James Armstrong and James Armstrong Jr of Falmouth and Cape Elizabeth, Maine

In a previous post, Armstrong Family of Falmouth, Maine - Puzzle Starting to Fall Into Place, I mentioned that it was my belief that James Armstrong arrived in Falmouth with his children in 1718.  We can say confidently that he arrived with his sons John, Simon and Thomas and his daughter Jean who was married to Robert Means.   There is some mentions of James as a brother to John Armstrong and mentions of James as father to John Armstrong. 

In my Armstrong Family of Falmouth post,  I make the point that there are likely two James' (father and son) who arrive in 1718 as records reference a James Armstrong which remarried after his first wife died to a woman named Mary.  The records indicate that they had three children:  Thomas (b. 1717), John (b. 1720) and James (b. 1721).  There is at least one obvious flaw in this assertion....James Sr. already has a living son named John and he is with them in Falmouth in 1718.  I do not know of a circumstance where someone names two of his sons by the exact same name.  Is this is a Scotch- Irish tradition I am not aware of?

I just received a copy of a list of the Heads of Families of Falmouth circa 1733.  Falmouth at this time included Portland, South Portland and Cape Elizabeth, Maine compiled The list was compiled by Peter Walton.  According to Willis in Smith and Deane #8 Walton died in 1733..so he couldn't have compiled it after 1733.

The list enumerates about 200 families living in this area at this time including (here is a group of  my relatives listed):

1. Robert Means
2. James Armstrong
3. Mary Armstrong
4. William White
5. John White
6. Simon Armstrong
7. William Simonton
8. John Barber

The first things I notice is that there is a James Armstrong listed as a head of a family.  We know that a James Armstrong from Falmouth died in May 3, 1724.  Maybe this list was compiled prior to his death.  However, other records indicate James' wife's name was Mary.  The only way Mary would be listed as a head of household is if she is widow.  So to have both James Armstrong and Mary Armstrong listed it would mean that Mary Armstrong's husband is dead and another James Armstrong is still alive.  Therefore this strongly supports the idea that James Armstrong Sr. arrived with a son, James Armstrong Jr and it was the son who died in 1724.  This evidence would appear to be definitive.

Who are these other people?

Robert Means is husband of Jean Armstrong.  Jean Armstrong is James Armstrong Sr.'s daughter.  In a few years, Robert and his family moved to Saco, Maine.  According to some reports, James moves to Saco, too to be close to his daughter and her family.

William White and John White are brothers who are related from the original settlers to Falmouth before that were run out when the local Native American tribe forced them out.  The White family moved to Gloucester, Massachusetts.  They still had claims to the family land there and the White brothers returned to claim that land.  Both men are accepted as Falmouth owner citizens on May 4, 1730.  In addition, I have seen land grants to William White as early as 1728.  William White married Christian Simonton in 1736.  They are my 5th grand parents.

Simon Armstrong is another son of James Armstrong Sr.  Simon married Isabella.  They are also my 5th grand parents.

William Simonton is likely Christian Simonton's brother. 

John Barber (also spelled Barbour) was married to another of James Armstrong Sr.'s daughters, Mary Armstrong.  It appears that John and Mary married in Ireland and may have arrived in Maine after 1718.

This document was helpful in putting final confirmation of my theory about James Armstrong Sr. and James Armstrong Jr arriving together to Maine in 1718.

John Armstrong of Falmouth, Boston and Saco

As I have mentioned in previous posts, James Armstrong arrived with his children to America in 1718. These children were:  Jean (married to Robert Mean, James, John, Thomas and Simon.

Simon Armstrong remained in the Falmouth and Cape Elizabeth, Maine area.  However, his siblings all moved to other areas.


John Armstrong seemed to spend most of his time in Falmouth, but may have left for a few years to remove to Boston.  It is believed that he married Rebecca Thomas on July 28, 1724 and returned to Falmouth before 1726.


On March 26, 1726 he became an elder of the First Congregation Church of Falmouth and in 1733, John Armstrong, William Jameson, Robert Means, Robert Thorndike and Johnathan Cobb were dismissed from the First Congregation Church to form the Second Congregation Church in Falmouth/Cape Elizabeth.

Land sales of John Armstrong to Samuel Waldo, York deeds book 16, Fol 167 pg 509. Sept 14, 1733. 

Land sales of John Armstrong to James Winslow, Cumberland County website 8/16/1760.  At this time, John Armstrong is living in Pepperllborough (present day Saco, Maine) and is described as a cabinetmaker. States that this land was originally belonging to his father, James Armstrong.

Robert Means and Jane Armstrong Means removed to the Scotch-Irish community at Saco, Maine.

In the Means Family Genealogy, it indicates that James Armstrong Sr (Jean's father) already lived there.   In addition, it appears that after 1733 John Armstrong moved back to Boston.   For how long isn’t know.  He developed the skill of being a cabinetmaker.  John Armstrong who was the head of the Boston line of the Armstrong family had moved to Saco (Pepperellborough) Maine from about 1750 to about 1770.  After 1770, It is believed he returned to Boston.  

While living in Saco, he lived not far from his sister Jane Armstrong Means.  This is from the book published in 1830 named History of Saco and Biddeford pg 262. 

We only know of one child of John and Rebecca Thomas Armstrong.  His name was John Armstrong b. circa 1725 in Falmouth and moved with his parent to Boston after 1733.