John Armstrong of Carrick (1909 – 1984) was an English farmer, huntsman, stick dresser and traditional musician from near Elsdon, in central Northumberland.
His nickname refers to High Carrick, his hill farm on the edge of the Otterburn Army ranges, near Elsdon; Armstrong is a common name in the Borders.
[2] The Armstrong family claims an unbroken tradition of Northumbrian piping going back at least four generations.
[4] John, with his sister Annie Snaith, and Billy Pigg, played regularly at events in the area, becoming known as 'The Border Minstrels'.
A series of accidents to his hands, resulting in a stiffening of his fingers, forced John to concentrate on the fiddle in later years.