Holbrook line: Edward Armstrong Immigrant 1630-1698

This is not the blog post I intended to write.  I intended to write about Gregory Armstrong, who lived in Plymouth Colony and married the widow of a man who was hanged by the authorities.  However, the more I looked at Gregory Armstrong's life, what little I could find did not mesh with him being the father of Edward Armstrong.  So I'm writing about Edward, who apparently came from a different place and went to a different place than Gregory did. 

We don't know much about Edward.  We believe he was born about 1630, possibly in northern Ireland or in the borderlands of Scotland and England.  We know he arrived in Maryland in 1666, and we assume this was his first trip across the ocean.  At this point, we don't know whether he arrived as a free person or as an indentured servant, or as a convict.  We also don't know whether he came because of political or economic reasons, and we don't know where his marriage took place.

We do know that he eventually acquired land, because he left it to his son Edward and his heirs, when our subject died in late 1697 or very early 1698 (will was probated January 12, 1698).  At the time of his death, he lived at Island Creek, Calvert County, Maryland and his land was known as "Rich Neck."  He left sons Charles and John the residue of his estate, at the age of 21.  The executors were Edward and John, along with son in law Derby Hernley(seen elsewhere as Henly).  Richard Holmes was to have charge of son Charles during his minority.  Witnesses were Jos. Dawkins and Thos Howe.  .

From the will, we can guess that his wife Susan had died (some trees give her date of death as 1697).  We don't know why Anne Armstrong, their daughter, was omitted from the will but perhaps she had been given her inheritance at the time of her marriage. (Anne survived her husband and married Obadiah Evans.) 

There's so much to learn about Edward.  I'd love to know where his origins were, who his parents were, his religion, why he came to America and his status when he arrived, and I'd love to know how he met and married his wife.  If someone has been working on Edward and knows or has educated guesses to any of these questions, or simply knows more about Edward, I'd love to hear from them!

The line of descent is:

Edward Armstrong-Susan

Anne Armstrong-Obediah Evans

Martha Evans-Edward Bussey

Edward Bussey-Mary, widow of Edward Pendergrass

Sarah Bussey-Benjamin Amos

Elizabeth Amos-Robert Amos

Martha Amos-Peter Black

Elizabeth Black-Isaac Hetrick

Mary Alice Hetrick-Louis Stanard

Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook

Gladys Holbrook, Richard Allen

Their descendants