Seventh Generation  

15. Jane CLARKE [22440] (Mary LLOYD¹³, Edward⁹, Thomas (Rev.)⁶, William⁵, Thomas³, David¹) was born about 1780 and died on 9 Sep 1849 in Bath Somerset England aged about 69.

Jane married Genl. Alexander ARMSTRONG Royal Irish Artillery [22421] [MRIN: 8841], son of Lieut. Nenon ARMSTRONG Royal Irish Artillery [22422] and Margaretta BERDET Countess Of Vevey [22423], on 19 Oct 1802 in Diocese Of Cork & Ross County Cork Ireland. Alexander was born on 5 Aug 1767, was baptised in Chapelizod Dublin Ireland, and died on 2 Dec 1861 in Bath Somerset England at age 94.

General Notes: In a Summary of the Family, Graeme Beere writes:-
Alexander Armstrong had a distinguished military career which included serving at Waterloo as a Major-General under the Duke of Wellington. His obituary said that "he died at his residence in Bath on 2 December 1861 at the age of 95", about the oldest General in the British Army. "He entered the Army in 1783 and went to Flanders with Lord Moira in 1794, was with the Duke of York at Antwerp and in the disastrous retreat through Holland to Bremen in the winter of 1794. He served in Ireland during the rebellion and was Assistant Adjutant-General (under General R. Dundas) of the entire district until the peace of 1802. He belonged to the Royal Irish Artillery before its amalgamation with the Royal Army. He was then made Major of the Yeomanry which he held until the appointment was done away with." He was promoted to General on retirement. (A General remains on full pay for life, unlike more junior retired officers.)

He bequeathed more than a famous name to his descendants, including our branch of the Beere family. Firstly, he lived to the age of 94 which may have contributed to the long lives of many of his descendants.

Secondly, his daughter Mary was an artist, with a talent which still runs in some members of the family. Thirdly, his career in the Royal Irish Artillery, which included engineering and surveying in its skills, led to his encouragement, doubtless financial, of these subjects being included in his grandsons' education. This had a direct bearing on the emigration to New Zealand of five of his Beere grandsons. - all engineers and/or surveyors except Walter who was an engraver.
The first four came to NZ in 1862 and 1863.

In a further Letter from John Armstrong, the following was taken:-
The following copied from a newspaper cutting gives an account of his career.

" Almost the oldest General in the British Army, General Alexander Armstrong has died at his residence in Bath at the advanced age of 95 years. As far back as 1783 he entered the army, so that he was senior to Field Marshal Viscount Combermere. He went out to Flanders with Lord Moira in 1794; was with the Duke of York at Antwerp and in the disastrous retreat through Holland and Bremen in the winter of 1794/95. He served in Ireland during the rebellion of 1798 and was the Assistant Adjutant General of the centre district under General R.Dundas until the peace of 1802. He belonged to the Royal Irish Artillery before its amalgamation with the Royal Army.
The Generals commissions bear the dates as follows:
Second Lieut. 7th July 1783Lieut. 31st October 1792
Captain 18th December 1793Major 24th July 1800
Lieut.Colonel 29th September 1808Colonel 4th June 1814
Major General 27th May 1825Lieut General 28th June 1838
General 20th June 1854
His great nephew ( H.G.Armstrong) remembers seeing him at Bath in 1857 and of him showing him a knife, which he had carried with him through all his campaigns.

In an eMail received from Rosamund [Bryn] Anthony on April the 19th, 2008, she said:
The Army base in Dublin at the end of the eighteenth century was in Phoenix Park, close to the Governor's mansion. On one side of Phoenix Park is the parish of Chapelizod.
The charitable home for Irish orphans established in the eighteenth century was also in Chapelizod, where no doubt the army sent its children. The boys there were encouraged to join the army in their turn.
The same army history site claimed that about two thirds of the British Army during the nineteenth century was Anglo-Irish. They were the people who 'policed' India for instance. (I have often wondered why so many of our direct ancestors went out to India; assumed that it was because there were not enough jobs or opportunities back Home. But perhaps it was because people were accustomed to it, and didn't find it a paradox that the Irish went to subdue the Empire while wanting to leave it themselves.)
The same article claimed that the Scots and Welsh provided the civil servants in the Empire.......and the English took the profits!!! Or LOST the profits, as the article wryly put it.

In a further eMail from Rosamund [Bryn] Anthony on September the 8th, 2009, she said:
The Royal Irish Artillery was only founded in 1760, when a detachment of 45 men and a Lieutenant were sent to Ireland from Woolwich for that purpose. The new Regiment also had a brand-new Colonel, the 1st. Duke of Leinster.

Children from this marriage were:

+ 18 M    i. Nenon ARMSTRONG [52351] was born about 1803 and died on 9 Jul 1851 in New Jersey USA aged about 48.

   19 M    ii. Alexander James ARMSTRONG [52378] was born about 1806.

Alexander married Frances BELL [52379] [MRIN: 18663] about 1810.

   20 F    iii. Margaretta ARMSTRONG [22442] was born about 1807, was baptised in Ireland, and died after 1861.

   21 F    iv. Anna Jane ARMSTRONG [52380] was born in 1808 in Ireland and died after 1861.

Anna married Edward LLOYD [52381] [MRIN: 18664], son of Edward LLOYD M.D. [93572] and Maria HODGES [93571], between 1851 and 1861.

   22 F    v. Henrietta ARMSTRONG [52382] was born about 1809.

Henrietta married Rev. William Gilbert ORMSBY [52383] [MRIN: 18665]. William was born on 9 Aug 1810 in Co. Roscommon Ireland, was baptised in Kilmore Roscommon Ireland, and died on 31 Mar 1905 in Dublin Co. Dublin Ireland at age 94.

   23 M    vi. Henry ARMSTRONG [52384] was born about 1810.

   24 M    vii. Edward ARMSTRONG [52385] was born about 1811.

   25 F    viii. Susan ARMSTRONG [52386] was born about 1813.

Susan married A KING [52387] [MRIN: 18666]. A was born about 1810.

   26 F    ix. Emily ARMSTRONG [52388] was born in 1814 in Ireland.

Emily married Rev. D PRESTON [52389] [MRIN: 18667] about Jul 1839 in Ireland. D was born about 1810.

+ 27 F    x. Mary Florence ARMSTRONG [9793] was born circa 1814 in Ireland and died on 20 May 1904 at age 90.

   28 M    xi. Frederick ARMSTRONG [22444] was born about 1816.

Frederick married Elizabeth SHEPARD [52203] [MRIN: 18611]. Elizabeth was born about 1820.

+ 29 M    xii. William ARMSTRONG [22443] was born on 28 Jul 1822 in Dublin Co. Dublin Ireland and died on 9 Jun 1914 in Toronto York Co. Ontario Canada at age 91.

+ 30 F    xiii. Ellen Jane ARMSTRONG [22445] was born in 1825 in Ireland and died after 1861.

   31 F    xiv. Berdee ARMSTRONG

Berdee married POWELL [93574] [MRIN: 31211].

17. Maria HODGES (Anne LLOYD¹⁴, Edward⁹, Thomas (Rev.)⁶, William⁵, Thomas³, David¹)

Maria married Edward LLOYD M.D. [93572] [MRIN: 31210].

The child from this marriage was:

   32 M    i. Edward LLOYD [52381] .

Edward married Anna Jane ARMSTRONG [52380] [MRIN: 18664], daughter of Genl. Alexander ARMSTRONG Royal Irish Artillery [22421] and Jane CLARKE [22440], between 1851 and 1861. Anna was born in 1808 in Ireland and died after 1861.