Douglas Armstrong

Biographical information provided by Pauline Gallagher for the He Tohu exhibition:

Douglas Armstrong (nee Wilson) was born in High Tofts, Parish of Kirkton, Roxburghshire (Scotland) on 10 November 1818, the daughter of John and Jean Wilson. In 1839 she married the blacksmith John Armstrong of Kelso, Scotland, at Morebattle, Scotland. After their marriage they moved to Durham, England, where they had eight children, before emigrating to New Zealand sometime in the 1850s and settling in Whanganui.

Two sons, James and Charles, were born in Whanganui. When her husband John died in 1883, he directed that the Victoria St home be left to Charles and that James, also a blacksmith, was to live in it with Douglas and care for Charles, who had a physical disability. John’s assets were to be put into a trust to fund the care of Charles until he died. James would then inherit the home.

Douglas was 75 when she signed the Petition, and died four years later, on 6 July 1897. Her granddaughter Agnes Armstrong, James’ daughter, also signed this Sheet of the Petition.