Family Armstrong

The Armstrongs were one of those families who kept the Borders in constant turmoil up to the 17th century. According to legend the Armstrongs derive from a man named Fairbairn who was the king's armour-bearer. The king's horse was killed in battle and Fairbairn hoisted the monarch on to his own horse out of danger. This fortuitous act gained him the name Arm-Strong and estates in the Borders.

However, the Armstrongs were probably of English origin, as there were Armstrongs in Cumbria and other parts of the north of England well before they are first heard of on the other side of the border. [1]

The Home of the Armstrong Clan has recently been established in the Borders district of Scotland and is at Gilnockie Tower, "A better home would be impossible to find for it is an Armstrong tower which is owned by Armstrongs, secure, habitable and the ONLY one capable of housing the Clan Centre".[2]

Armstrong - general information

An Act passed by the Scottish Parliament in 1587 "for the quieting and keeping in obedience of the ... inhabitants of the Borders, Highlands and Isles." containing a roll of "the clans that have Captains, Chiefs and Chieftains ... as well on the Borders as the Highlands," proves that so long ago as the sixteenth century Border families were described as clans, and one of the most important of these families was the Armstrong's.

Tradition says that the progenitor of the clan was Fairbairn, an armour bearer of a king of Scotland who went to the assistance of his master when the king had his horse killed under him in battle. Fairbairn grasping the king by the thigh set him on his own horse. For this service the king granted Fairbairn lands on the Borders, gave him the name Armstrong, and the family crest records the incident.

The Armstrong's were a numerous and turbulent clan, and held lands all along the Borders, but chiefly in Liddesdale, where the power was unquestionable. They were always at war with the Scottish kings until James VI. obtained the upper hand of them.

The Armstrong's of Gilnockie were the principal branch of the clan, and John Armstrong of Gilnockie in the early part of the sixteenth century was captured, through a stratagem, by King James V., and with over thirty of his followers, was hanged at Carlingrigg. The event is the subject of one of the best of our Border ballads.

CREST: A Dexter arm vambraced, the hand, proper, grasping a leg in armour, couped at the thigh of the same.

The photo below is the now fully restored Gilnockie Tower, HQ for the Armstrong Clan and if ever you're in the area - do yourselves a favour and call in. We did, when we visited Scotland for the Clan Armstrong triple celebrations in July 2019.

to be continued...

The Armstrong/Hope Link

Alice Armstrong's grandfather Simon Armstrong of Chesters, Southdean, Roxburgh-shire, Scotland, had issue; Anne (born 12 August 1758), William (born 17 August 1760), Isabella (born 24 October 1762), Nelly (born 1765) and Thomas (born 30 July 1768). The small village of Chesters huddles against the prevailing wind on the high slopes riding towards Carter Bar. It is notable for a charming, tree-fringed Church.[3]

Thomas Armstrong of Chesters, Southdean married Sarah Wilkinson (daughter of William and Mary Wilkinson) on 21 October 1803 at Southdean. It is claimed that Sarah was a direct descendant of the Duchess of Derwentwater.

Thomas Armstrong was a noted Latin schoolmaster and placed great importance on the education of his children, including his daughters. At that time girls were not educated to the same extent as boys. This was to be of immense assistance and strength to his daughters in later years, especially Alice and Jane, who gave their children all their early education. When one of Jane's sons went to college in Adelaide the headmaster could not believe that a woman could have taught boys to such a high standard. In Australia in 1820 only one out of 5 children attended school and of those some only attended a few days of the week as children were supposed to work, not idle away their time at school. Girls did not matter at all, they were consigned to the kitchen. In 1861 only 47% of children could read and write compared to 90% in 1911[4] after compulsory schooling had been introduced nationally

Thomas Armstrong died at Southdean in April 1844 and while it is not known when his wife Sarah died, she was still alive at the time of the 1851 census.

In the early 1980's and through the Genealogical Research Directory (GRD) contact was made with Ian Fyfe, a descendant of John Armstrong and Margaret MacLaughton, brother to Alice and Jane. Ian had been researching his family history and elsewhere in this book is an account of that family.

[1]Scottish Clan and Tartans by Neil Grant

[2]The Armstrong News

[3]Roxburgh Official Guide

[4]Australia and her Northern Neighbours by DE & PM Edgar

LINK to Home Page (Preamble)

Thomas Hope; our forefather

Family Smith