By birth she was Jane Elizabeth Baxter, part of the family of Dundee jute merchants & manufacturers. She married George Armistead, a Russian born Dundee jute merchant, in 1848. He apparentlydid not treat her very well, bringing another woman into their house and causing her to flee (see http://www.fitzwalter.com/afh/Armitstead/armithist1.htm ) for details. Regards, Grant Buttars ----- Original Message ----- From: <SKronen266@aol.com> To: <PERTHSHIRE-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, November 21, 2003 2:58 AM Subject: [PERTH] Castle Huntley Mansion/Mrs Armstead > My grandmother, Bella Donald MARTIN, born 1867, wrote a short biography > before she died in 1964 and part of it is as follows. I would like to know more > about the "Castle Huntley Mansion House" and "Mrs Armstead" whom I have not been > able to find in the 1881 Census. > Sheila, in Belleville, Illinois, USA > > "I do not know how long we were at Kinloch, but my next remembrance was our > stay for several years in the outskirts of Longforgan, a village on the main > road between Dundee and Perth. . . . > Castle Huntley Mansion House was a short distance from the village and the > grounds were open to many picnic parties from Dundee, chiefly Sunday School > Picnics and we children had a share in many of them. . . > Our next move was to the village of Inchture, about two miles from Longforgan > . . . > As we move in the middle of the school term, I walked to Longforgan School to > finish my year there, Grade Six and Seven, and afterwards went to Inchture > School, three rooms and usually three pupil teachers. As I was top scholar and > eighth standard, they wanted to keep me as pupil teacher, but as there was no > vacancy, the Lady Bountiful of the district, Mrs. Armstead, paid me my first > year's salary. I was not at all anxious to be a teacher but was not given my > choice. . . . We pupil teachers were very fortunate as Lady Armstead paid > expenses often for the pupil teachers to take advantage of any special speakers > or exhibitions held in Dundee. She was a very well educated lady and held > classes for a few young women at the Mansion Home every Sunday afternoon, a class > none of us liked to miss. My oldest sister Kate, who had learned the trade of > dressmaking, was also a member of that class, and after being in Perth for > some time became engaged to be married. Lady Armstead financed all the wedding, > our bridesmaid dresses, and Kate's wedding one (plus a beautiful cloak) and > sent her butler and maid with everything for the wedding feast and also to > serve it." >