Mary Irving Armstrong was the eldest child of Mary Ann (née Ward) and James Armstrong, born in Nichol Forest, Kirkandrews-on-Esk Parish, then in Cumberland, England. The Armstrong family—parents and seven children—immigrated to the United States, arriving on 23 May 1870 in New York on board the S. S. Europa. The family continued on to Illinois, where they were enumerated later that year in Bellflower Township, McLean County, with James Armstrong farming his land worth $1,200. Mary Armstrong's father died in 1877, when she was 18. Her mother remarried the following year. In 1880, Mary Armstrong, age 21, was employed as a domestic in neighboring Brown Township, Champaign County, Illinois.

Miss Mary "E." Armstrong and Mr. "Manuel P." Painter were married on 13 February 1881 Brown Township. Both were township residents, and moved to a farm in the township north of Foosland, where they lived for five years, and then moved a farm adjoining Foosland.

The couple were the parents of seven children, all born in or near Foosland. One son died at birth; one son died in childhood.

Emanuel Painter continued to farm until retiring in 1918. After his death in 1920, Mary Painter continued to reside in Foosland with her younger daughter Geneva Hanson until this daughter's death in 1956. Afterwards, she lived with her elder daughter Carrie Smith a few miles away in Bellflower, McLean County, and died there in 1957, a few days before her 98th birthday. Mary Painter was survived also by her youngest son, Earl, and by 11 grandchildren, and 18 great-grandchildren.

Granddaughter Verla Bullard (née Painter) recalled: "My paternal grandmother, who was born in Scotland, resided in the same town as us. She was a statuesque lady with waist long snow-white hair, a very wise and proud lady. We never seemed real close to her, although she was always kind to us." *

Notes

The former Miss Mary Irving Armstrong was born along the Anglo-Scottish border—on the English side—yet she claimed to have been born in Scotland, and regarded herself as being Scottish. This particular area had once been within the Debatable Lands, controlled by local clans, including the Armstrongs, who resisted both English and Scottish authority.

1861 United Kingdom Census, Low Division of Nichol Forest Chapelry, Cumberland, England; dwelling 77, Haithwaite Gate Cottage, p. 94.
- Mary Ann Armstrong, head, married, 25, housekeeping, born in Carlisle, Cumberland.
- Mary -----, daughter, 2, born in Kirkandrews-on-Esk, Cumberland.
- Margt. -----, daughter, 8 months, born in Kirkandrews-on-Esk, Cumberland.
• James Armstrong was the head of dwelling 48, Glendenning Rigg, where he was a "farmer of 242 acres."

1870 U.S. Census, Bellflower Twp., McLean Co., Illinois; dwelling 46, family 46, lines 26-34, p. 32 (printed), p. 7 (written), 9 Aug 1870.
26. Armstrong, James, 60, farmer ($1,200; $150), Scotland.
27. ----- Mary A., 44, keeping house, England.
28. ----- Mary I., 11, England.
29. ----- Margaret, 10, England.
30. ----- Richard, 8, England.
31. ----- Jane, 7, England.
32. ----- Jemima, 5, England.
33. ----- John, 3, England.
34. ----- James, 7/12, England, born the previous October.
• James Armstrong owned land worth $1,200, and had personal property worth $150. Mary, Margaret, Richard, and Jane had attended school within the year.

1880 U.S. Census, E.D. 1, Brown Twp., Champaign Co., Illinois; dwelling 102, family 110, lines 35-42, p. 7 (printed), p. 13 (written), 8 Jun 1880.
35. Grim, Andrew J., 41 [head], Ohio.
[...]
42. Mary Armstrong, 21, servant; self and parents born in Scotland.

1880 U.S. Census, E.D. 1, Brown Twp., Champaign Co., Illinois; dwelling 58, family 61, lines 41-48, p. 4 (printed), p. 9 (written), 4 Jun 1880.
41. Painter, George W. [head], reported age 57, farmer; born in Ohio, parents in Virginia.
42. ----- Louisa, 48, wife, keeping house; born in Indiana, parents in South Carolina.
43. ----- Manuel, 26, son, farmer; born in Ohio, father in Ohio, mother in Indiana.
[...]

"Illinois, County Marriages, 1810-1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-62F9-9D1?cc=1803970&wc=326N-W38%3A145959801 : 3 March 2016), 0338051 (004010635) image 118 of 1104; county offices, Illinois. "Manuel P. Painter," age 28, Brown Twp. farmer; b. Clark Co., Ohio; s/o George Painter and "Malissa" Harr. Mary "E." Armstrong, age 23, Brown Twp.; b. "Nickelforest," Scotland; d/o James Armstrong and Mary Ann Ward.

1900 U.S. Census, E.D. 2, Foosland Village, Brown Twp., Champaign Co., Illinois; dwelling 43, family 44, lines 94-100, p. 212B (printed), p. 2B (written), 2 June 1900.
94. Painter, Emanuel, head, Apr 1853, 47, married 19 years; self and parents born in Ohio; farmer.
95. Painter, Mary, wife, Mar 1859, 41, married 19 years, 6 children (4 living); self and parents born in Scotland.
96. Painter, Arthur, son, Jun 1883, 16, Illinois.
97. Painter, Douglas, son, Sep 1889, 10, Illinois.
98. Painter, Earl, son, Mar 1892, 8, Illinois.
99. Painter, Carrie, daughter, Apr 1895, 5, Illinois.
100. McMurray, J. P., boarder, Aug 1871, 28, single, Iowa, farmer.

1910 U.S. Census, E.D. 2, Foosland Village, Brown Twp., Champaign Co., Illinois; dwelling 27, family 27, lines 37-42, p. 17 (printed), p. 2A (written), 16 Apr 1910.
37. Painter, Manuel, head, 56, married 29 years; born in Ohio, parents in Ohio; farmer, general farming.
38. ----- Mary I., wife, 51, married 29 years, 7 children (5 living); self and father born in Scotland, mother in England; immigrated 1870.
39. ----- Douglas O., son, 20, Illinois, farm laborer, home farm.
40. ----- Earl I., son, 18, Illinois.
41. ----- Carrie L., daughter, 15, Illinois.
42. ----- Geneva, daughter, 6, Illinois.

1920 U .S. Census, E.D. 2, Foosland Village, Brown Twp., Champaign Co., Illinois; dwelling 142, family 144, lines 50-53, pp. 281-281B (printed), pp. 16-16B (written), 14 Jan 1920.
50. Painter, Emanuel, head, 66; born in Ohio, father in Indiana, mother in Ohio; no occupation.
51. Painter, "Bessie," wife, 60, immigrated 1870, naturalized; self and parents born in Scotland.
52. ----- Carrie, daughter, 25, widowed, Illinois
53. ----- "Generive," daughter, 16, single, Illinois.
• "Bessie" was probably the enumerator's invention.

"Mrs Painter was an active member of the WSCS [Women's Society of Christian Service] Society and the Dorcas Bible class of the Foosland [Methodist] church as long as her health permitted.
"Mary Irving Armstrong was born March 5, 1859, at Haithwaite Gate, Nichol Forest, Scotland, a daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. James Armstrong, and came to this community with her parents in 1870, at the age of 11 years. They settled about a mile south of Foosland, on ground now known as the Shields estate, and had spent her entire life in this community. Because of her keen humor and remarkable memory, Mrs. Painter was often sought out as a source of information by school pupils, or others who needed information on the history of the community." ("Mrs. Painter, 97, of Foosland is Dead," Gibson City Courier, Gibson City, Illinois, 7 Mar 1957, p. 5.)

"Bellflower News," The Farmer City Journal, Farmer City, Illinois, 7 Mar 1957, p. 7.

* Verla Bullard, Dinner at Noon, Supper at Night (Edwards Press, 2007), p. 2. My late father, who was Verla's first cousin, similarly recalls their grandmother as "austere," not given to show affection. She did, however, have my father and his parents live with her in Foosland when my father was in first grade, about 1937, during the Great Depression.

Mary Armstrong recalled a going-away party in Scotland for the Ritchie family, who settled near Foosland, Illinois. The Ritchies encouraged the Armstrongs to also immigrate to the U.S.

Great-grandmother of blueheron14.

Reviewed 3 December 2023.