ARMSTRONG, GEORGE (1822-1905) was born at St. Johns, Nova Scotia. He first visited Banks Peninsula in command of a trading brig, and left his ship, the Phoenix, at Hawkes Bay in 1846. While in command of the Wellington schooner Edward Stanley, engaged in carrying stores for the troops at Wanganui, he was court-martialled for taking his vessel to the rescue of a settler who was attacked by natives. Armstrong married Miss Cummerfield (Foxton) and settled in Akaroa, taking the Bruce hotel. Returning from a visit with his family to America, he bought the schooner Mary Louisa at Sydney and traded between Wellington and Akaroa. He bought land at German Bay, and established the Mount Vernon homestead, afterwards acquiring other land from the Government. Armstrong represented Akaroa in the Provincial Council (1861-62) and Wainui (1862). Early in 1866 he was elected to Parliament for the same constituency, which he represented till 1870. He died in 1905. His son, GEORGE ARMSTRONG (1853-1932) was first elected in 1879 to the Akaroa borough council, on which he served for fifty years (for nearly 30 years of which he was mayor). He represented the borough on the North Canterbury hospital board and the Banks Peninsula power board, and was chairman of the Akaroa High School and a member of the Wainui road board. In 1879 he married Mary, daughter of Captain Robert Gray (Nelson). His death occurred on 6 Nov 1932.

Canterbury P.C. Proc; J. Hay; Akaroa Mail, 8 Nov 1932; Lyttelton Times, 7 Nov 1932.

Reference: Volume 1, page 25

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