Longshot! - marriage William Armstrong/Helen Riddle 1812, Kelso

[Cadoret]

Will do, Audrey - just checked my Riddells & only came up with one Walter, born Roberton Rox, but he was christened 31 DEC 1749, so possiby a bit too old?

And thanks Russell re the will information. I've bookmarked the wills for download ASAP

And the story gets more complex - just found today that William Armstrong's widow was listed as 'farmer' in the 1861 census at the family farm, so seemingly inherited it. But the listings I have for 'his' wills are Jedburgh Sheriff Court dated Aug & Dec 1852, the year after he died in early 1851, and the second one is a Testament Dative, which is one "drawn up by the court if a person died intestate ...  in order to appoint and confirm the executor on their behalf" in case you didn't know.

I say 'his' wills as I haven't confirmed the name, but they're both listed for 'Farmer at Sorbytrees', and WIlliam Armstrong was known as 'Sorby Trees'  as I already explained - I guess it's possible that 2 other farmers local to the village of Sorbietrees died within a year of Armstrong, but his farm would have covered most of the area around Sorbitrees, plus it seems that farmers in that area were known by the name of their farm rather than surname ... worth a tenner to find out!

Plus I'm still short on proof that Sorby Trees was my gg uncle - however, Sorby Tree's wife was born in Newcastleton, there were the 2 marriages/banns read for William Armstrong/Elizabeth Hall at Castleton/Kelso, and 'both' Elisabeths had a father called Thomas (unless the FamilySearch entry for the 'Kelso' William Armstrong iss a mistake). Sorby trees was born 'about 1813 Of Sorbytrees' and my gg uncle at Yetholm 17/7/1813; I can't think of a reason why there was the entry at Kelso unless he had family there, and my gg grandfather had a farm only 2 or 3 miles south of Kelso...

The only fly in that ointment is that I only found out yesterday that Sorbitrees was Williams 'paternal farm'... if he was my gg uncle that would mean that my gg grandfather owned it or gifted it to him, but  William snr was listed as 'farmer' in Heiton in the 1841 census... I guess he could have retired, being around 60 when Sorby Trees was shot, but gg grandfather was over 100 years old when he died!

So I still need to see the wills and try & trace birth/marriage certs for Willliam!

So the search goes on...

[bougie]

   hi graeme
   i have copies of all grave inscs in newcastleton cemy.
   thought you might be interested in this one.
   
    IN THIS SPOT NEAR WHICH RESTS THE ASHES OF HIS FOREFATHERS
    IS INTERRED WILLIAM ARMSTRONG OF SORBY TREES WHO TO THE GREAT
    GRIEF OF THE NEIGHBOURHOOD WAS SHOT WITHOUT CHALLENGE OR
    WARNING BY THE REVEREND JOSEPH SMITH INCUMBENT OF WALTON
    CUMBERLAND ON THE NIGHT OF WEDNESDAY 16TH APRIL IN THE 38TH
    YEAR OF HIS AGE.
    IN AFFECTIONATE REMEMBRANCE THIS MONUMENT IS ERECTED BY
    NUMEROUS BODY OF HIS FRIENDS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BORDER AS
    A TRIBUTE OF THEIR RESPECT FOR ONE OF WHOSE MANLY
    STRAIGHTFORWARD AND GENEROUS DISPOSITION GAINED HIM THE LOVE
    AND ESTEEM OF ALL WHO KNEW HIM.

    ELIZABETH ARMSTRONG NEE HALL WIFE OF WILLIAM ARMSTRONG 
    SORBIETREES BORN 11TH SEPTEMBER 1820 AT NEWCASTLETON
    DIED 21ST OCTOBER 1900 AGED 88YRS . AWIDOW FOR NEARLY 55YRS.
     
    BETTER IS A LITTLE WITH RIGHTIOUSNESS THAN GREAT REVENUES WITH
    INJUSTICE.

[bougie]

   hi graeme
  just found something else on my list of mi's
  archibald armstrong of sorbytrees died on 26th sept 1821 aged 82yrs
 there is only one farm called sorbietrees. though there would have been a
 few farm cottages for farm workers.
     bougie

[Cadoret]

Belated thanks, Bougie - missed these additions for some reason.

I already had the grave inscription, but the info re arch amstrong is interesting. However, I've called a halt to investigating 'Sorbietrees' until I've managed to get a copy of his wills; hopefully then I'll be able to see if we're related. If we are there might be a link to Arch A. also.

My main problem is I've hit a dead end with the OPR marriage record of my ggg grandparents that I found at the Family Research Centre in Selkirk; no parents' names! But if Sorbietrees was their son perhaps his will might give some clues :-|

regards, Graeme