According to John's death certificate, he and Dorothy were married in Gretna Green, Scotland. According to Michael in England, it was quite a trend for couples over the age of 16 and those of different denominations in England to elope to Gretna Green.

John's age at the time of his marriage to Dorothy was 24 years.

Information received from Helen Cram on the Durham Mailing List ...

"I decided to check some NBL 1851 census indexes on fiche, and found...

ARMSTRONG John 29, Dorothy 28, Thos 2, Elizabeth 2
folio 23, census piece HO107/2416

This covers the parishes of Whitfield, Kirkhaugh, Knarsdale, Lambley and Haltwhistle, and is in the Haltwhistle Superintendant Registrar's enumeration district of Northumberland. You can find out more about these parishes on GENUKI."

Helen sent me a copy of this census entry and John's age looks like 29, it's a tad difficult to read. Bearing this in mind, that would put John's birth at around 1822. We know from the census entry that he was born in Hexhamshire, Northumberland. This entry seems most likely John's death ...

ARMSTRONG, John CD 23789 Death
Father: Thomas
Mother: Stubbart Esther
Age at Death: 52
Birthplace: Nort
Reg Year: 1876
Reg State: Victoria
Ref Number: 2070

When you take into account the naming patterns used back then, these parents' names fit perfectly! This is, in fact, John's death having been confirmed by his death certificate purchased for me by Gaylene in Melbourne. I received the Christening entry below for John, I'm now trying to locate a birth registration to match these details ...

ARMSTRONG, John Christening
Gender: Male
Christening Date: 28 Apr 1822
Recorded in: Whitley (near Hexham), Northumberland, England
Collection: St Helen
Father: Thomas ARMSTRONG
Mother: Esther STOBBERT
Source: FHL Film 1068646 Dates: 1764 - 1902

Possible shipping records for John ...

Digger - Immigration to Victoria 1852-79

Surname: ARMSTRONG
Given Names: JOHN
Ship: SHOOTING STAR
Month: FEB
Year: 1857
Age: 34
Code: B
Fiche: 120
Page: 005

Information received from Tom and Libby Luke, who published a CD with photos of graves at White Hills in Bendigo ...

"Thomas Armstrong was buried on 5 October 1896 aged 47.
He was shown as of Wills Street Bendigo.
He is in Wesleyan Common Section K 2

Also in the grave with him is:
Dorothy Armstrong buried 16 October 1891 aged 70.
Shown as of Wattle Street Bendigo.

John Armstrong buried 23 February 1876 (Bendigo was then Sandhurst) aged 35
Shown as of Staffordshire Reef (Staffordshire Reef is just outside Smythesdale 17Km's West of Ballarat)"

According to the email from Tom and Libby these burials were actually taken from White Hills. I didn't have a place of burial for John and Dorathy before receiving this information and I still don't even have a death for Elizabeth Vipont, Thomas's wife.

Digger - Federation Index. Victoria 1889-1901

Surname: ARMSTRONG
Given Names: Dorothy
Event: D
Sex: F
Spouse Surname/Father: Waugh John
Spouse Gvn Names/Mother: Ann UNKNOWN
Age: 70
Age Code:
Birth Place:
Death Place: Bendigo
Year: 1891
Reg. Number: 13616

I received this information in an email from Helen Cram on the Durham Mailing list ...

"It may be jumping the gun a bit, but there is a Dorothy WAUGH baptised 1822 at Knarsdale, NBL on the IGI, daughter of John & Elizabeth. She has several siblings. There are too many John ARMSTRONGS to guess which is the right one, but hopefully the 1851 census should give you his birth place which would be a start.

In the 1851 census index (HO107/2416) there was

WAUGH John 60, Elizabeth 59, Benjamin 20, Isabella 18, Margaret 15, Mary 3. All at folio 44."

Thanks to Helen I now have John and Dorothy's whereabouts in 1851 and a Waugh family who are possibly related to Dorothy!! :D I will need to investigate these further. When you take into consideration the naming patterns used back then Dorothy's parents' names SHOULD be John and Elizabeth, however, I have her mother listed as Ann (maiden name unknown) on Dorothy's death certificate. Interesting!!

Shipping records for the emigration of Dorothy and children to Australia are as follows:

Empire of Peace, May 1860 ...

Dorathy ARMSTRONG, Age 37
Eliza ARMSTRONG, Age 11
John ARMSTRONG, Age 8
Thos ARMSTRONG, Age 11.

Dorothy and children embarked at Liverpool, otherwise I can find no other information online about the Empire of Peace. I can obtain further information from the Justice Department of Victoria, but at this time can't justify the cost. Will look at obtaining information in the future.

Unfortunately Dorothy's death certificate did not provide much information about husband John Armstrong. It did, however, tell me that she died in Wattle Street, City of Bendigo, County Bendigo. I will have to look into this and see whether it was a hospital or her own home. Her death was registered on 16th October 1891. Rev. R. Keith Mackay, congregational minister, performed her funeral ceremony at White Hills Cemetery, Bendigo. Dorothy was listed as being born in Northumberland, England, unfortunately no further information was given. She had been living in the Australian Colonies for 32 years, living all that time in Victoria. She married John Armstrong in Durham, England* at the age of 25 years. Children listed on her death certificate were Elizabeth and Thomas, twins, 44 years; John, 41 years; Esther Ann, dead; and William Edward, dead.

Information received from Michael, this could be a relation of Dorothy's ...

Burial. 30th Sep 1846. Dorothy Waugh aged 2 yrs, @@ St Wilfred's, Kirkharle (Anglican)

* See notes under John and Dorothy's marriage.

ARMSTRONG, Esther Ann CB 46485 Birth
Father: John
Mother: Waugh Dorothy
Event Place: Whit
Reg Year: 1862
Reg State: Victoria
Ref Number: 5628

ARMSTRONG, Esther Ann CD 23466 Death
Father: John
Mother: Dorothy
Birthplace: Hunt
Reg Year: 1862
Reg State: Victoria
Ref Number: 3219

Esther Ann Armstrong died aged 4 months.