'Armstrong01'Index links to: Lead / Letter
Families covered: Armstrong of Corby, Armstrong of Thorpe

                               
(1) Commoners (vol 4, 'Armstrong of Gallen', p38), used for Armstrong03, reports that "Tradition affirms that the original name was Fairbairn, and that it was changed to Armstrong on the following occasion: An ancient king of Scotland, having his horse killed under him in battle, was immediately remounted by Fairbairn, his armour bearer, on his own horse. For this timely assistance, the king amply rewarded him with lands on the borders, and to perpetuate the memory of so important a service, as well as the manner in which it was perforrmed (for Fairbairn took the king by the thigh, and set him on the saddley), his royal master gave him the appellation of Armstrong".
(2) Commoners (v4/p38) also reports that "The family of Armstrong was in ancient times settled on the Scottish border, and springing from this parent stock several branches, at a very early era became located in the northern counties in England. One, established at Corby in Lincolnshire, had continued there for seven descents; and another, at Tynedale in Northumberland, for nine generations, at the period of the Visitation in 1623. A third scion, Thoroton, in his History of Nottinghamshire, mentions that fixed at Thorpe, in that county, so early as the eleventh year of Richard II ...". We show the Corby family in the lower section below and the Thorpe family in the following section.
Robert Armstrong of Thorp (a 1388)
m. Margaret (dau of Henry del Temple, m2. Thomas Columbell of Derley)
1. John Armstrong (d 1421)
  m. Felicia Willoughby (dau of Hugh Willoughby (cleric), m2. Rad. Bingham)
  A. Hugh Armstrong (d 1477-8)
  m. Joan
  i. John Armstrong (d 1485)
  m. Joana Teverey (d 1483, dau of Hugh Teverey, son of Robert of Stapleford)
a. Thomas Armstrong (d 1489-90)
  m1. Philippa Villers dau of Richard Villers)
  (1) Gabriel Armstrong 'of Thorpe' (d 1548-9)
  m1. Dorothea (sb Philippa?) Thurland
  (A) Hugo Armstrong (d 1561-2)
  m. Maria Sacheverell (dau of Henry Sachverell of Radcliff)
  (i) Gabriel Armstrong
  m. Margaret Knyveton (dau of Thomas Knyveton of Mircaston)
  (a) Gil(bert?) Armstrong
  m. _ Rice (of Fortuna Pacy?)
  (b) Gerard Armstrong of Scarrington
  m. E(lizabeth ?) Shipman (dau/heir of R. Shipman)
  Thoroton's diagram, which is a bit challenging to follow, is not clear on the next generation in particular. It is not clear whether Gil(bert?) or Ger(ard?) was father of ...
  ((1)) Gabriel Armstrong
((A)) Gabriel Armstrong (b c1652, a 1672)
  m. _ Wells (dau of T. Wells)
  ((B))+ other issue - Elizabeth, Margarert, Rebecca
  ((2)) Hugo Armstrong
  (c)+ other issue - Hugo (clerk), daughter
  (ii) Helen Armstrong
  m. _ Turvile
  (iii) Jane Armstrong
  m. _ FitzHerbert ## see here ##
  (iv) Lucy Armstrong
  m. Nicholas Raynes
  (B) daughter
  m. _ More
  (C) daughter
  m. _ Elton
  (D)+ other issue - Edmond, Frances
  m2. Margaret Buxam (dau of Alexander Buxam)
  (2)+ other issue - Alexander, Richard, John
  m2. Joan Hampton

 

 

Maddison identifies the arms of the Corby family as "Gules, three dexter arms, armed, embowed, couped at the shouilders or".
Robert Armstrong
m. Jane Burton (dau of John Burton of Burton)
1. William Armstrong
  m. _ Ricard (dau/coheir of Thomas Ricard of Harlazton)
A. Thomas Armstrong
  m. _ Eldred
  i. John Armstrong of Corby (d 30.07.1515)
  m. Jane Stonesby (d c09.1529, dau/coheir of Robert Stonesby)
  a. Thomas Armstrong of Corby (a 1543)
m. Elizabeth Bawde (dau of John Bawde of Sowerby)
  (1) Francis Armstrong of Corby (a 1563, d before 10.1568)
  m. Margaret Armine (bur 26.07.1585, dau of William Armine of Osgodby, m2. John Meridale)
  (A) Bartholomew Armstrong of Corby (bur 29.05.1592)
  m1. Catherine Cholmley (bur 08.08.1580, dau of John Cholmley of Chedingley)
  m2. (01.06.1581) Anne Bussey (b 20.09.1563, dau of John Bussey, m2. ?? Middleton)
  (i) Francis Armstrong of Corby (bpt 25.02.1588-9, bur 31.01.1621-, 3rd son)
m. Frances Becke (dau/heir of William Becke of Marbury by dau of Edward Sturton of Narborough)
  (a) Edward Armstrong of Corby (bpt 01.03.1611-2, bur 09.10.1654)
  m. (18.01.1637-8) Mary Snelling (relict of Sir Thomas Coney of Bassingthorpe)
  ((1)) Frances Armstrong (bpt 03.07.1641, bur 04.07.1704)
  m1. (01.01.1657-8) Francis Gregory of Barnby-on-Don (bur 11.08.1671, son of Gilbert of Barnby by Elizabeth (sb Ann?) Molyneux)
  m2. (16.03.1673) Horatio Kaye (b 29.01.1641, Vicar of Barnby-on-Don, son/heir of Rev. William Kaye of Stokesley by Elizabeth, dau of Horatio Eure of Grays Inn & sister of 6th/7th Lords Eure)
  (b) Anne Armstrong (bpt 29.07.1616)
  m. (03.11.1642) Lionel Lamb (clerk)
  (c)+ other issue - John (bpt 11.01.1620-1, bur 26.10.1623), Elizabeth (b 17.010.1612-3), Mary (bpt 12.05.1614, a 1634), Frances (bpt 30.09.1622, bur 01.10.1622)
  (ii) Elizabeth Armstrong (bpt 13.12.1582)
  m. Sir Edward Bagshawe
  (iii) Agnes Armstrong (bpt 26.02.1583-4)
  m. _ Castleden
  (iv) Ursula Armstrong (bpt 15.08.1591)
  m1. (28.10.1616) John Gregge of Harmston-beside-Lincoln
  m2. _ Columbine
  (v)+ other issue - Bartholomew (bpt 05.02.1585-6, bur 22.11.1588), John (bpt 09.05.1587, d young?), Martha (bpt 03/13.06.1590)
(B) William Armstrong of Corby (bur 28.04.1582)
  m. Isabel (bur 25.08.1576)
  (i) Margaret Armstrong (bur 26.12.12592)
  m. (24.08.1575) Richard Elam of Corby
  (ii) Jane Armstrong (bur 25.11.1615)
  m. Thomas Danby of Billesby
  (C)+ other issue - Thomas, Robert, John, Elizabeth, Jane
  (2) Michael Armstrong
  (3) Anne Armstrong
  m. Anthony Beaumont of Glenfield (son of William of Cole Orton)
  b. William Armstrong (a 1529)

Main source(s):
(1) For upper section : 'History of Nottinghamshire' (John Thorold (with additions by John Throsby), vol 1 (1797), p76)
(2) For lower section : 'Lincolnshire Pedigrees' (Maddison, vol 2 (1903), 'Armstrong of Corby') with some support from Visitation (Robert Cooke (alias Chester), 1562-4, 'Armstrong') as reported in 'The Genealogist' (George Marshall, vol 3 (1879), p341)
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