Person:James Armstrong (43)

From “Earliest Armstrong Ancestors” by Kathy Alvis Patterson: Seneca Township, Ontario Co NY Armstrongs—The head of this family was James Armstrong, now thought to be very likely an uncle of our ancestor.

“Early Settlers of Ontario County NY,” excerpted from the History of Ontario County (NY); compiled by Lewis Cass Aldrich; edited by George S. Conover; 1893, states that: “The Town of Geneva was set off from the original town of Seneca Oct. 11, 1872. Among the pioneers of the town is Jerome Loomis, whose settlement in the northwest portion was made in 1788. He was a survivor of the Revolution and a man of influence in the new country. About the same time came … [among others…] James Armstrong…”

Marriage & Death Notices from Early Geneva Newspapers, has the following from Geneva Gazette:

• 12 March 1817: “MARRIED - On the 9th inst., Mr. John Armstrong to Miss Mary Barron, both of Seneca.”
• 2 January 1822: “MARRIED - In Milo, by the Rev. Mr. Axtell, Mr. John Armstrong of Seneca to Miss Sarah Embree of Milo.”
• 29 January 1823: “MARRIED - In Seneca, on Thursday evening last, by the Rev. Mr. Axtell, Mr. James A. Armstrong to Miss Nancy McPherson.”

There were obviously at least two young men named John Armstrong who resided in Geneva NY 1817-1822. Since it is known that Sarah Embree’s husband was a son of James Armstrong (see below), we need to look elsewhere for our John Armstrong’s father. This family in Geneva NY is the only family we have found in western NY from New Jersey.

So, the next question was whether James Armstrong had brothers, who might have had a son named John, b 1781-1789. First, I will review what is known about James Armstrong and his family. Seneca, Ontario Co NY, 1800: 41001/00001 [a few houses away from William Ansley, see below] Seneca, Ontario Co NY, 1810: 12201/30010 Seneca, Ontario Co NY, 1820: 000311/02101 Seneca, Ontario Co NY, 1830: 000120001/00102001 Seneca, Ontario Co NY, 1840: 0000020001/000001 Seneca, Ontario Co NY, 1850: James “Amstrong,” 87, w/George 35, Sarah, 30

James had 5 males in his household in 1800 and 1810. Four sons were still at home in 1820. These would have included

• John (who married Sarah Embree in 1822) and
• James A;
• James’s death notice mentioned his sons George and William.
• The fifth son is probably the hard-to-spot Henry.

Cemetery and other records indicate the following children for James Armstrong:

• John, b ca 1794 NJ per 1850 census; m Sarah Embree
• William; died Oct 27 1856; ae 59 yrs, m Elizabeth Allen Smith; she died June 23 1871; ae 62 yrs

George; born Sep 25 1799; died Jan 10 1856

• James A.; died Mar 17 1871; ae 75 yrs, m Nancy McPherson, wife of James A.; died Apr 19 1899; ae 95-8-17; 1870 census says b ca 1794 NJ
• Cornelia, dau of James and Elizabeth; born Aug 23 1807; died Sep 6 1838

James’s father is named in History and directory of Yates County: containing a sketch of its original settlement by the Public Universal Friends ... Cleveland, 1873, page 1_740:

“John Amstrong of Milo, was a son of James Armstrong, who emigrated at an early period from Somerset Co., New Jersey, where their family were first established in this country by the emigration of Martin Armstrong from Dublin, Ireland. They were Irish of Scotch descent. James Armstrong was a brother of Alexander Armstrong, the father of the family of Armstrongs that settled in East Benton, on the ‘Ridge Road,’’ now in Torrey. James Armstrong purchased the land, now the homestead of his son John Armstrong, on lot 12, in 1793. Coming the next year with his family, he purchased other land and settled in the town of Seneca, on the Gore in the neighborhood of William Ansley. John Armstrong, oldest son of James was the only one of the family who settled within the boundaries of Yates county. he married Sarah, daughter of Rowland Embree, in 1822, and settled on one hundred and thirty acres, the east part of lot 12, which his father had purchased twenty-nine years before, but which was still in its wild estate. They still reside on the same premises. He was born in New Jersey in 1793, and his wife at Stillwater, N.Y., in 1799.…” "[Note: the reference to the family of Alexander Armstrong is difficult. Could it be in error? See below. KP]

There was one Alexander Armstrong in every Seneca or Geneva, Ontario Co NY, census in 1800, 1810 and 1820. Were there two men with the same name in the same village?

• One Alexander Armstrong is on the same page of the census in 1820 as William Barron. The first man, at least, appears to be James’s brother.
• 1800 Seneca, Ontario Co NY: Alexander Armstrong, 10001/10201, same page as James Armstrong.
• 1810 Seneca Twp, Ontario Co NY, 00001/00000 (same as above or not?).

Was this man, the brother of James, the same as Alexander Armstrong, a Revolutionary War veteran from Pennsylvania, with a documented much younger, second wife, Grissel Chapman, who died in Washtenaw Co MI?

If his stated birthdate is correct, he could not have been a brother of James Armstrong of Geneva NY, since both were born in 1763. Based on county of origin in PA, it is probable this man was a brother of the Benton NY family. At first glance, this was one man, in Seneca Twp in 1800 with a young son, alone in 1810, but remarried before 1820 and was rejoined at that time by two sons 16-26. But I now tend to think there were two different men, one from NJ, one from PA. See below for more details relating to the PA man.

Who were the children of Alexander Armstrong, brother of James, probably b NJ, who, according to his 1800 census, were one son under 10 and three daughters?

According to the 1800 census, Alexander had one son under 10 (b 1790-1800). There was no one living with him in 1810, one might speculate because his wife had died; that would account for the extra boy with James Armstrong in the same town. Two of the girls under 10 living with James are also not known; any or all of Alexander’s daughters my have married by 1810.

The Geneva Gazette, 20 Apr 1814, 2:1, reported a sheriff’s sale of the goods of Alexander Armstrong, which may indicate his death.

After studying the Armstrongs in this area for some time and pondering this question, I reached a tentative conclusion that the statement in the Yates Co History was a mistake by the author. James had a brother Alexander, but the Armstrongs in East Benton NY, who also had a brother Alexander, had a different origin, which follows.

Over 6’3” according to great-nephew Adrian Williamson. He must have visited Somerset Co NJ about 1830.

Named as witness in brother’s Rev War pension application.

The family whose graves we found in Geneva NY in 1966.

• Seneca, Ontario Co NY, 1810: 12201/30010
• Seneca, Ontario Co NY, 1820: 000311/02101

• JAMES ARMSTRONG NJ Somerset County E Precinct 1786
• JAMES ARMSTRONG NJ Somerset County E Precinct 1788
• JAMES ARMSTRONG NJ Somerset County E Precinct 1791
• JAMES ARMSTRONG NJ Somerset County E Precinct 1792
• JAMES ARMSTRONG NJ Somerset County E Precinct 1793
• JAMES ARMSTRONG NJ Somerset County E Precinct 1793
• JAMES ARMSTRONG NJ Somerset County E Precinct 1794

Another daughter may have been Sarah, whose son Robert Carson was b: 5/23/1810 Seneca - Oct 6, 1883, son of Robert & Sarah (ARMSTRONG); she 9/6/1808 - 4/5/1875. Son m 1832.

Ontario Co NY newspaper index, SLC 1992 James Armstrong (T. Seneca) PAL/1818 Mar 18/2:1/adv offers timberland for sale

1. ↑ Ontario Messenger (Ontario county, New York)
   31 Mar 1852.

   Death of a Revolutionary Soldier - James Armstrong, the father of William and George Armstrong, died at his residence in this town on the 25th, at the advanced age of 90 years. Mr. A. served some time in the war of the Revolution. He was among the first settlers of this town, having emigrated to this locality prior to the year 1800.

2. ↑ 50711808 , in Find A Grave
   includes photo, last accessed Oct 2022.