Robert Armstrong

[TrevorM]

I'm looking for ancestors of my great uncle Robert James Armstrong to help complete that branch of my tree. Here's what I know.
Robert was born 18th April 1883 to Annie Armstrong (father unknown) in Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland.
He emigrated to Australia in Dec 1909 or Jan/Feb 1910.
He worked on Merribee station in Barellan, NSW. He enlisted on 22nd March 1916 at Cootamundra and served in the 20th reinforcement unit of the 3rd Infantry Battalion of the Australian Imperial Force in Flanders 1917/18 surviving the Battle of Passchendaele. He returned to Australia in 1919/1920 and I have no information about him after that.

 

[gibbo]

Not the easiest name to research as its a common name. I noticed his mother is noted as Mrs A Black, do you know when she died and if she left a will? I was thinking if she had and he was named in it, it might give up an address for him and would indicate he was still alive when she passed hence narrowing search dates down for him.

 

[solidrock2]

This could be Annie's marriage...
ANNIE ARMSTRONGDate of Event18 March 1901Group Registration ID2459592SR District/Reg AreaBelfastImage DAVID BLACK

Interesting 1901 census, could these be Robert' siblings, if so where is Robert & David?
Residents of a house 13 in Village of Burnside (Kilbride, Antrim)

Surname Forename Age *** Relation to head Religion

BlackAnnie 35 Female Head of Family
ArmstrongAnnie 10 Female Daughter
BlackEsther Isabella 1 Female Daughter
ArmstrongDavid 10 Male Son
ArmstrongWilliam 13 Male Son

 

[TrevorM]

Not the easiest name to research as its a common name. I noticed his mother is noted as Mrs A Black, do you know when she died and if she left a will? I was thinking if she had and he was named in it, it might give up an address for him and would indicate he was still alive when she passed hence narrowing search dates down for him.

Yes. Robert was born in 1883 and used Mrs A Black after Annie married David Black in 1901. I should have included that in my post. Annie died in 1946 but didn't leave a will.

 

[juliejtp]

Can you confirm that Ivo Robert Armstrong was his son?

 

[TrevorM]

This could be Annie's marriage...
ANNIE ARMSTRONGDate of Event18 March 1901Group Registration ID2459592SR District/Reg AreaBelfastImage DAVID BLACK

Interesting 1901 census, could these be Robert' siblings, if so where is Robert & David?
Residents of a house 13 in Village of Burnside (Kilbride, Antrim)

Surname Forename Age *** Relation to head Religion

BlackAnnie 35 Female Head of Family
ArmstrongAnnie 10 Female Daughter
BlackEsther Isabella 1 Female Daughter
ArmstrongDavid 10 Male Son
ArmstrongWilliam 13 Male Son

Yes thanks, that's Annie's marriage to David Black in 1901 and the correct census entry.
I've marked in red her children that match the census.
Annie had 5 children before her marriage, fathers are all unknown.
They were: Robert 1883, William and Mary 1887, Annie 1891 and David 1891
She had another 5 children with David:
Esther Isabella (my grandmother) 1899, Ellen 1901, Alexander 1902, Sarah 1903, Thomas 1904.

Robert would have been 17/18 in 1901 and I think he was living an a different address.
Probably this one http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Kilbride/Holestone/919064/
I don't know where Annie's husband David was at the census. He wasn't deceased, they had 4 children after the 1901 census.

David Armstrong emigrated to Australia in 1911 to join his brother Robert on Merribee station NSW. They both enlisted in the same AIF battalion.
David was killed on 20th Sept 1917, the first day of the Battle of Menin Road Ridge (Passchendaele).
Robert returned to Australia on the HMT Boorara in Aug 1919 and was discharged from the army in 1920, which is the last trace I have of him

 

[juliejtp]

There is another Armstrong sibling to the above. Robert migrated to Australia in 1909/10, the Armstrong siblings said they were born Oberon NSW on their military record. The father is listed as a Robert James Armstrong. The dates don’t add up, so more than likely this is another Robert James Armstrong.

 

[TrevorM]

Can you confirm that Ivo Robert Armstrong was his son?

Sorry I can't. I have no details of Robert's children.

 

[TrevorM]

I'm looking for ancestors of my great uncle Robert James Armstrong to help complete that branch of my tree. Here's what I know.
Robert was born 18th April 1883 to Annie Armstrong (father unknown) in Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland.
He emigrated to Australia in Dec 1909 or Jan/Feb 1910.
He worked on Merribee station in Barellan, NSW. He enlisted on 22nd March 1916 at Cootamundra and served in the 20th reinforcement unit of the 3rd Infantry Battalion of the Australian Imperial Force in Flanders 1917/18 surviving the Battle of Passchendaele. He returned to Australia in 1919/1920 and I have no information about him after that.

I need to apologise for any confusion.
I just realised I said in my original post that I was looking for Robert's ancestors. I should have said I'm looking for his descendants.
Sorry If I've wasted anyones time.

 

[TrevorM]

There is another Armstrong sibling to the above. Robert migrated to Australia in 1909/10, the Armstrong siblings said they were born Oberon NSW on their military record. The father is listed as a Robert James Armstrong. The dates don’t add up, so more than likely this is another Robert James Armstrong.

Yes that must be another Robert James Armstrong.
This is my Robert's military record https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=3035720
He is Robert James on his birth certificate but doesn't seem to have used James on any official records, which makes searches and verification more difficult.

 

[Ellie7]

Present at Birth Ester Armstrong

 

[TrevorM]

Present at Birth Ester Armstrong

On Robert's birth record? Yes Esther is his grandmother, Annie's mother.

 

[solidrock2]

I need to apologise for any confusion.
I just realised I said in my original post that I was looking for Robert's ancestors. I should have said I'm looking for his descendants.
Sorry If I've wasted anyones time.

You have't wasted any ones time I'm sure we are all trying to help but this is not an easy one. Do you know where Robert was when he was discharged.

 

[solidrock2]

If he stayed in NSW these could be possible marriages...

2687/1936 ARMSTRONG ROBERT JAMES MACDOUGALL JESSIE STUARTBELLINGEN
3908/1921 ARMSTRONG ROBERT J MURRAY ADA BORANGE
1036/1920 ARMSTRONG ROBERT HOOD DAISY MPETERSHAM
13839/1926 ARMSTRONG ROBERT MURRAY CATHERINE BBROKEN HILL
9316/1935 ARMSTRONG ROBERT ABERCROMBIE ANN D MC DBURWOOD

 

[DaveHam9]

The 3rd Military District was an administrative district of the Australian Army. The 3rd Military District covered all of Victoria and that part of New South Wales south of the Murrumbidgee River, with its headquarters at Melbourne.

 

[DaveHam9]

The date on the medical Board determination is 2 days later and in Sydney.