Hi Toni,
Tynemouth/North Shields was really starting to grow at that point of time and was becoming a booming town. Dr John opened the first dispensary in Tynemouth. There were an influx of lots of Armstrongs who were mariners and shipowners, they seemed to have come from every direction possible and the name was becoming common.
The problem i have is, i have no date of birth or death yet for my 5th great grandfather only estimated. When he was married at Hexham, it said he was of the parish at the time of his marriage, though there is no guarantee that he was born there. Hexham at that time had the biggest population of Armstrongs in the UK. I've tried the militia list for hexham in 1761 and can't find a possible match. also the parish records just say John son of John, John son of William etc.,
thirdly trace Dr John Armstrong , forward - back maybe sideawys to see if you can get a connection.
You mean like this
Dr John came from Brampton, Cumberland, when he died, he was taken from Tynemouth to be buried in the family vault at Brampton , unfortunately there is no sign of the family vault..
In Dr John's will (1814), he mentions his wife Mary, who he married the year before he died, he was 60 years of age, she was 34 years his junior and they had a son called John.
He also left money to Charles and William Armstrong, merchants in London who in the will were described as relatives.
I have a copy of the will (1789), for the father of Charles and William, yup, he was also called John Armstrong esq. of Brampton, Cumberland. He left his diamond ring, gold beaded cane and a print of Doctor John Armstrong to his son William and his gold watch to his son Charles. The estate went to his wife Margaret, and in trust for his sons William and Charles. who were, yet to attend or were at school.
Dr. John's father was an apothecary/surgeon and he Lived in Brampton, Cumberland, he was also called John (surprised!).
This John Armstrong, Surgeon/Apothecary and his wife Jane are mentioned in the will of Jane Armstrong, spinster of Brampton, Cumberland.
In the Will (1767) of Jane Armstrong, spinster, mentioned above, she mentions various people, starting with John Armstrong, apothecary of Brampton and his wife Jane, leaving them 10 Guineas each to buy a ring each to remember her by, as well as all the furniture house hold stuff, etc., she finishes, after her disposing of her legacies, by leaving the remainder of her furtune, to be equally divided between John Armstrong, apothecary of Brampton and John Armstrong of Bowholm, Cannby (Canonbie, Scotland).
The bit of the will, in between, she leaves to various people, some in London and some in Dumfries described as her 'dear friends' each mentioned gets £100.
She mentions Armstrongs in Kirtletown (Kirtleton, Dumfries, Scotland), Bowholm, (Canonbie) and some Armstrongs from another place which i have yet to decipher. several of these Armstrongs mentioned are called John.
Just to complicate things, she leaves to Ann Armstrong, daughter of William Armstrong her fathers half-brother.
and later on, she leaves to Robert Armstrong son of my mothers youngest brother.
hmm, seems like an Armstrong married an Armstrong. (what a surprise).
With the names of John, Charles, Richard, David, William and places like, Kirtletown, (Kirtleon), London, Dumfries, etc., turning up in the wills. I googled a bit and came across a basic tree including a Dr. Charles Armstrong of London, son of Dr. John Armstrong of Godalming, Surrey, son of Dr. Richard Armstrong son of David advocate of Edinburgh, son of David of Kirtleton, Dumfries. to Christopher of Dumfries still alive in 1530. This tree was in a google book, 'A Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Landed Gentry of Great Britain' i'm not sure how reliable the information in it would be.
I did find a book from the 1800's in Sunderland library once, which listed pedigrees, along side my 3rd great grandfathers name was a tick to indicate a pedigree had been done but i have yet to find it.
Hope there aren't too many John Armstrongs to confuse you.
ps: I have no Smiths or Jones in my family tree.
Rewcastle.
