Hello,
Thank you for the site on Egremont. I was wondering if you might open a place for people working on genealogy connected with Egremont. My husband’s grandmother, Barbara Anderson, was born in Egremont in 1874. I know she had several siblings, and we’d love to find family still living in England. Barbara came to America and settled in Pennsylvania, and died in California in the 1960s.
My husband’s grandfather came from Cleator, My husband’s family in England has been a bit of a mystery for us. His grandfather was George Armstrong, born about 1865 in Cleator. He talked about racing bicycles on the walls of an old castle. I have to wonder if it wasn’t Egremont Castle. George Armstrong was the son of George Armstrong and Frances Edgar Armstrong. As far as I know, George and Frances had nine children: James, Joseph, George, William, Mary J., Margaret, Eleanor, Frances and Isabella. James, Joseph and George all left England sometime after the 1881 census, and went to Canada, and then came into America. William died at a fairly young age in England. What we have been hoping to find is descendants of the five sisters who remained in England. We did find family still living at Cleator Moor, but we are related to them from another generation back. It seems like someone in Cumbria would know what happened to the five Armstrong sisters. Mary J., Margaret, Frances and Eleanor are all on the 1881 census with their parents. Mary J. was ten; Margaret was eight, Frances was five, and Eleanor was two. I believe Isabella was born a few years after Eleanor. My husband’s grandfather, according to family lore, raced bicycles and tested tires for bicycles. Remember that this all happened in the 1870s and 1880s before he came to America. Our family claims that the three Armstrong sons kept in touch with their mother and sisters up until the time of World War One, and then lost track of each other.
My husband’s grandmother was Barbara Clements Anderson, born in Egremont in April of 1874. I found out that her father was William Anderson born in 1836 in Egremont, and he was a locomotive engine driver. Barbara’s mother was Barbara Clements Anderson, born in 1838 in Dishington. In 1881 I found the family living at Concreet Roe in Egremont.
1. Jessie Anderson born in 1862 and married to Kenith Wallace, born Isle of Man in 1859
2. William Anderson born 1864
3. Abraham christened August 31, 1865. In 1881 Abraham is living with a William Kitshan
on Moor Roe Farm in Egremont.
4. Bridget C. born 1869
5. James C. born 1873
6. Barbara C. born 1874
7. Thomas H. born 1877
8. Hannah born 1879
We know that some of the Anderson family did emigrate to America, but we think that some stayed in England. If anyone can help us find descendants of either the Armstrong or Anderson families, we’d be grateful!
Nancy and Dale Armstrong
111 West End Avenue
Binghamton, New York 13905
USA
E-mail: Lass53@aol.com
Nancy Armstrong
PS I’m going to scan some of the old photos we have . . . unknown people from England. Maybe you can put them on your site. I wish I knew who they were, and how they connect to our family in England.
