Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Armstrong, John (1673-1742)

by Augustus Samuel Bolton

For works with similar titles, see John Armstrong.

ARMSTRONG, JOHN, F.R.S. (1673–1742), became major-general and quartermaster-general of the forces, colonel of the royal regiment of foot in Ireland, surveyor-general of the ordnance and his majesty's chief engineer, and was elected fellow of the Royal Society on 2 May 1723. He appears to be the person who, as 'Colonel John Armstrong, Chief Engineer of England,' was the author of part of a work entitled a 'Report with Proposals for draining the Fens and amending the Port of King's Lynn and of Cambridge and the rest of the trading towns in those parts and the navigable rivers that have their course through the great level of the Fens called Bedford Level.' In 'Watt's Bibliotheca Britannica' the authorship of the whole work is ascribed to Colonel John Armstrong, but it is evident that the compiler of the 'Proposals for draining the Fens' was Thomas Badesdale, and that Colonel Armstrong was only the author of the 'Report.'

[Musgrave's MS. Biographical Advertiser, 5718, and Obituary 5727 in British Museum; Gent. Mag. xii. p. 219; London Mag. 1742, p. 205; Thompson's History of the Royal Society, Appendix, p. 35; Badesdale's History of the Ancient and Present State of the Navigation of the Port of King's Lynn, &c.]

A. S. B.

Dictionary of National Biography, Errata (1904), p.8
N.B.— f.e. stands for from end and l.l. for last line

Page	Col.	Line
94	i	23 f.e.	Armstrong, John (1673-1742): for 1673 read 1674
		21 f.e.	⁠after 1742) insert 'Chief Engineer of England, born at Ballyard, King's Co., 31 March 1674, was eldest son of Robert Armstrong, who married Lydia, daughter of Michael Howard of Ballyard. He saw much active service under the Duke of Marlborough and Prince Eugene. He
94	i	16-14 f.e.	⁠for He appears . . . . England,' read He was quartermaster-general from Jan. 1712-3 and 'Chief Engineer of England,' from Nov. 1714 till his death on 25 Apr. 1742. In 1716, while Armstrong was surveyor-general of the ordnance, Woolwich Arsenal was founded, but though the development of the scheme owed much to his co-operation it is doubtful if it was initiated by him [see Schalch, Andrew]. He
		l.l.	⁠after the 'Report' insert He married on 20 Sept. 1714 Anne Priscilla, daughter of Major Burroughs, and left five daughters, of whom the second, Anne, became second wife of Benjamin Hoadly (1706-1757)[q. v.]
	ii	2 f.e. 5	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$ for Badesdale read Badeslade