Hi, Joe, Nice to see you on the list. Hope it's starting to be spring where you are. We have had a mighty long winter in these parts. I wish I knew more about my Armstrong ancestors and their associated families, but I am having hard going finding much. As near as I can tell they were farmers or practiced a trade such as cooper or carpenter. Of the wives and mothers, I can only guess the stories of women who had so many children and must have had quite hard lives. It would be great if more were recorded of the mothers, but the information available is pretty much limited to births, marriages, children, and deaths. It has been a lot easier with my mother's family as they were all over here in New England early and most of them (males, at least) have been pretty well documented. Woodsmen, hunters, fighters in various skirmishes and wars, they settled some pretty deep and dark forested areas in northern New England, as well as being farmers, settlers, and getting involved in about every conflict. I have found a couple of interesting stories. One whole family of ancestors living near the coast of Maine was kidnapped by Indians and taken to Canada where they were servants of a French family for a year when, for a reason I don't know, were let go and made their way back to their home in southern Maine where they found all as they had left it right down to the baby's beer mug still on the table. Another ancestor was kidnapped by Indians and was ransomed for 28 beaver pelts...a good thing because otherwise I guess I would not be here writing this. Cousin Marilyn ----- Original Message ----- From: "Joe" <joe@gateshead8.free-online.co.uk> To: <armstrong@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, March 04, 2008 3:39 PM Subject: [ARMSTRONG] Lang livers! > Picked this one up in a kirkyard at Appleby in Cumbria. > > Showed it to some friends visiting from Europe and they > were amazed. The stone stands not far from the door of > the kirk itself. Even took some photos of it, it is genuine. > > * * * * * * * * * > > > > > > In Memory of > > > > John Hall of Hoff Row, who departed this life, June > > 19, 1716, aged 109 years. > > > > Also of John Hall his son, who died September 1744. > > aged 86 years. > > > > Also of John Hall of Hoff Row, the grandson, who > > died March 27 1821, aged 101 years. > > > > So! > > > > John the 1st was born 1607 and was 56 when John 2nd was born. > > John 2nd was born 1663 and was 57 when John 3rd was born. > > John 3rd was born 1720. > > > > Their lives spanned 214 years and totalled 296. > > > > They lived through the reigns of; > > > > James I > > Charles I > > Cromwell's Commonwealth > > Charles II > > James II > > William & Mary > > Anne > > George I > > George II > > George III > > George IV. > > > > They fell just 20 years short of spanning the time from > > Elizabeth I to Victoria. > > > > Appleby region was still being raided by Armstrong Reivers when > > the first John was born albeit it in the twilight years of that system. > > > > It begs the question; what sort of experiences did YOUR ancestors > > have? > > > > The debacle at Isandhlwana was still fresh in the minds of the > > men who built my house where I sit writing this. It was only some > > five years earlier than the building. In fact my maternal grandfather > > was alive at that time, he was born 1876. At the age of 3 he may > > not have taken in the news of the slaughter of an entire regiment > > by the Zulu but he was alive then. He went to Africa himself later. > > > > Young John was the last of the redcoats, he enlisted 1895 and was at > > the Battle of Omdurman, 1898, the last time red coats were worn > > in action. > > > > See what I mean, we all have ancestors who lived in exciting times > > so come on you lot, let's have your tales. Names and dates are not > > enough. Genealogy is about how, as well as when they lived. > > > > Joe. > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > ARMSTRONG-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message