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My ancestor Robert Armstrong was born in about 1821 in North Shields, Northumberland, UK. I know nothing (yet) about his parents or siblings. His next appearance is in New Zealand in the 1860's. It is possible that for a reason unknown he at that time had the alias of Robert Spencer, he is described as being in Invercargill as a "Commission Agent" - not sure what that is. He next fathered three children by Sarah Acker, b. Stewart Island in 1843. She was the second daughter of Lewis Acker, a New Yorker, and a whaler/sealer/timber merchant and his first wife, Mari Pi, a Ngai Tahu member. Three boys were born in Invercargill - Albert b.1864, George Cuthbert Spencer b. 1866 (my g.grandfather) and Robert b. 1868. There may have been a daughter, Margaret b. 1870 just prior to Robert brining his family to the UK. In Newcastle-upon-Tyne, three further sons were born - John Robert b.1875., Charles b.1878, and Ernest Acker b.1881. All by now had the surname Armstrong. Robert died in 1882 in Newcastle. In the 1881 census he is described as a retired butcher, and then on his death certificate as a pawn-broker. I do not know what happened to any of the family except, of course, George, my g.g.grandfather and Albert. Albert returned to NZ in 1930 as part of the 11 man crew on board the Wellington Floating Dock which arrived in Wellington on 27 December 1931 after being towed by tug for 167 (a World Record I understand). He was the only New Zealnder in the crew and stayed on for 3 years before eventually returning to the UK in 1934. He died in Newcastle in 1940.