Henry Bruce Armstrong

Who was Henry Bruce Armstrong?

ĊHenry Bruce Wright Armstrong was a Northern Irish barrister and politician, Unionist MP for Mid Armagh from June 1921 until 1922.

Born in Sholden, Henry Bruce Armstrong was the second surviving son of William Jones Wright Armstrong of County Armagh and Frances Elizabeth, widow of Sir Michael McCreagh, and daughter of Major Christopher Wilson. He was educated at The Royal School, Armagh and Trinity College, Cambridge, gaining a BA in 1867 and a MA in 1870. Admitted at the Inner Temple in 1866, he was called to the Bar in 1868.

In 1883 he married Margaret Leader, daughter of Willam Leader of Rosnalea, County Cork. They had five sons and three daughters, of whom C. W. Armstrong also became a politician.

Armstrong was appointed High Sheriff of Armagh for 1875 and High Sheriff of Longford for 1894. He was a County Councillor for Armagh from 1899 to 1920, and a Member of the Irish Convention in 1917–18. Vice-Lieutenant of County Armagh in 1920, he was a Senator of Queen’s University, Belfast from 1920 to 1937.