhaps that is why you keep running into two different Martins. It appears that the Armstrongs often named the firstborn after the father, and I am assuming, at this point, that someone along the line just inadvertently left the second Martin off the family tree, thinking that it was a duplicate entry. That would explain a lot of the confusion.

Alternatively, since the data about Martin and his brothers was produced by the general (above), who was the grandson of Martin's brother, James, there may have been additional Martins in the line, again, not unlikely as our particular branch of the Armstrongs had a clear preference for reusing names in each generation. I'm sure the general's original records show when he came from Ireland to Cumberland Co., PA, apparently in the company of his brothers Thomas and Joseph, and accompanied by his nephew James (son of his brother, Andrew.) Unfortunately, he did give any further information about any member of Martin's generation except for his own branch. All of the above apparently stayed in PA, where they died. (Not quite the wanderlust of our branch.)

Because of the similarity of the male names in this line, and its inclusion with the handwritten history in my possession, I feel likely that this is our link back to Ireland. Now we just have to find the "missing links" across the ocean. This would also explain the two separate datelines carried down by the family since it would indicate one immigration of the bloodline, probably in the 1600's, and a second immigration in the mid 1700's. Apparently we have all linked into the second immigration because the records of this move are so clear, and this is confusing it.

In either of the above scenarios, the genealogy is as follows:

John (Johnnie) Armstrong b. 1497, Barngliesh, Dumfries, Scotland

Christopher Armstrong [the William in my genealogy, used middle name?] b. 1522 at Barngliesh

Christopher Armstrong (Jr.) b. abt. 1563, Gilnockie, Dumfries, Scotland

2 sons: Christopher and William (Christie's Will)

Christie's Will (William of Gilnockie) b. abt. 1590, Gilnockie; d. Brookboro, Fernanagh, IRE

married Margaret Elliott b. abt 1611, Gilnockie, Scotland; D. Brookboro

sons: Edward; Alexander; Simon; Robert; Thomas of Agahavea; David

Edward Armstrong b. 1635 Brookbora, d. Terwiming, IRE

married Margaret Maguire, b. abt 1611, Gilnockie; d: Brookboro

sons: James; Jean; John; Francis; Martin

Martin Armstrong b. 1678, Fermanagh Co, IRE --

Since our Eliot was nearly 100 years younger than the above Martin, it seems unlikely that he was Martin's son. Still, the above data "fits" my handwritten genealogy.