Page:The Granite Monthly Volume 8.djvu/219

Rh Then there is William E. Armstrong, Esq., solicitor, whose fluent and nimble tongue has won many cases in court, as well as entertained his guests with the aid of his agreeable family, at his attractive home at No. 12 Clifton Street, off Antrim Road, Belfast, Ireland.

Among other descendants of the early emigrants to Ireland, from the border, are the Armstrongs of county Sligo and town of Sligo, on the west coast of Ireland, who have been residents there since 1650, at least. This family is represented by the Rev. James Armstrong, an Episcopal clergyman of pleasing address and winning manners.

From his cheerful manse at Castlerock, county of Londonderry, a romantic and enchanting place, he can look forth upon the heaving waters of the broad Atlantic, and in the whirlwind of the storm and tempest can hear its wildest music, as the angry waves lash themselves against the precipitous cliffs.

Having sketched, in a general way, the history of the clan to its disruption, in 1530, of its collateral branches, which settled in Ireland and in England, and mentioned a few of its living members in the three kingdoms, a brief notice will be given of some representatives of an American family, the progenitors in a direct line of the subject of this notice, whose face adorns these pages.

In April, 1719, a valiant band of Scotch Presbyterians founded the settlement of Londonderry and Windham, New Hampshire. They had crossed the stormy Atlantic the previous year, and part of the company came from the parish of Aghadowey, county of Londonderry, in the north of Ireland. The Rev. James McGregor was their pastor here, as he had been there.

Many of this Scotch race had previously fled from Scotland to Ireland to avoid religious persecution; many, to avail themselves of the liberal grants of land in the province of Ulster, made by the government. It is estimated that, in 1641, twenty thousand English and one hundred thousand Scotch were then residing there.

Disliking the English government, the Established Church, the landlords, and the land system, this colony in New Hampshire had made a new departure and planted a new settlement in the American wilderness. Thousands upon thousands of this same race, the best blood ever introduced into America, followed them, founding new settlements in Pennsylvania, Virginia, North and South Carolina. Their hearts were filled with bitter memories, and with hatred of the British government when they came to America. Going always upon the frontier, their sentiments were widely propagated, and the accession of the vast numbers of this obstinate, plucky, valiant, moral, and intellectual race made possible the success of the American Revolution in 1776, and the establishment of this great Republic.

Some of the Londonderry, New Hampshire, settlers were emigrants themselves from Scotland to Ireland, and a part of them had participated in the heroic defence of Londonderry, in Ireland, in 1688-89.

(1) Charter Robert Armstrong came early to New Hampshire, and was was one of the original proprietors of Londonderry, on June 21, 1722. He came from the north of Ireland, but when he or his forefathers emigrated from Scotland to Ireland cannot be stated with certainty, nor has it been ascertained to which branch of the family, upon the border, he belonged. As has been shown, the Christian name Robert appeared often among the