This website is dedicated to researching the family history and heritage; research engages material from England, the United States and Canada. The name of John Baptist Armsworthy and his sister Aleathia Armsworthy Nugent dominate the family genealogy so far.
The following genealogy or ‘family tree’ is taken from a book published by Garth Staples in the fall of 2006. Some changes have been made. Please forward any corrections to Garth Staples. Please click here to download a PDF. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader. Click here to download for freee.
AN ARTICLE PREPARED BY AMERICAN FAMILY MEMBERS STATES:
The Armsworthy family in America originates from within the oldest county in Maryland, St. Mary's. The county was formed in 1637.
Armsworthy is of English descent having crossed over to America in 1681.
A John Armsworthy was transported in 1681 to Maryland. The Maryland Calendar of Wills for 1703-1713 has an abstract for John Armsworthy whose Will was probated on 23 April 1707. It lists his wife, Mary and sons John and Thomas.
These two sons are then listed in the book Chronicles of St. Mary's County, Book Two, with the last name of Armsworthy and their birth years listed as1679 and 1689, respectively.If John Armsworthy is the husband of Mary and the father of John and Thomas then John was born in England and Thomas was born in Maryland. There may have been more children born to John and Mary.
No early genealogy has been found for this family and from all aAppearances only a single person with last name in this country during the 1600' and 1700's.No other wills were found in the Maryland Calendar of Wills for the Armsworthys during the 1700's.
The name itself, Armsworthy, has survived to this day with a single variation. The Ohio, Indiana and Illinois’ branches of the family have dropped the"Y" and the name has become Armsworth. For the most part the other branches still uses the Armsworthy spelling. A possible branch of the family that settled in Ross County, Ohio may have adopted the name "Armsey" instead of Armsworthy. The Ross County, Ohio courthouse records has shown the name Armsworthy, Armsworth badly misspelled and even shorten to Armsey or Armsby. But in the end the Armsworth spelling has survived in the mid-western states.
Assuming that John Armsworthy was the originator of this family in America then his two sons, John and Thomas, would naturally be the second generation of Armsworthys.
Part of the fourth generation is found in the church records for St. Andrew's Episcopal Church 1744-1916 listed in the Chronicles of ST. Mary's Book Two.
These records list James, John, Jonathan, William, Abraham and George
Armsworthy along with their wives and some of their children.NOVA SCOTIA
Baptist Armsworthy was one of the settlers of Guysborough Co. Nova Scotia, Canada, who came as a result of his service with the Duke of Cumberland's Regiment (Lord Montague). In the American War of Independence, Baptist fought on the side of the American Revolutionists. On 22 April,1777 he joined the 3rd Maryland of Line Regiment as a private , Capt-Lieut Armstrong's Compan, 1777-1780 .The Reg't was commanded by Major Archibald Anderson. After the Battle of Camde, South Carolina, 16 August 1780, he was reported missing. He was released from prison at Charleston on 10 February 1781. He then enlisted in the British Army as a private with His Royal Highness, the Duke of Cumberland’s Regiment of the Carolina Rangers for service in the West Indies and possibly Florida.
He was discharged on 20 June 1784 at Chedabucto, Nova Scotia.
He received 1 town lot SE1#19 and 100 acres of rear lands at Guysborough Co., NS in August, 1790.In 1791 and 1792 it is recorded he paid poll tax in the amount of 10 British Pounds.
"And from the Maryland archives records of a Council meeting Friday 23 December, 1791:
The Auditor General is requested to issue a Certificate of Depreciation to John Baptist Armsworthy late a private in the Maryland line enlisted the 22nd April 1777 and mustered missing the 16 August 1780--supposed (pg 19) dead---and the said Auditor is also requested to deliver the same to the Treasurer of the Western Shore which he is hereby ordered to pay to Henry MacPherson in virtue of a power of Attorney from Aithalia Armsworthy who appears to be the sister and next of kin to said John Baptist Armsworthy." This confirms a sister who apparently considered John Baptist dead and had applied for a 'pension settlement' . It would seem she did not know he was alive and well in Nova Scotia, or did she! Did brother and sister ever communicate? GES.Note: June 16, 2001, Linda Shea advised that Aleathia Armsworthy married Bennet Newgent/Nugent on January 14, 1797 in St Mary's Co., Maryland USA.
FROM A COUSIN IN THE USA
My 5th-great grandfather enlisted in the 3rd Maryland at the tender age of 13, and was captured by the British during the battle of Camden, S.C. He was held prisoner in Charleston, either in the Old Fort dungeon and in a prison ship in the harbor. While there, he was recruited by Lord Montagu to join a Corps in fighting in Jamaica against the pirates and Spanish. Montagu must have made quite an impression on young Baptist, for he not only took the Oath, and fought with Montagu's Corps, but when the time came to lay down arms, he decided to emigrate to Nova Scotia, Canada with Montagu, rather than return home. I am still looking for a source to indicate his rank/function. From his age at the time, I suspect he was a drummer or a runner, but I have been unable to find any records of his service. Thank you for your kind attention, Jake Foley
FAMILY HISTORY AVAILABLE
In 2006 a book, ARMSWORTHYS OF MARYLAND, USA AND NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA by Garth E. Staples was published. This 400 page volume is available in soft cover at $35.00 Canadian plus shipping or personalized hardcover for $75.00 Canadian plus shipping. Contact Garth E. Staples for additional information: gestaples@eastlink.ca
SOME ASSOCIATED SURNAMES
A genealogy is not just about one surname; rather, it is about a family and communities with literally hundreds of surnames. Here are a representative few of those which are an integral part of the Armsworthy family history.
Berrighan, Bigsby, Bond, Brannen, Brown, Burgess, Burns, Carr, Casey, Creamer,
Cullen, Currie, Dobson, Dorherty, Dort, Duncan, Ehler, Facey, Fanning, Feltmate, Fields, Fisher, Fitzgerald, Flavin, Floley, Fraser, George, Goldrich, Grant, Green, Greencorn, Grenson, Grover, Harple, Henderson, Hendsbee, Horner, Huff, Humphreys,
Huntington, Hurst, Jamieson, Johnson, Knowlan, Knowlin, Langille, Lascola, Loughead, Lumsden, Lynds, MacDonald, MacKenzie, MacPherson, Mann, Manuel, Matheson, Matthews, McCarthy, Meeds, Munroe, McCarthy, Montgomery, Myers, Newell, Nugent, Pelley, Penny, Rhynold, Richards, Richardson, Roberts, Smith, Snow, Snyder, Spears, Staples, Uloth, Warriner Weir, Westhaver, Wile, Williams, Wilson.