Richard Armstrong (1744 - 1816)

Born 27 Dec 1744 in Paxtang, Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Ancestors

Husband of Margaret (Osborne) Armstrong — married 27 Dec 1774 in Rowan County, NC

Descendants

Died 1816 at about age 71 in Ebanezer, Mercer, Kentucky, United States

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Pam Wade [send private message], Shelby Armstrong [send private message], and Gina Wrather [send private message]

Biography

Richard Armstrong is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A135291.

Richard Armstrong served with North Carolina Militia during the American Revolution.

Richard Armstrong was born Dec 27, 1744 in Pennsylvania. He died in 1816 in Ebanezer, Mercer County, Kentucky.^[1]

It appears that Richard Armstrong may have been the only one of Mary's sons who lived in Mercer County after his mother's death. He owned 200 acres on the Kentucky River, and from the early 1790's until his death in 1814, he owned and operated Armstrong's Ferry, located within two or three miles of present day Ebenezer. After Richard's decease, the management and operation of the ferry was carried on by his sons, Abel and James. In 1823, Charles McBride purchased the ferry property from Abel Armstrong of Ohio and its name then became McBride's Ferry. Ben Cummins purchased is from McBride in 1835, and it then became Cummins Ferry. The road to and from the Ferry down Kentucky River continued to be known as Armstrong's Ferry Road as late as 1841.

Richard Armstrong, the sixth and last child of John Armstrong and his wife Mary (Graham) Armstrong was born c1747 in Lancaster Co, PA. His father died when Richard was still a young boy.

When he was about ten years old, his widowed mother and her children moved to Rowan Co, NC. Mary Armstrong purchased 400 acres on Third Creek, in the "Irish" and "Trading Camp" Settlements. (Deed Book 2, p 126. 7 May 1757.)

On 27 Dec 1774, Richard was married to Margaret Osborne, a daughter of Col. Alexander and Agnes (McWhorter) Osborne. Richard and Margaret were the parents of six sons: James, Alexander, William, Benjamin, John and Abel.

On 12 June 1770, Richard purchased 201 acres of land on the south fork of the Yadkin River, from Joseph & Elizabeth Johnston. (Deed Book 12:183) He sold this land to William Law in 1787. At the same time, he appointed his brother Abel to act as his attorney, and shortly thereafter he removed his family to Mercer Co, KY, where he had purchased a tract of land in 1782.

Records show that Richard made at least three trips between Rowan Co NC and Mercer Co KY. His wife, Margaret, died about 1790, and in 1792, he married widow Elizabeth (Lock) Gibson in NC.

Beginning in the early 1790's, he owned and operated a ferry across the Kentucky River between Mercer and Woodford counties, about three miles from the town of Ebenezer.

Son James married Hester Shields; Benjamin married Sarah Berryman. The wives of Richard's other four sons were from the same family: Alexander and William married Mary Ann (Polly) and Sarah (Sally), daughters of John Wilson, while John and Abel married Mary and Ann, daughters of John Wilson's brother Thomas.

The date of death for Elizabeth (Gibson) Armstrong is unknown. She died some time before the 1810 census. After Richard's death, in 1814, his sons Abel and James continued the management and operation of the ferry. They sold it to Charles McBride in 1823, but the road to and from the ferry continued to be known as Armstrong's Ferry Road as late as 1841.

Richard came to Kentucky in 1788 through the Cumberland Gap with Daniel Boone.

Name: Richard Armstrong. ^{[2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]}

Born 27 Dec 1744/45 or 1747. Paxtang, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, United States. Could not interpret date in Birth Date (27 Dec 1744/45 or 1747).

Died ABT 1816. Mercer County, Kentucky, USA. Map: Latitude: N37.8047. Longitude: W84.8764. ^[7]

Residence 1810 Mercer, Kentucky, United States. ^[5] 1800 Mercer, Kentucky, United States. ^{[2] [6]}

Probate: 20 MAY 1816. Shelby, Kentucky, USA. Map: Latitude: N38.2175. Longitude: W85.1945. ^[7]

Marriage Husband @I945@. Wife @I1199@. Child: @I747@. Marriage 27 DEC 1774. Rowan, North Carolina. ^{[8] [9] [10] [11]} Marriage 12 DEC 1777.

Sources

1. ↑ #DAR for death date and birth year
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Source: S53
3. ↑ Source: S52 Source number: 1035.000; Source type: Electronic Database; Number of Pages: 1; Submitter Code: PKS
4. ↑ Source: S54 Data Source: North Carolina State Archives
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Source: S47 Year: 1810; Census Place: Mercer, Kentucky; Roll: 7; Page: 340; Image: 0181352; Family History Library Film: 00349
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Source: S49
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2} Source: S80 Bonds; Author: Kentucky. County Court (Shelby County); Probate Place: Shelby, Kentucky
8. ↑ Source: S52 Source number: 1035.000; Source type: Electronic Database; Number of Pages: 1; Submitter Code: PKS
9. ↑ Source: S54 Data Source: North Carolina State Archives
10. ↑ Source: S54 Data Source: North Carolina State Archives
11. ↑ Source: S52 Source number: 1035.000; Source type: Electronic Database; Number of Pages: 1; Submitter Code: PKS

• https://services.dar.org/public/dar_research/search_adb/?action=full&p_id=A135291
• The Harrodsburgh Harold, Thursday, November 1, 1982
• Patriot, voucher #1902 & #4822
• Listed in Pierce's Register
• Deed Book 2, p 126. 7 May 1757
• 27 Dec 1774 Copy of Marriage Certificate in Shelby Armstrong, Jr. possession
• Daughters of the American Revolution, DAR Genealogical Research Databases, database online, (http://www.dar.org/ : accessed Feb 27, 2018), "Record of Richard Armstrong", Ancestor # A135291.

Acknowledgments

• Thanks to Gina Zumbaum for starting this profile. Click the Changes tab for the details of contributions by Gina and others.
• WikiTree profile UNKNOWN-123942 created through the import of White.wiki.ged on Oct 26, 2011 by Pam Wade.
• Source: S47 Ancestry.com 1810 United States Federal Census Publication: Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2010;

• Source: S49 Ancestry.com Kentucky, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1810-1890 Publication: Name: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 1999;

• Source: S52 Yates Publishing U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900 Publication: Name: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2004;

• Source: S53 Ancestry.com Kentucky, Tax Lists, 1799-1801 Publication: Name: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2006;

• Source: S54 Ancestry.com North Carolina, Marriage Collection, 1741-2004 Publication: Name: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2007;

• Source: S80 Ancestry.com Kentucky, Wills and Probate Records, 1774-1989 Publication: Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2015;