ARMSTRONGS of Ravensden

[castlebob]

Hello All,
Another clue: I see there was a christening of a Sarah Armstrong 6th Feb 1766 in Maulden - parents: John & Mary. I'm wondering if there is any other info on these. This occurs after William c1754 seems to have left Maulden for Cople. John & Edy died in Maulden in 1773 & 1770 resp.
Wendy:
Looking forward to seeing your tree, hopefully we can assemble all the parts & get an overall picture

[bedfordshire boy]

The only additional info on the 1766 Maulden christening is that John was a labourer.

I don't think the change of calendar in 1752 will affect things, as the change was to start that year on 1 Jan as opposed to the 25 March - we didn't  miss a year.

Regards

david

[wdurham]

I came across her yesterday.

Matching her up with the burial index with the name Armstrong gives two possibilities:

1. Sarah who married John 1760 and died in Ravensden in 1813 aged 47 (an exact match!)

2. Sarah who died in Upper Gravenhurst in August 1797, no age given - Thomas and Phoebe baptised a Sarah in April 1797, so this is likely to be their daughter.

(She could have married, however, so would not be in the index as an Armstrong.)

Did John 1760 marry a cousin?

And if so, who was the John Armstrong married to Mary who were her parents?

[wdurham]

Bob -

Just made a great find re William Armstrong and Mary Tatman of Cople.

They were never actually married!  I just checked Pallots marriage index, and found the following entry:

"Tatman Mary & Wm Armstrong
Cople, Beds, 1802
Banns only. The above Mary Tatman has a husband living at Gt Staughton, Hunts"

Also found on Ancestry a 31-page set of images setting out the Army career in the Bedfordshire Regiment of Samuel Clark Armstrong from 1903 to 1924. Samuel, born in Thurleigh 23 Feb 1885, was a Baptist, and was the son of Samuel and Lydia, grandson of William b 1820 and his wife Dinah and great grandson of William 1792 and Elizabeth Franklin. 

He was a right little weed at 18, 5ft 5ins tall with a 36 inch chest. He won the DCM in 1917, reached the rank of Temporary Regimental Sergeant Major by 1916, and was Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant on completion of his 21 year engagement in 1924. He seems to have got through the whole of WWI without injury other than a bit of conjunctivitis due to gas.  Fascinating stuff! He married in 1919 to Elsie  Shepherd of Bolnhurst, and until his discharge they had had one son, John Clark Armstrong b Aug 1920.

[wdurham]

Hi, Bob - I found Samuel's complete service record on Ancestry. (www.ancestry.co.uk)

I thinkyou might have to have a subscription to view it - I think I pay about £75 a year? - all the census stuff is there too, though some of the transcriptions need taking with a pinch of salt!

It's a set of 31 images in the WWI Pension Records database, which Ancestry are slowly putting online. They have A-B so far.

He did actually serve 21 years, although he originally only signed on for 3 + 9 in the reserve. He obviously liked the life!

Re: the ages in that printout I sent you - Legacy calculates them from the birth year and the death year. I still had William's baptism year in as his birth year - but as the NBI record says age 76 I have now changed the birth year. I usually supress that calculation as it can be misleading (as it just was!) - but just ticked everything when I made the Ahnentafel for you.

[johnP-bedford]

........Also, Pte T Armstrong's Beds Regt, MGC & RIF rolls - he was the son of Charles. Born in Bletsoe.

Bob, Any more about this T Armstrong ?. Could he be Thomas b 1892 son of Charles A & Sophia Partridge.

Regards John 

[castlebob]

Hello John,
Yes, Charles & Sophia were the parents. He died on 12th Oct 1918 see CWGC.
He had  abrother in the RAVC rank Sergeant, who survived WW1. Both are listed in the National Roll as 30, Bletsoe, Bedford.
Cheers,
Bob

[judiplant]

Good morning all

I haven't been having much success getting my replies on the website - so I'm trying again!

Obviously my original research, done with Jacqui from genes, which gave William as the son of Phoebe Wisson was incorrect - as I discovered when I was sent some Parish records recording Phoebe's son's death.  If anyone else has the Phoebe information on their tree, then they either came to the same incorrect conclusion as Jacqui and I did, or they copied ours.

If William b. 1791/2, son of William Armstrong and Elizabeth Franklin is "my" William, half-brother to Thomas, Sarah and Eli, then I guess I'm connected to Wendy as she says she's connected to John.  I already know I'm connected to John through Hannah & Sophia Partridge and Charles Armstrong.  I'm trying to research backwards, but finding it almost impossible.  Living in Vancouver I don't have the ability to visit Records Offices, and my LDS Centre is anything but helpful.  (They may be OK with U.S. and Canada research?)

Any other suggestions gratefully received.

Judi

[bedfordshire boy]

Sorry, Judi, it's a bit early in the morning and I'm struggling to follow your message!

The William son of William and Elizabeth (Franklin) Armstrong was christened in 1822, so was half brother of Eli etc. It was William the father who was born c1791, and the assumption is that he was an unbaptised son of John and Sarah. Wendy on this thread has posted her conclusions as to where John was from, but the thread has grown and grown and contains a lot of information so it pays to read it carefully!

What is the problem with the LDS in Vancouver? I've always found them to be very helpful although they obviously have their own areas of expertise - I've used their New York and London FHCs over the years, but where I now live in France is by appointment only so I've not yet used them here, and when I do don't expect much in the way of Bedfordshire knowledge!

Just post - new thread perhaps - what you're looking for and we'll try to help

Must dash - 7 year old (Sorry, nearly 8 as he reminds me!) needs to be smartened up ready for school!

Regards

David