Francis and Isabella lived initially with Thomas and Mary - 1891 census.

They had six children:

• Archibald (Archie) (1891)
• Thomas
• Alexander
• Francis
• Dora
• Ella

We have various addresses for Francis and Isabella at various times, all in the Corrie area.

The family lived at Craighousteads NY234854

This is also the address that Alexander (my grandfather) gave when he signed up for the first  world war.

Mum always thought that he learned to drive during the first world war, but his sign-up papers show his trade as "motor Driver".  So somehow he had learned before the war.

He also gave a forwarding address of Penlawbrae on hos discharge papers, so I don't know if his parents lived there at that time.  I remember visiting Uncle Tom and aunt Peggy at Penlawbrae and Dave Armstrong (their son) lived there after them.

Malcolm was told by his mother Dora that the children all walked to school in bare feet during the summer months.

The school at Corrie Common NY207854 is about 3.5km across the fields.

Latterly the widow Isabella lived at Scroggs Cottage NY165807.

Isabella had learned to read, mum thinks while she was a maid.

Looking back at Isabella's history I have found a census of 1881, with Isabella Buck age 13, working as a domestic servant for the Davidson family at the Goodhope School House in Johnston.

Isabella is also on the 1871 census, age 3, living with her grandparents Alexander and Mary Armstrong and a brother / half brother George Gibson.  The are at South Greyrigg Johnston.  Sadly Alexander's occupation is Ex Ag Lab Pauper.

Looking further back Alexander was born about 1798 and Mary Brown about 1804.  They were both born in Kirkpatrick Juxta.  The parish churchis at NT082009, just south of Beatock.

Alexander and Mary got married 21 Aug 1821 and had one daughter Isabella, born 23 Aug 1821.

In the 1851 census Isabella (now Buck aged 29) is living with her parents in Lochbrow Cottage, Johnston, along with three children Mary (5), Dorothy (3) and William (1).  All the children are born in Johnston and have birth certificates with George Buck as the father.

In the 1861 census Isabella Buck is still with her parents at Lochbrow Cottage and gives her occupation as Labourers Widow. Here she has one child George Buck.

We found this photo of Uncle Archie and citation in a box of Armstrong family artefacts that had been passed to my mum, from her cousin Dave Armstrong.

Uncle Archie is mum's uncle Archie, so he is my great Uncle.

As a child, I had misunderstood what i was told about Archie, that he had drowned in the Aegean.  It sounds like a tragic swimming accident.

It turns out that he volunteered for the first world war and was on the troop ship The Royal Edward when it was sunk by a German submarine.  There is more information here.

Malcolm has also provided some extracts from press cuttings.

The Imperial War Museum in London have an audio recording of an account of the sinking by one of the survivors.

To find him in military records, his full details are LCpl Archibald Armstrong SvcNo. 14828 Kings Own Scottish Borderers.

Archie is remembered on the War Memorial in the grounds of the Corrie and Hutton Parish Church (located near Boreland).

He is also remembered at the Scottish National War Memorial at Edinburgh Castle.

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission have a memorial at Helles in Galipoli.

The Imperial War Museum have a web site livesofthefirstworldwar.

Thomas was born at Henwoodie, but is not there for the census of 1841.

There is a Thomas Armstrong at Langshawburn aged 15, living with John (61) and Esther (58) Murray.  

Are these his maternal grandparents?

Considering that it is an 8km walk to Roberton from Henwoodie, the 11km walk from Langshawburn to Henwoodie would be easy for a visit home for Thomas.

In the 1851 census there is a Thomas Armstrong at Over Phawhope NT181081, working as a shepherd.  However this is probably not our Thomas, as he would be in Eskdalemuir at this time.

Thomas and Mary had six children in the standard family tree :-

Archibald 1856

Esther 1857

Francis 1859

Jane 1861

John 1863

Margaret 1866

In the census of 1861 Thomas and Mary live at Newlandhill and have the following children:

Isabella (9) and Mary (7) as well as Archibald (5), Esther (3) and Francis (1).

Are these two more children? - Need to look for records of birth certificates.

Newlandhill is at grid ref. NY255864

There is no house or farm here on modern maps, but it is here on the 1843-1882 map.

In 1871 they live at Keirhead, still in the Tundergarth parish, but I can't find this on either the new or old maps (is it Carhead?).

Here they have just the six children of the standard family tree, but Isabella and Mary could have left home by this age.

In the census of 1891 Thomas and Mary live at Lockerbie Road, Capelfoot, with their son Francis and his wife Isabella and their grandson son Archibald aged 6 months.

In addition to Thomas and Mary's daughter Esther, there are also two grand children Mary (10) and Thomas (7).  It is not immediately clear from the available information who the parents are.

There is a final census with Thomas and Mary in 1901, still living at Capelfoot, with three grandchildren Thomas (14), Archibald (5) and Isabella Nichol (Dairy Maid).  I don't yet know who's children Thomas and Archibald are, but Isabella Nichol would appear to be the daughter of Thomas and Mary's daughter Isabella.  Isabella married Robert Nicol (shepherd) and had 11 children.

In the 1881 census, Robert and Isabella live in Langshawburn Cottage, with children Elizabeth, Mary, Christina, and Agnes Murray Nicol (remember Thomas was at Langshwburn with the Marray family in 1841 - I don't know why the chose to remember the Murray connection for Agnes).

In the 1891 census, they are still at Langshawburn and have additional children Isabella (with Thomas and Mary in 1901), James, Jane, Margaret, Esther, Thomas and Robert.

In the 1901 census they have moved to Aberlask in Eskdalemuir and have more children

Another find from the box, Mum thinks this is a double Golden Wedding photo:

Margaret and Jane married William Bell and James McRobert in a double wedding on 12th Feb.1887.

So the 50th anniversary would be 1937.  Mum remembers staying with her grandmother Isabella while the party was on.

I guess it would be taken in Corrie Parish Hall.

• Joomla

This site is being used to publish family history information.

The inspiration for this is a collection of photographs and documents from Dave Armstrong, that was passed to my mum.

The site is organised according to the families across generations:

Francis and Mary (nee Murray)

Thomas and Mary (nee Alston)

Frances and Isabella (nee Buck)

There is also a page on their son Archie.

Here is an overview written by Michael.

If you are struggling with the meaning of scots words, there is a good dictionary here.

If you would like to discuss any of the information provided, you can contact me at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Peter