William Strong
[unknown name]
Sarah [unknown surname]
Hannah [unknown surname]

                               +-William STRONG
                               |    (Was he George? See notes below)
                               |
+-Solomon STRONG---------------+
| b. 12 Sep 1811               |
| d. 5 Feb 1894                |
| m. 1836                      |
|                              |
+-Jane WELLS                   |
  d. 13 Apr 1888               |
                               |
+-Samuel STRONG----------------+
| b. 13 Sep 1813               |
|                              |
+-Mary Ann [unknown surname](1)|
  b. ABT 1821                  |
  d. 31 Dec 1848               |
|                              |
+-Ann [unknown surname] (2)    |
  b. ABT 1823                  |
                               |
+-Elizabeth STRONG-------------+
| b. 22 Apr 1818               |
| d. 20 Aug 1904               |
|                              |
+-[unknown name] BUDGELL (1)   |
                               |
|                              |
+-John Burge WELLS (2)         |
  b. 18 Mar 1811               |
  d. 23 Mar 1896               |
  m. 2 Sep 1838                |
                               |
  Harriet STRONG---------------+
  b. 11 Jan 1819               |
                               |
+-William STRONG---------------+
| b. 17 Jun 1825               |
| d. 27 Mar 1907               |
|                              |
+-Elizabeth JONES              |
  b. ABT 1829                  |
  d. Mar 1908                  |
                               +-[unknown name] (1)

                               |
+-George STRONG----------------+
| b. ABT 1827                  |
| d. 6 May 1896                |
| m. 24 Oct 1859               |
|                              |
+-Louisa STUCKLESS             |
  b. ABT 1831                  |
  d. 21 Apr 1915               |
                               |
+-Frederick George STRONG------+
| b. Mar 1829                  |
| m. 25 Jan 1859               |
|                              |
+-Marie Fader                  |
  b. ABT 1835                  |
                               +-Sarah [unknown surname] (2)

                               |
  Andrew STRONG----------------+
  b. 23 Apr 1851               |
  d. 29 Nov 1911               |
                               |
  Mary Ann STRONG--------------+
  b. 12 Apr 1853               |
  bap. 18 Jun 1857             | age 4 years 1 month
                               |
  Theodore William Leverick    |
  b. 31 Mar 1855       STRONG--+
  bap. 13 Apr 1856             | age 1 year
                               |
  Livenia STRONG---------------+
  b. 27 Dec 1857               |
  bap. 18 Jun 1857             | age 5 months 3 weeks
                               |
  Esau STRONG------------------+
  b. 19 Oct 1858               |
  bap. 20 Dec 1860             | age 2 years
  d. 9 May 1877                |
                               |
+-Fanny STRONG-----------------+
| b. 28 Dec 1860               |
| bap. 28 Dec 1860             | age 3 months
| m. 29? Sep? 1883             |
|                              |
+-Isaac NEWBURY                |
  b. ABT 1854                  |
                               |
  Susannah Marsh STRONG--------+
  b. 23 Feb 1862               |
                               |
                               +-Hannah [unknown surname] (3)
There is some confusion about the name of the first Strong family member to arrive in Newfoundland. He could have been George or William. Or he could have been either George William Strong or William George Strong.

According to the notes of John Burge Wells (b. May 24, 1868), "George Strong and a Mr. Wells came to Newfoundland from Ringwood, Hampshire, England in 1793 and settled in Back Harbour, Twillingate".

The Hampshire Record Office (HRO) lists three George Strongs, one born in 1764, one in 1780, and one in 1783. The HRO has no records for William (between 1770 and 1810) in their Parish Registers or names index.

Queen Milley's notes say his name was George and that he was married three times. I don't know her source for the name George or for the claim of three marriages. She may have relied on John Wells' notes or, perhaps, the three groups of children listed in the Strong Family Bible (which is actually a Concordance).

William Strong, buried May 28 1866 Twillingate age 76 yrs (bc 1790). Twillingate Methodist Parish records.

The names and birth dates as they appear in the Strong Family Bible are:

     Solomon Strong - Sept. 12, 1811
     Samuel Strong - Sept. 13, 1813
     Elizabeth Strong - April 22, 1817
     Harriet Strong - Jan. 11, 1819
     William Strong - June 17, 1825

     George Strong
     Fred Strong

     Andrew Strong - April 23, 1851
     Mary Ann Strong - April 12, 1853
     Theodore Strong - March 31, 1855
     Livinia Strong - Dec. 27, 1857
     ? Strong - Oct. 19, 1858
     Fanny Strong - Oct. 5, 1860
     Sadie Strong

There's a note near the name of Harriet or Elizabeth that says "her daughter died at Grand Falls 1938". A note beside George and Fred says "twin brothers". Another note on the inside of the back cover (opposite the list of Strong names) says "Sadie Strong married Ern Butler, Butler brothers".

[I believe Sadie refers to Sadie Blanche STRONG, a daughter of Ralph Frederic William STRONG]

There is no indication in the Bible as to who their parents were (or if they were fathered by the same man). It seems far fetched, but not impossible, that George/William was fathering children from 1811 to 1862. However, we have no other explanation for the three groups of children.

Barbara Pederson wrote "... my grandfather William wrote in his family notes about his great-grandfather, that ''William married 3 times''. This was definitely not in reference to his grandfather William (1825) ... As we have not seen any reference or records to any ''William'' Strong other than in more recent generations, there appears to be just these two, William ''who married 3 times'', and William born 1825".

If Frederick and George were twins then there is a conflict with their calculated birth dates. George died on 6 May 1896, supposedly at age 69 (giving an estimated birth date of 1827). According to the 1900 US Census for Gloucester Fred was born in March 1829.

There is a PANL record that says "George Strong died May 6, 1896 age 69 years buried at Hant's Cove".

A marriage record from the Gloucester (Massachusetts) City Archives says "(Book 10 Marriages) Frederic (sic) G. Strong, res of Glou, 29, mariner, b. Newfoundland, parents William and Sarah, first marriage and Maria Fader, res Glou, 24, b. Chester NS, parents Christian and Maria, first marriage. They were married on Jan 25, 1859, by NA Soule, pastor." This is the proof that the father of George and Fred (the "twins") was William Strong.

According to the 1880 US census for Gloucester (Essex County) Page 53, E.D. 176, Frederick's parents were both born in England.

The baptism dates for the third set of children come from records held at PANL. They indicate that their parents were William and Hannah Strong.

Burials, Leading Tickles (Church of England) 1876-1897 (from Anglican Church Records, Botwood)
Esau STRONG, (no age given), died May 9, 1877 at Leading Tickles, buried at Leading Tickles by William Alcock.
Esau STRONG, Leading Tickles, age 22, (no burial date), by William Alcock

Original Parish Records - Parish of Nippers Harbour / Tilt Cove, Green Bay, Notre Dame Bay, 1882 to May 1888
?Sep ?29 1883
Isaac NEWBURY 29?, Shoe Cove
Fanny STRONG 22, Twillingate
Witnesses: Sarah Moores, Samuel Martin, Elizabeth ?, Elias Budgell?
Isaac Newbury may have been the son of William Newbury & Rachel Toms.
Fanny STRONG was born Oct 5 1860 Jenkins Cove, Twill, the dau of William & Hannah.
NOTE: the text in this entry was faint and hard to read.

John H. Strong, Strong Family Anecdotes:

There is a story handed down that George Strong lived on a large estate in Ringwood, Hampshire, England. He is said to have had a terrible temper and became enraged when on returning emptyhanded from a hunt, his girlfriend made fun of him. According to the legend he shot her and when he saw her fall, he ran to the harbour, boarded a ship that was just casting off and ended up in St. John's, Newfoundland. The girl was not seriously hurt and later contacted George and asked him to return, but he was too proud. [The harbour was probably Poole, possibly Southhampton.]

After his first season working on a ship he was paid in gold, but lost it over the side as he was leaving. He was too proud to write his wealthy father for help and had a very difficult winter. At one time he received a letter from his father asking him which he would choose for a Christmas gift, a silk handkerchief or a ten pound note. George wanted his father to think he was prosperous and chose the handkerchief.

Another story says that the family name was originally Armstrong and that George changed it as an alias so that the police would not be able to find him. For two generations the name "Armstrong" was used as a middle name for one of the sons.

My father, Charles, born in 1885 did not believe that and thought the story came from the fertile imagination of his uncle, William, of Little Bay Island. I seriously doubt the truth of the story, too, for the following reasons: (1) The Hampshire Records Office lists three George Strongs born in the late seventeen hundreds but no George Armstrong. (2) A change from Armstrong to Strong would not have been a very good alias. It would have been safer to use a completely different name. (3) Apparently his father and girlfriend had no difficulty in reaching him by letter. (4) The Armstrongs have traditionally been Roman Catholics. It is hardly likely George would have changed his religious affiliation. Also, (5) the first family member we know of with Armstrong as a middle name was William, my grandfather, the youngest son of Solomon. This indicates that the story arose around that time, too late to tack it on to his oldest son.

Since my father disbelieved the story none of his sons were given the Armstrong name. When William was born and somebody suggested the Armstrong name he was reported to have said "That nonsense has gone on long enough".


No proven connection:
1881 British Census, Liskeard, Cornwall, England
Dwelling at Barn Street
Film 1341548, Reference RG11, Folio 2285/168 , Page 47
Harriet S. STRONG, head, widowed, age 60, born about 1821 in Ringwood Hampshire England, Shopkeeper Grocer Etc.
Mary A. STRONG, daughter, unmarried, age 32, born about 1849 in Liskeard Cornwall England, Assistant Grocer
Legend
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Last Updated on July 11, 2004