James Armstrong (1773 - 1880)

Born 21 Jan 1773 in Pettigo, Fermanagh, Ireland

Ancestors

Husband of Jane (Johnston) Armstrong — married 7 May 1810 (to 1862) in Derryvullan, Fermanagh, Ireland

Husband of Alice (McCready) Armstrong — married 6 Mar 1866 in Gerringong, New South Wales, Australia

Descendants

Died 19 Aug 1880 at age 107 in Kiama, New South Wales.

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Berice Lawson [send private message]

Biography

James was born in 1773.

James and Jane left Londonderry 19.10.1838 and arrived per the "Susan". Landed in Sydney 1.2.1839 He first settled 1839-1843 on a 10 acre clearing lease at Garden Hill south of Wollongong Hospital at the height of a depression. (There was a village called Garden Hill in Fermanagh). About 1844 he bought a portion of 1000 acres known as Bonaira Estate (He called Bonaira Vale). It was very heavily timbered, stony, hillside country sloping down to the sea. His son Thomas shared the house and did the farming - when he died his wife Jane (Grey) moved her family to Myocum on the north coast.

James was known as "Bedad" because that word frequently coloured his ordinary conversation. Used the expression on occasion to denote his feelings about something. Another interpretation heard is that "Bedad" is Irish for "Indeed"! Not very tall, smallish beard, always very correct with his dress and tidy with his clothes. Employed a personal male servant for boot polishing and shirt ironing

A hard worker and a man of good and honourable repute in the Kiama district.

Listed in "Assisted Immigrants Inwards to Sydney 1828-1842"

From "Armstrongs of the Illawarra" :- "James was nothing if not versatile and his occupations were listed variously as tailor (Ireland), farm labourer, brickmaker, farmer and hotel-keeper. His residences in North Ireland included Ederney and Pettigo in Co Fermanagh."

Was well established by the 1850's, described in 1854 as living at Spring Hill - he took out a slaughtering licence. In 1855 he acquired or bred a fine stallion called Prince of the South", selling it later to T.R.Kendall.

James Armstrong passed away in 1880. Burial Kendall Private Cemetery, Kiama, New South Wales.

Funeral: Minister, John Done - Witnesses, George Walker, William Gordon - Undertaker, Peter Walker.

Sources

• Berice Lawson, firsthand knowledge. Click the Changes tab for the details of edits by Berice and others.

• "Australia, Death Index, 1787-1985"; Ancestry.com [database on-line]; James Armstrong, 1880; Kiama, New South Wales; F=Robert.

• NRS5313/4_4780/Susan_1 Feb 1839/ from the Assisted Immigrants (digital) Shipping Lists on the New South Wales State Archives and Records website at: http://indexes.records.nsw.gov.au/ebook/list.aspx?series=NRS5313&item=4_4780&ship=Susan

• https://www.irelandxo.com/ireland-xo/history-and-genealogy/ancestor-database/james-armstrong-0