Goodfellow and Armstrongs of Bewcastle and Lanercost

Hi all!

I was invited by Rosemary to post my connection to the Bewcastle area.

I have been researching my Armstrong line from Woodhead, Lanercost which is just southeast of the Bewcastle Church south of the Kirkbeck about a mile near Shopford. It is a former bastle house or stonehouse. It was built in the late C16 or early C17. The house is made from grey and calciferous sandstone rubble walls which are raised in height. There is a graduated slate roof with C19 stone and C20 rendered chimney stacks. It is 2 storeys high with 3 bays. The building stood derelict for many years and was reoccupied in early 1970s. Mentioned in 1603 survey as held by Jo Armstronge. The John/Clement Armstrong line continued in the Parish records for four centuries at Woodhead mostly recorded in the Bewcastle and Lanercost Parish Registers and tombstones at the Bewcastle Church.

For those interested in the Goodfellows one John Armstrong of Woodhead married Margaret Goodfellow by License at St. Cuthbert's in Carlisle 14 April 1747. Margaret was christened at Bewcastle 3 Feb 1712 to John and Elizabeth Goodfellow of Pealahill. John and Elizabeth died in 1737 at Wintershields, Lanercost Parish and were buried at Stapleton. Many Bewcastle people are buried at Stapleton, I assume since their ancestors might have been from that parish. Many common names at Stapleton are Forster, Routledge, Armstrong, Little and Davison. Common farms for the Goodfellows were Side, Flowryhurst, Highonset and Park.

The children of John Armstrong and Margaret Goodfellow were John, Helen and Clement. I am descended from John. I do not believe Clement married. They are all buried at Bewcastle. The last Armstrong at Woodhead was John Armstrong who married Mary Noble at Lanercost Abbey 18 Dec 1797. Their children were John, William, Mary and Ann. All were born at Woodhead except Ann who was born at Scottstown in 1805. The Edward Charlton family next moved into Woodhead and stayed there until they emigrated to Lobo, Middlesex County, Ontario in 1824. Eight of their twelve children were born at Woodhead the others at Moorguards, Lanercost parish which was his wife's, Catherine Calvert, home. Interestingly, I traced the William and John Armstrong lines to the same area of Lobo in 1855. They followed their uncle, John Noble, to Middlesex County (London Township) who had emigrated there in 1818 with his wife Ann Dodd of Dermansteads, Stapleton and their three children Sarah, William and John. Sarah and William turned out to be the children of John Noble and Elizabeth Forster of Greenhill, Stapleton who had died at Elleryclugh, Bewcastle in 1812. John and Mary's brother, William Noble and his wife Ann Routledge also emigrated at the same time. Many Lanercost/Bewcastle/Stapleton families emigrated to Middlesex County, Ontario in the early 1800's. I have traced Robson, Calvert, Charlton, Routledge, Noble there to name a few. There were also Thirlwalls from Walton in the same area of Lobo (northeast section) near the border of Lobo and London Township.

Bobbie Jean Armstrong Hooser

of Colleyville, Texas