John Armstrong 1806-1888

John Armstrong was born in Southdean to Thomas Andrew Armstrong and his wife Sarah Wilkinson on 11 October 1806. He married Maragaret MacLachlan (1817-1863) on 10 April 1838 at Balnacra, Ross & Cromarty. They were both of Ledgown, parish of Contin at the time of their marriage. His occupation is listed as shepherd.

On the 12th day of November in the year 1859, there arrived at the port of Lyttelton, in Canterbury, New Zealand, John and Margaret Armstrong and their large family. They had left their home in Strathconin, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland, to seek their fortunes in this brave new land. John, who had been a shepherd in Scotland was looking forward to finding the same type of employment in New Zealand, while Margaret was fully employed in caring for their family. The eldest girl was Isabella, then followed Sarah, Jane, Margaret, Simon, John, Mary, Jessie, Alice, Wilhamina, Christina and Richmond. One child died in infancy, and the youngest, Richmond, was born in Lyttelton.

Although a voyage by sailing ship was a very hazardous undertaking in those days, John and Margaret had been very fortunate in securing passages in a beautiful new clipper, the "Zealandia", belonging to Willis and Company's line of Packets. The ship is described as being A1., 1,200 tons burden, was considered to be one of the fastest models afloat, the accommodation superior, the food liberal and a surgeon was carried. Altogether it was one of the finest ships ever to be despatched to New Zealand. The captain of the vessel was John Foster and after leaving St. Catherine Docks, the ship would be a magnificent sight as it sailed down the English Channel at the start of the long voyage.

Leaving Lyttelton, the newcomers walked over the Bridle Path to Christchurch where John secured temporary employment at Anderson's Foundry and the three eldest girls were found domestic positions.

The "Zealandia" arrivals hardly had time to settle in Christchurch when John heard of a shepherd's position on the Central Otago Station of Messrs Hamilton, Rowley and Wayne and through the good offices of Mr John Anderson, he applied for and obtained the job. Leaving the three eldest girls, Isabella, Sarah and Jane in Christchurch and in spite of the fact that it was in the depth of winter, the family piled into a bullock waggon and set off on the long trek to the Maniatoto Plains. The bullock waggon in those days was the principle means of travel, was unusually pulled by ten or more bullocks and would hold a large quantity of goods. The journey over badly formed roads and swollen rivers that July, would seem long and weary to the children who slept underneath the loaded waggon. On the Pigroot snow was encountered and this would make things very unpleasant. The writer's Grandmother, in after years would recount stories of the hardships of that journey. She was Margaret, the fourth child and eldest of those who travelled south.

The family arrived at Hamilton's station on the first of August and soon settled down to life there although there would be many things which would be strange to the folk from Scotland. The winters would be extremely cold and the summers very hot in those days, thus making house-keeping difficult. Wood for the outside bakers oven would have to be gathered and bread baked for the station employees. There was little social life. The winter of 1863 was a particularly harsh one in Central Otago, with much snow and ice and in the spring misfortune struck the Armstrong family when the mother, Margaret, died at the age of 42 years.

The following was written by the Rev. Alexander Don in his book:

"The station people were like one family. From the Hamilton diary we learn that on the death of a young man of 25 it was Captain Hamilton who read the burial service. That was November 1862. Six months later Kenneth Mackay was brought down from his hut ill. The doctor summoned from Waikouaiti diagnosed the trouble as Colonial Fever. He remained for a few days but the patient died after a fortnight. Then on October 12th the entry in the diary reads, "Mrs Armstrong died this day at 1pm. Was buried this evening. When she adopted the role of nurse for the sick shepherd, it was little guessed that it was a risky proceeding. However when it was realised she had fallen a victim, Captain Hamilton used every endeavor to stay the dread enemy, but in vain and at 42 she found a resting place half a mile from the Station Homestead. The oldest girl, aged 14, took charge of the stricken home and Captain Hamilton found many means to lighten her burden. On Sundays he gathered the motherless weans about him, in a little Sunday School and one of them later related that on sunny days it was held on a little knoll near the station. There were many evidences that this run-holder bore the name of a real Christian gentleman. When he and his wife visited Sowburn subsequently, they had the grave attended to and at his own expense erected a headstone."

Note: The headstone referred to above was the second one to be erected over the grave. The first one, probably of wood, had fallen into disrepair. Also the date on the present stone makes Margaret Armstrong's age 47, whereas it is generally understood that at the time of her death she was aged 42. During her fatal illness Captain Hamilton did most of the nursing of the sick woman himself.

The inscription on the headstone is as follows:

"Here lieth the body of Margaret Armstrong, born 1816, Died October 12th 1863. Wife of John Armstrong, 14 years head shepherd at Hamilton's Station. And near this spot also lieth the body of Kenneth Mackay, shepherd, whom she nursed and who died of fever, June 1863.

God so loved the world that He gave His is only begotten Son that whomsoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

For some time the family continued to live on the station. The 14 year old Margaret always remembered the monotonous life. There was little in the way of recreation. For entertainment the men might play concertinas. In December 1863, she saw a canvas town spring up over night when the gold miners arrived and staked their claims. This was the heyday of Hamilton's which soon had stores, Hotels, butcher's shops, a blacksmith, bakery, courthouse, gaol, banks, Union Church, doctors, etc. Bishop Selwyn visited Hamilton's and the young Margaret, at his request, stood as godmother to several children in the district, when they were baptised, by the Bishop. Bishop Selwyn in his vestments and lawn sleeves considerably impressed the Armstrong children.

It is a pity that none of the family kept diaries which would have been of such interest to the present generation.

As was to be expected after a few years the family began to leave Hamilton's. Margaret, Mary and Alice went to Timaru, where Margaret started the first private school, charging 2/- per pupil per week. After 14 years as head shepherd on the station, the father, John Armstrong, left for Timaru where he lived with his daughter, Isabella (Mrs Ogilvie) until his death about 1888, aged 80 years. He is buried in the Timaru Cemetery with his son Richmond and daughter Alice. The death of Richmond was after a very short illness at the early age of 20 years. He died of "Consumption", the effects of a chill (probably pneumonia), caught whilst employed in the MacKenzie Country.

The girls of the family all married:

• Isabella Mrs John Ogilvie (Timaru)
• Sarah Mrs Mounsey
• Jane Mrs Fyfe (Geraldine)
• Margaret Mrs Robert Kennedy (Timaru)
• Mary Mrs Anderson (Waimate)
• Jessie Mrs Arthur Gascoynce, afterwards Mrs Caesar Kelly
• Alice Ann Mrs Eaton (she was called "Elsie")
• Wilhamina Mrs Aitken
• Christina Mrs Porter

Prepared by Jean McKenzie (grand-daughter of Margaret Armstrong [Kennedy]) of "Brooklands", Waikakahi, Waimate, South Canterbury, and thanks to Ian Fyfe of Lower Hutt, for passing the family history onto me; both of New Zealand.