Ritchie (Richie) families linked to Dalginross in Glentilt

Dalginross in Glentilt

-

John Ritchie and Katharine Kennedy in Kilmaveonaig

The Blair Atholl OPR details the marriage of John Richie who was living in the small village of Kilmaveonaig in 1754. As men tended to marry in their thirties, this suggests that John was born around 1725.

John Richie in Kilmaveonaig and Katharine Kennedy in Corarnestail-more, Kingussie parish, married 22 Nov 1754.

Corryarnstal-mor was in the western side-branch of Glen Feshie and is shown on General Roy's map of the Highland (1747-52). It also appears on the Ordnance Survey map (1st Edition, 1843) of the area as Corarnstil-more. Katharine almost certainly had come into the area in search of work, but may have been staying with Kennedy relatives who were farming Balmeanach of Lude, opposite Kilmaveonaig.

The couple do not appear to have had any children and Katharine Kennedy is thought to have died soon after the marriage, as the Blair Atholl OPR shows that John Ritchie remarried.

-

John Ritchie and Elspeth Robertson in Dalginross

John Ritchie in Atholl House and Elspeth Robertson in Milltown of Blair, married 1 Jan 1760.

John Ritchie and Elspeth Robertson had at least three children. The baptism of the first one, Elspeth, appears in the Dull OPR.

13 Nov 1761, Dull OPR, Elspeth, daughter to John Richie and Elspeth Robertson in Auchastail (A'chastle in Glen Fincastle) baptised.

There then follows a gap of eight years before the couple re-appear at Dalginross, where another two children were born. John Ritchie was still alive in 1792 when one of his daughters married.

-

Generation 2: The children of John Ritchie and Elspeth Robertson in Dalginross, Glentilt

-

Alexander Henderson and Margaret Ritchie

The birth of Margaret does not appear in the Blair Atholl OPR and it is fortunate that in 1799 Alexander Henderson and Margaret Ritchie had a son born at Dalginross. Their marriage lines appear in the OPRs for both Blair Atholl and the City of Perth, and it is the latter which provides the crucial evidence.

Blair Atholl OPR (marriages)
Alexander Henderson in the Parish of Perth and Margaret Richie in Dalginross, 14th August 1792.

Perth OPR (marriages)
Perth, August twenty fifth, one thousand seven hundred and ninety two years, contracted: Alexander Henderson, weaver in Perth and Margaret Ritchie in Dalginross in the Parish of Blair Athol, daughter to John Ritchie, day labourer there. Deacon Robert Wright.
The persons before-named were regularly proclaimed and married the seventh of September, said year, by Mr James MacLaggan, Minister of the Gospel in Blair Athol.

The couple had five children who, with the exception of William as previously mentioned, were all born in Perth.

-

The Children of Alexander Henderson and Margaret Ritchie in Perth

Nothing more is known about John Ritchie in Dalginross, nor his parentage. However, there is an interesting coincidence. The year after John Ritchie married, when he was employed at Atholl House, there was a Duncan Ritchie also working at Atholl House. At the time of his marriage, Duncan was employed by the Robertsons of Faskally, but when his first child was born he was described as 'late of Atholl House'. Landed proprietors often employed members of the same family, so there is a high probability that Duncan was the brother of John Ritchie.

-

Duncan Ritchie and Janet Robertson in Pitdornie

Duncan Ritchie in Faskally and Janet Robertson in Bridgend of Tilt, married 31 Dec 1761.

Duncan certainly wasn't a tenant farmer as he moved from one settlement to another as the size of his family increased. When he was described as 'late of Atholl House' he already could have been at Pitdornie in Dull parish, on the opposite side of the River Garry from Blair Atholl. In October 1767 he attended the public roup (auction) for settling the estate of John Stewart of Bonskeid and successfully bid for a coat at eleven shilling six pence, and a vest at two shillings.

By 1775 the family were living at Levadge by the Allt Clune and, finally, by 1777 was in Bonskeid on the north side of the River Tummel.

-

Generation 2: The children of Duncan Ritchie and Janet Robertson in Pitdornie

-

John McLaren and Margaret Ritchie in Caltomb of Struan

Blair Atholl OPR, 31 Jan 1790
John McLaren in Caltom and Margaret Richie in Tomanraid, married.

There were four children born at Caltomb of Struan and the baptism of Margaret in 1795 erroneously gives her father as John McLeran. Their first son, Alexander, an unmarried farm servant aged 64 years, son of John McLaren, farmer, and Margaret Ritchie, died at Bridge of Bruar 18 Feb 1855.

-

Donald McBeath and Isabel Ritchie in Strathgroy

Blair Atholl OPR, 1 Nov 1790
Donald McBeath in Blair and Isabel Richie in Blairuachdar, married.

The parentage of Donald McBeath is uncertain.

The Family of Donald McBeath and Isabel Richie in Strathgroy

-

George Ritchie and Janet Kennedy in Dalginross

There is some evidence to support the theory that the two Ritchie brothers had another brother, George.

The Moulin OPR relates that on 9 Jun 1771 George Ritchie and Janet Kennedy had a daughter baptised and named Jean. There are no other Ritchie records in Moulin parish at this time, so George was not living there, neither is there any marriage record prior to 1771. This suggests that the child was illegitimate. George left the area and Janet must have followed him as the following entry appears in the Edinburgh OPR:

George Ritchie, quarrier in Lady Yesters Kirk parish, and Janet Kennedy in the said parish, daughter of the deceased Donald Kennedy, farmer in the parish of Mullion (Moulin), Perthshire (married) Sabbath, 31st July 1774.

The couple then settled at Dalginross where the next two children were born. However, Janet Kennedy died after the birth of the second child in 1777 and George Ritchie re-married.

-

The Children of George Ritchie and Janet Kennedy in Dalginross

-

George Ritchie and Janet Robertson in Dalginross

George Richie in Dalginross and Janet Robertson in Over Campsie, married 28 Jul 1779.

Janet Robertson died soon after the birth of Elspeth Ritchie, 30 Apr 1780, and George took a third wife.

-

George Ritchie and Betty Stewart in Dalginross

George Richie in Dalginross and Betty Stewart in Tomnamoin, Moulin parish, married 24 Mar 1781.

Their eight children were all born at Dalginross, except Margaret (1795) who was born at Auchghoul, which was close to Dalginross but much closer to the river. The reason for this is uncertain, but perhaps there was a midwife at Auchghoul.

The family had left Dalginross by 1836 as their son George was living at Brae of Lude when he married Isobel Stewart. Three of their daughters had moved to the same area and were living at Kirkton of Lude at the time of the 1841 census.

Ten years later, the 1851 census shows that Barbara probably had died and that the remaining two sisters had moved down the glen to Runroy.

Christian Ritchie, unmarried pauper in Donavuilt, died of bronchitis 9th January 1857 and was buried in the Old Churchyard of Blair. Parents given as George Ritchie, deceased agricultural labourer, and Betsy Stewart, deceased. The informant was her sister Isabel Ritchie who signed with her mark 'X'.

In 1861 Isabella Ritchie was living on her own at Clune-more. The census described her as a 66 year old unmarried pauper, formerly an agricultural worker.

-

The Children of George Richie and Betty Stewart in Dalginross

-

John Seaton, tailor, and Ann Ritchie in Edinburgh

The marriage is entered twice in the Dull OPR. John Seaton and Ann Ritchie, both in this parish gave up their names for proclamation in order to marriage. It is assumed that John Seaton was born around 1775 but this cannot be confirmed. If there were any children from the marriage, their baptisms do not appear in any OPR.

There is a strong possibility that this is the same John Seton who is listed as a tailor at 10 Jamaica Street in the Edinburgh Street Directories from 1819 until 1823. One must wonder if the Edinburgh Street Directories were checked every year for accuracy before being reprinted as John Seton died in early 1820, yet is still listed in the 1822-23 print run.

St Cuthbert's, Edinburgh, OPR (deaths) 21st February 1820. John Seton, tailor, died the 19th and was interred here from Jamaica Street on the 21st. Lyes 12 feet east from the north-east corner of Mr Read tomb. Aged 45 years.

John Seton is not a very common name, his age is what would be expected, and there is no evidence of him still being in Dull parish. Being a tailor would be a profession that he could have used in both Dull and Edinburgh (there is another John Seton in Edinburgh at this time but he was a barber), and John's wife, Ann Ritchie died in Edinburgh in 1830 and the details fit with the Blair Atholl data.

St Cuthbert's, Edinburgh, OPR (deaths) 27th June 1830. Anne Ritchie, relict of John Seton, died at 148 Rose Street, aged 55 years.