William Armstrong (December 23, 1782 – May 10, 1865) was an American lawyer, civil servant, politician, and businessperson. He represented Hampshire County in the

Virginia House of Delegates The Virginia House of Delegates is one of the two parts of the Virginia General Assembly, the other being the Senate of Virginia. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-number ...

from 1818 to 1820, and

Virginia's 16th congressional district Virginia's 16th congressional district is an obsolete congressional district. It was eliminated in 1843 after the United States Census, 1840, 1840 U.S. Census. Its last Congressman was William A. Harris (Virginia), William A. Harris. List of m ...

in the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

from 1825 to 1833. Armstrong was born in 1782 in

Lisburn Lisburn (; ) is a city in Northern Ireland. It is southwest of Belfast city centre, on the River Lagan, which forms the boundary between County Antrim and County Down. First laid out in the 17th century by English and Welsh settlers, with ...

County Antrim County Antrim (named after the town of Antrim, ) is one of six counties of Northern Ireland and one of the thirty-two counties of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of and has a population ...

Kingdom of Ireland The Kingdom of Ireland ( ga, label=Classical Irish, an Ríoghacht Éireann; ga, label= Modern Irish, an Ríocht Éireann, ) was a monarchy on the island of Ireland that was a client state of England and then of Great Britain. It existed from ...

(in present-day

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label=Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is #Descriptions, variously described as ...

), and emigrated to the United States in 1792. He studied law under

Charles Magill Charles Magill (March 1, 1816 – December 1, 1898) was a member of the 1st Canadian Parliament and mayor of Hamilton in 1854–55, 1865–66 and 1882–3. He was born in Westport, County Mayo, Ireland, the son of Robert Magill and Catherin ...

, became a lawyer, and settled in Hampshire County, Virginia (present-day West Virginia). Armstrong served in a number of civil service positions, including

postmaster A postmaster is the head of an individual post office, responsible for all postal activities in a specific post office. When a postmaster is responsible for an entire mail distribution organization (usually sponsored by a national government), ...

of Paddytown (present-day Keyser); U.S.

tax collector A tax collector (also called a taxman) is a person who collects unpaid taxes from other people or corporations. The term could also be applied to those who audit tax returns. Tax collectors are often portrayed as being evil, and in the modern wo ...

appointed by President

James Madison James Madison Jr. (March 16, 1751June 28, 1836) was an American statesman, diplomat, and Founding Father. He served as the fourth president of the United States from 1809 to 1817. Madison is hailed as the "Father of the Constitution" for h ...

; director of the Bank of the Valley of Virginia; member of the

Virginia Board of Public Works The Virginia Board of Public Works was a governmental agency which oversaw and helped finance the development of Virginia's transportation-related internal improvements during the 19th century. In that era, it was customary to invest public funds ...

from 1822 to 1823;

justice of the peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or '' puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the s ...

for Hampshire County from 1820 to 1852; and Hampshire County sheriff in 1843. Armstrong was chosen as a

presidential elector The United States Electoral College is the group of presidential electors required by the Constitution to form every four years for the sole purpose of appointing the president and vice president. Each state and the District of Columbia app ...

for Virginia in the

1820 Events January–March *January 1 – Nominal beginning of the Trienio Liberal in Spain: A constitutionalist military insurrection at Cádiz leads to the summoning of the Spanish Parliament (March 7). *January 8 – General Maritime T ...

and 1824 U.S. presidential elections. He was elected to two terms in the Virginia House of Delegates and four terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, two as an Adamsite Democratic-Republican and two as a National Republican. In Congress, he assisted in passing a bill to appropriate funds to construct the

Chesapeake and Ohio Canal The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, abbreviated as the C&O Canal and occasionally called the "Grand Old Ditch," operated from 1831 until 1924 along the Potomac River between Washington, D.C. and Cumberland, Maryland. It replaced the Potomac Canal, ...

in 1828. Following his tenure in Congress, Armstrong engaged in the tavern business and operated the Armstrong House hotel in Romney. In 1862, he relocated to Keyser, where he died in 1865.

Early life and education

William Armstrong was born on December 23, 1782, in

, in the

(present-day

). Armstrong's family was

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their n ...

and of Scotch-Irish descent. He was a direct descendant of James Armstrong, who participated in the rising of the

Covenanters Covenanters ( gd, Cùmhnantaich) were members of a 17th-century Scottish religious and political movement, who supported a Presbyterian Church of Scotland, and the primacy of its leaders in religious affairs. The name is derived from '' Covena ...

at the Battle of Pentland Hills. He forfeited his estate in 1666 and escaped from Annandale,

Dumfriesshire Dumfriesshire or the County of Dumfries or Shire of Dumfries (''Siorrachd Dhùn Phris'' in Gaelic) is a historic county and registration county in southern Scotland. The Dumfries lieutenancy area covers a similar area to the historic county. I ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...

, to

County Down County Down () is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the traditional thirty-two counties of Ireland. It covers an area of and has a population of 531,665. It borders County Antrim to th ...

. In 1792, Armstrong emigrated to the United States with his parents and the family settled in Romney,

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...

(present-day

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the ...

). Following his arrival in Romney, Armstrong worked as a merchant's clerk, and then served as an assistant in the office of the Hampshire County Clerk of Court. Armstrong studied law under

Winchester Winchester is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs Nation ...

, became a lawyer and settled permanently in Hampshire County.

Civil service career

Armstrong served as the second

of the post office in Paddytown (present-day Keyser, West Virginia) from October 15, 1814, until April 20, 1818. President

appointed him a United States

in the 6th District of Virginia in 1813; he also served in this position in 1818 and 1819. In January 1818, Armstrong was unanimously elected as a director of the Bank of the Valley of Virginia's Office of Discount and Deposit in Romney. In 1822 and 1823, he served as a member of the

. Armstrong served as a

of Hampshire County from 1820 to 1852, and as the

sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...

for Hampshire County in 1843.

Political career

Armstrong first ran for election as a

Democratic-Republican The Democratic-Republican Party, known at the time as the Republican Party and also referred to as the Jeffersonian Republican Party among other names, was an American political party founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in the early ...

to represent Hampshire County as a member of the

in 1811, however, he lost to Federalists Alexander King and Francis White. In 1812, he ran again for election to represent the county in the House of Delegates losing to King and White. In August 1816, Armstrong and John Jack represented Hampshire County at a convention in Staunton to reform the

Constitution of Virginia The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Virginia is the document that defines and limits the powers of the state government and the basic rights of the citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Like all other state constitutions, it is supreme ...

. Armstrong was finally elected to represent the county in the House of Delegates in 1818, alongside White, and served his first term from December 7, 1818, until March 13, 1819. He was reelected with White in 1819 and served his second term from December 6, 1819, until February 25, 1820. Edward McCarty and White succeeded him in 1820. In 1816, when Virginia's presidential electors convened at his father's hotel in Romney, Armstrong became interested in national politics. He was chosen as a

for Virginia in the

and 1824 U.S. presidential elections. Armstrong ran for election as an Adamsite Democratic-Republican against Federalist

Edward Colston Edward Colston (2 November 1636 – 11 October 1721) was an English merchant, slave trader, philanthropist, and Tory Member of Parliament. Colston followed his father in the family business becoming a sea merchant, initially trading in wine, ...

to represent

in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1825, and won. Virginia's 16th congressional district comprised Berkeley, Hampshire,

Hardy Hardy may refer to: People * Hardy (surname) * Hardy (given name) * Hardy (singer), American singer-songwriter Places Antarctica * Mount Hardy, Enderby Land * Hardy Cove, Greenwich Island * Hardy Rocks, Biscoe Islands Australia * Hardy, Sout ...

, Jefferson, and

Morgan Morgan may refer to: People and fictional characters * Morgan (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Morgan le Fay, a powerful witch in Arthurian legend * Morgan (surname), a surname of Welsh origin * Morgan (singer ...

counties in the present-day

Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia The Eastern Panhandle is the eastern of the two panhandles in the U.S. state of West Virginia; the other is the Northern Panhandle. It is a small stretch of territory in the northeast of the state, bordering Maryland and Virginia. Some sourc ...

. Armstrong represented the 16th district in the 19th Congress from March 4, 1825, to March 3, 1827. He was elected for a second term as an Adamsite Democratic-Republican and served in the 20th Congress from March 4, 1827, to March 3, 1829. Armstrong joined U.S. House representatives Michael C. Sprigg from Maryland, and Andrew Stewart and

Chauncey Forward Chauncey Forward (February 4, 1793 – October 19, 1839) was an American politician who served as a Jacksonian member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania. Early life and education Forward was born in Old Granby, Connecticut, ...

from Pennsylvania to assist in passing a bill to appropriate funds for the construction of the

in 1828. Armstrong was elected for a third term as a National Republican and served in the 21st Congress from March 4, 1829, to March 3, 1831, and for his fourth term as a National Republican and served in the 22nd Congress from March 4, 1831, to March 3, 1833. By 1839, Armstrong was the chairperson of Hampshire County's Whig Party.

Later life and death

Indian Mound Cemetery Romney WV 2013 07 13 57

Following his tenure in Congress, Armstrong engaged in the tavern business. The arrival of the

Northwestern Turnpike The Northwestern Turnpike is a historic road in West Virginia ( Virginia at the time the road was created), important for being historically one of the major roads crossing the Appalachians, financed by the Virginia Board of Public Works in the 1 ...

(present-day U.S. Route 50) to Romney in 1830 created a greater demand for inns and hotels in the town. Armstrong and John Kirk, and Armstrong's wife, Jane, and John Baker White were issued two of at least six hotel licenses in Romney within five years after the turnpike's construction. Armstrong's hotel, known as Armstrong House, was built around 1800 on Lot 86 at East Main and North Grafton Streets. Armstrong sold his hotel to Thomas A. Keller in 1848, after which it was known as Keller House or Keller Hotel. Armstrong remained in Romney until 1862. Armstrong was a slave owner. He possessed in Romney, including Lots 81 and 91 near the intersection of present-day Antigo Place and Sioux Lane, where he reserved for an African-American cemetery. He relocated to New Creek Station (formerly Paddytown, present-day Keyser) during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...

, where he resided at his son Edward McCarty Armstrong's mansion. His son Edward joined the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

, while Armstrong remained at the mansion with his daughter-in-law and grandchildren. He died in New Creek Station on May 10, 1865. Reverend James H. Leps conducted his funeral service in Romney, and he was

interred Burial, also known as interment or inhumation, is a method of final disposition whereby a dead body is placed into the ground, sometimes with objects. This is usually accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing the deceased and objec ...

Indian Mound Cemetery Indian Mound Cemetery is a cemetery located along the Northwestern Turnpike (U.S. Route 50) on a promontory of the "Yellow Banks" overlooking the South Branch Potomac River and Mill Creek Mountain in Romney, West Virginia, United States. The cem ...

in Romney.

Personal life

Armstrong was first married to Elizabeth Ann McCarty (June 1, 1786 – July 4, 1843), daughter of Edward McCarty and Elizabeth Millar, from Keyser. They had four children together: * Eliza Jane Armstrong Gibson (December 21, 1804 – February 19, 1847), married David Gibson * William James Armstrong (June 28, 1813 – June 19, 1847), married on December 14, 1836, to Susan C. White, daughter of Hampshire County Clerk of Court John Baker White and Alcinda Louisa Tapscott White * Edward McCarty Armstrong (October 18, 1816 – April 1, 1890), first married to Hannah Angeline Pancake, then married on October 23, 1856, to Louisa Tapscott White, daughter of Hampshire County Clerk of Court John Baker White and Frances Ann Streit White * James Dillon Armstrong (September 23, 1821 – September 4, 1893), married Anne Waterman Foote, daughter of Presbyterian Reverend William Henry Foote Armstrong and McCarty were married for 42 years. Following Elizabeth's death, he married his cousin Jane Baxter Armstrong (June 7, 1799 – August 30, 1874).

References

Explanatory notes

Citations

Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Armstrong, William 1782 births 1865 deaths 18th-century Irish people 18th-century Presbyterians 1820 United States presidential electors 1824 United States presidential electors 19th-century American businesspeople 19th-century American judges 19th-century American lawyers 19th-century American politicians 19th-century Irish people 19th-century Presbyterians American corporate directors American hoteliers American justices of the peace American lawyers admitted to the practice of law by reading law American people of Scotch-Irish descent American slave owners Burials at Indian Mound Cemetery Businesspeople from Virginia Businesspeople from West Virginia Irish emigrants to the United States (before 1923) Members of the Virginia House of Delegates National Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Virginia People from Keyser, West Virginia People from Lisburn People from Romney, West Virginia Presbyterians from West Virginia Tax collectors Virginia Democratic-Republicans Virginia lawyers Virginia postmasters Virginia sheriffs Virginia Whigs