The whaler’s family circa 1894
ROBERT W. ARMSTRONG
Rob was born in Baltimore in 1828, the only child of William and Rebecca Armstrong. After attending the esteemed Baltimore College of Dental Surgery, the worlds first dental school, he served for a short while as a dentist in the mid-west and south. He then spent ten years in the South Pacific as whaler and logger before returning to Baltimore and starting a second career as a store clerk. He worked at his uncle’s firm of Armstrong & Cator. Soon after, he married Eudocia Muller, and together they opened their own successful millinery store on Lexington Street. With Eudocia ultimately managing the store, later in life Rob became more involved in church and community affairs. Rob and Eudocia had eight children. He died peacefully in 1902, and lies with his family in Mt. Olivet Cemetery.
Date Rob’s Journey
5/?1849 Lvs. Baltimore for Winnsboro, SC
11/?/1849 Lvs. SC for NYC
12/27/1849 Sails on Smyrna from New Bedford, Mass. (Time “Out” - 0)
4/12/1850 Rounds Cape Horn outbound (Time “Out” - 107 d)
7/15/1850 At Galapagos Islands (Time “Out” - 201 d)
11/15/1850 Among South Pacific Islands (Time “Out” - 324 d)
5/08/1853 Lvs. Smyrna, stays in New Zealand (Time “Out” - 3 yrs., 4 m, 12 d)
8/?/1853 Kauri logging near Warkworth, NZ
4/?/ 1855 Returns to Auckland (Time “Out” - 5 yrs, 3 m, 20 d)
5/?/1855 Sails on Delores to Australia and back
11/?/1855 Heads to Wairoa, NZ and Kahikatea logging (Time “Out” - 5 yrs, 10 m, 20 d)
12/?/1857 Returns to Auckland
1/19/1858 Sails on Isaac Howland from Auckland (Time “Out” - 8 yrs, 24 d)
2/05/1859 Isaac Howland, resupplied, lvs. Auckland for home
4/13/1859 Rounds Cape Horn homeward bound (Time “Out” - 9 yrs, 3 m, 18 d)
5/21/1859 Crosses equator last time
6/25/1859 Arrives New Bedford (Time “Out” - 9 years, 5 m, 30 d)
7/11/1859 Arrives home in Baltimore from last Balt visit. (Time “Out” - 10 years, 1 m, 27 d)
ROB’S TIMELINE
New Bedford: The City That Lit the World. Museum graphic panel. Image courtesy of the New Bedford Whaling Museum.