Adam William Armstrong (1852-1915)
Adam William Armstrong was born in 1852 at Fremantle and resided at the port most of his life, except for 6 years where he farmed in Geraldton (reference). Upon returning to Fremantle he worked as a butcher before selling his business in 1882 (reference). He was known as a vigilant Excise Inspector for Her Majesty’s Customs Department where he worked for 18 years (1894 to 1912).
Adam was one of fourteen children of Francis Fraser Armstrong and Mary Ann née Mews who married in 1836 (reference) and arrived in Western Australia on the Gilmore, one of the first ships to bring settlers to the Swan River Colony in 1829 (reference). Adam’s first marriage was to Margaret Brennan in 1876 and they had 7 children together, of which 4 survived (Elizabeth, Arthur, Philomena and Francis) before Margaret died in 1892 (reference). Later that year Adam was remarried to Mary Cass and the pair had 4 children together, William, Nellie, Harold (lived less than a year) and Florence (reference).
From March 1885 Adam became licensee of the Exchange Hotel (renamed the Commercial Hotel in 1888) at 80 High Street, Fremantle (reference).
“I ADAM WILLIAM ARMSTRONG, married, now residing in High Street, in the town of Fremantle, do hereby give notice that it is my intention to apply at the next Licensing Meeting to beholden for this district for a Publican's General License for the sale of liquor in the house and appurtenances thereunto belonging, situated at High Street, Fremantle, known as the Exchange Hotel, containing eight sitting-rooms and nine bedrooms exclusive of those required by the family, now rented by me from Mr. John Thomas, and of which I am the present occupier, and which house is now licenced under the sign of the Exchange Hotel, and which I intend to keep as an Inn or public house” - The Herald 2 May 1885 (reference)
In 1889 Adam became licensee of the Club Hotel at the corner of 39 High Street and Henry Street, currently known as the Orient Hotel. This business venture was unsuccessful as he went bankrupt from unsettled debts associated with the Club Hotel in 1893 (reference).
Having been unsuccessful in the hotel business, Adam started a new career in 1894 working for Her Majesty’s Department of Customs and Excise for 7 shillings a day, before working his way up to an Excise Inspector in December 1898 where he earned £250 per annum (reference). His hard work had his debts discharged in 1906 (reference).
Part of his job as an Excise Inspector included investigating businesses to make sure they complied with the laws. During his career he investigated the Bunbury Brewery and charged them on two occasions:
1898 Case 1: "BUNBURY POLICE COURT. A. W. Armstrong, an Inspector of Excise, summoned M E Wallis for neglecting to deface a certain stamp affixed to a beer cask opened contrary to the Act. Adam William Armstrong sworn said he visited Mr Wallis' bottling works at the Bunbury Brewery and found a hog-head of beer opened and the stamp not cut in two or more places as required by the Beer Act. The stamp appeared to him to be affixed in such a way as to be open to fraud and did not comply with the Act." Wallis was fined 40 shillings and costs.
1899 Case 2 "Adam William Armstrong summoned Archibald Holland with neglecting to keep certain books under the Excise Act." The case was dismissed.
Adam retired from Her Majesty’s Customs after 18 years of service due to ill-health (reference). Upon retiring he was awarded a “handsome gold watch suitably inscribed” for his service (reference). Adam passed away in Fremantle in 1915 at the age of 63 (reference).
This article was researched by Joel Yik for the Museum of Perth