Ritchie families in Bohespic and south of the Garry

Fincastle

Glen Fincastle, showing Tomnaraid (Tomanrait), Pitfeolain (Pilvealain) and Bonskied

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Alexander Ritchie in Bohespic

The only Ritchie mentioned in the areas of Glenerrochty and Bohespic is Alexander Ritchie who was born around 1690. If he had been born earlier then he should have been listed in the Duke of Atholl Fencible Men (1705-06). By 1721 he was married to Jannet McDonald, and the first reference to the couple is the birth of their daughter Elspeth in Glenerrochty, which could have been anywhere between Achinruie and Trinafour.

Their second child, Margaret, was born in Bohespic but the actual settlement is not named.

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The children of Alexander Ritchie and Jannet McDonald in Bohespic

Name Born Married Date Residence Died
Elspeth Feb 4 1722 Alexander Fergusson Nov 27 1746 Blairuachdar h.
w.
Margaret Jul 28 1723 Angus Robertson Jan 21 1749 Tomanraid h.
w.

Jannet McDonald died after the birth of Margaret in 1723, and by 1727 Alexander was married to Jannet Forbes as their son Duncan was born at Bohespic in September 1728. The exact marriage date is unknown as the Blair Atholl OPR does not record marriages at this time.

There is some evidence (which is shown later) that Alexander had two daughters, Isobel and Christian, whose births were not recorded in the OPRs, although their marriages were recorded. If they both married in their mid-twenties, then Isabel would have been born around 1726 and Christian around 1730. To simplify this hypothesis, both daughter have been allocated to Jannet Forbes but, obviously, Isobel might have been the daughter of Jannet McDonald instead.

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The children of Alexander Ritchie and Jannet Forbes in Bohespic

Name Born Married Date Residence Died
Isobel ~1726 Alexander Stewart May 12 1752 Miltown of Blair h.
w.
Duncan Sep 1 1728 died in childhood . Bohespic d. by 1736
Christian ~1730 Patrick Forbes Aug 10 1754 Glaicmore h.
w.

Duncan seems to have been their only son and he must have died by 1736 as, by then, Alexander was married to his third wife, Margaret McGregor and their first child also was named Duncan. Although Duncan was born 19 Feb 1736 at Tomnaraid in Glen Fincastle, parish of Dull, the baptism appears in the Blair Atholl OPR, suggesting that the family had returned to Bohespic. The same baptism appears in the Blair Atholl OPR a year later, dated 3 Feb 1737, but this time records the family as living at Over Bohespic. Strangely, their next child, Alexander was born at Bohespic but the entry is in the Dull OPR. The family certainly were back at Bohespic by the following year as in 1738 Thomas Bissat, Commissioner at Dunkeld, fined Alexander Richie in Over Bohespic £10 for taking wood from David Stewart's Wood of Kynachan.

The repetition of Duncan as a baptismal name suggests that this was the name of the paternal grandfather. Secondly, there is the impression that the family were alternating between Tomanraid and Bohespic which suggests that Alexander was the brother of Donald Ritchie in Tomanraid. This possibility is strengthened by the fact that Alexander Ritchie was a witnesses for the baptism of Donald's daughter Elizabeth in 1744. Furthermore, a Margaret Ritchie in Tomnaraid married Angus Robertson in Invertilt in 1748. She cannot be Donald's daughter as he didn't marry until 1735, so most likely this is Alexander's daughter working as a servant for her uncle.

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The children of Alexander Ritchie and Margaret McGregor in Bohespic

Name Born Married Date Residence Died
Duncan Feb 19 1736 . . Tomanraid d.
Alexander Feb 20 1740 . . Bohespic d.

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Alexander Fergusson and Elspeth Ritchie in Nether Drumnacrich

Session Minutes, 5 Oct 1746
Elspeth Richie, servant woman to Robert Stewart in Blairuachdar, was reported to have had indecent behaviour with Alexander Fergusson, the said Robert Stewart's hire-man.

Blair Atholl OPR, 27 Nov 1746
Alexander Fergusson, servant to Robert Stewart in Blairuachdar, and Elspeth Richie, servant to Robert Stewart in Blairuachdar, married.

Session Minutes, 5 Jun 1748
Elspeth Richie, spouse to Alexander Fergusson in Nether Drumnacrich were called as witnesses upon oath in a case of slander by Ann Anderson, spouse to John Gray in Toldamph, against Duncan Robertson in Baluarain.

Session Minutes, 5 Feb 1749
Alexander Fergusson in Drumnacrich was given 10 merks Scots being the wages due from 13th October 1748 to 13th January 1749 for nursing the exposed child. (The following entry is in the OPR: "1748 An exposed child was left in the window of the Manse, April 13th, baptised 15th, called William (Blair).")

Session Minutes, 27 Aug 1749
Robert Fergusson in Balnald of Blairuachdar was given 10 merks as the board wages for the exposed child. (This may be Alexander’s father).

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The Family of Alexander Fergusson and Elspeth Ritchie in Nether Drumnacrich

Name Born Married Date Residence Died
Robert 12 Apr 1747 . . Balnald of
Blairuachdar
d.
Fergus 21 Jun 1749 . . Tighnafeat d.
John 24 Aug 1750 . . Balnald of
Blairuachdar
d.
Alexander 26 Jan 1753 . . Toldamph d.

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Angus Robertson and Margaret Ritchie in Invertilt

Blair Atholl OPR, 12 Jan 1749
Angus Robertson in Invertilt and Margaret Richie in Tomanraid, parish of Dull, married.

The Banns for marriage were also read in Dull parish church, 21 Dec 1748.

The children of Angus Robertson and Margaret Ritchie in Invertilt

Name Born Married Date Residence Died
Alexander Feb 22 1750 . . Invertilt d.
Duncan Jul 30 1752 . . Invertilt d.
Elspeth Dec 8 1760 . . Invertilt d.

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Patrick Forbes and Christian Ritchie in Glaicmore

On 10 Aug 1754 Christian Richie in Invertilt married Patrick Forbes in Glaicmore of Shierglas, parish of Dull (the Dull OPR gives her name as Kirstian Ritchie). Christian's parentage is uncertain and there are no baptisms recorded for the couple, which might have given a clue.

As Angus Robertson and his wife, Margaret Ritchie, were living at Invertilt when Christian married, it is highly likely that Christian was a domestic servant for Angus Robertson and her sister Margaret. Furthermore, another sister could be Isobel Ritchie, wife of the boatman Alexander Stewart in Milton of Blair.

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Alexander Stewart, boatman, and Isobel Ritchie in Miltown of Blair

Although there were a number of fords linking the south side of the River Garry with Blair village, when the water was a torrent the only safe way across was by using the ferry between the Haugh of Blair where Blair cornmill stood and a landing point in front of Lurgbea. Alexander Stewart was the boatman, living on the north side at Miltown of Blair.

The Blair Atholl Kirk Session minutes, 18 Mar 1750, state that Alexander Stewart, boatman of Blair, and Elspeth Forbes in Balnald of Wester Derculich, Logierait parish, appeared before the Kirk Elders and were discharged from co-habiting together under the pain of the highest censure. The Minister produced a line from Mr Fergusson, Minister of Logierait, narrating that Elspeth Forbes's husband was still in life, in which case the couple were to be proceeded against as adulterers. However Alexander Stewart, being told of the content of the said line, promised to present a line from Elspeth Forbes's husband's brother, residing at Flanders, signifying that his brother was dead. On 10 Mar 1750 their illegitimate son James was baptised, but even so the couple did not marry.

In the following year Alexander Stewart intended to marry Elizabeth Nicolson in Laigh of Pitcastle, Logierait Parish, but the marriage was retracted 13 Aug 1751. One year on he finally became a married man.

Blair Atholl OPR, 12 May 1752
Alexander Stewart, boatman at the Mill of Blair and Isobel Richie in Glaicmore, Dull parish.

The couple seem to have had just one child, Patrick, who was born at Miltown of Blair, 23 Jan 1753. The identity of Isabel is unconfirmed but it surely is more than a strange coincidence that she was at Glaicmore only 2 years before Christian Richie in Invertilt married Patrick Forbes in Glaicmore.

Normally, when a girl married her place of residence would be that of her father, even if she was employed as a domestic servant elsewhere. If her father was deceased, then her place of employment would be taken as her usual residence. There is no evidence of a Ritchie being either a tenant or a cottar at Glaicmore of Shierglas, so there is a high probability that Isobel was a sister of the previously mentioned Margaret and Christian.

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Donald Ritchie and Elspeth Robertson in Glen Fincastle

Neither the 1694 Rolls of Hearth Tax nor the 1705 Roll of Fencible Men list any men named Ritchie living in the parish of Dull. So it would seem that the Donald Ritchie who married there in 1735 originally had come from Blair Atholl parish, and probably was born around 1700. Two pieces of evidence, shown later, links Donald to Alexander Ritchie in Bohespic

Dull OPR, 22 Dec 1735
A testificate was given to Donald Ritchie in the parish of Dull and Elspet Robertson in the parish of Blair to be married.
Gilbert Stewart and John Stewart, witnesses. (the two men were witnesses for three other testificates on the same day)

Dull OPR, 13 Dec 1736
Donald Ritchie and Elspet Robertson in Lurgbea had a daughter baptised, named Jannet.

Dull OPR, 19 Feb 1744
Elizabeth, daughter to Donald Ritchie and Elspet Robertson in Tominraite (Tomanraid) of Fincastle was baptised
Alexander Ritchie and Donald Toshach (McIntosh), witnesses.

It seems most likely that Elspet Robertson died between 1744 and 1748, as Donald Ritchie took a second wife, Christian Kennedy.

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(Generation 3) The Children of Donald Ritchie and Elspeth Robertson in Glen Fincastle

Name Born Married Date Residence Died
Janet Dec 13 1736 . . Lurgbea d.
Elizabeth Feb 19 1744 . . Tomnaraid d.

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Donald Ritchie and Christian Kennedy in Tomnaraid, Glen Fincastle

Donald Ritchie and Christian Kennedy were married in 1748 and the Banns of Marriage appear in both the Blair Atholl and Dull OPRs, the former being more informative.

Blair Atholl OPR, 18 Aug 1748
Donald Ritchie in Tomanraid, Dull parish, and Christian Kennedy in Balinluig (of Strathgroy), married.

Dull OPR, 8 Aug 1748
A testificate was given to Donald Ritchie in Fincastle, in this parish, to be married to Christian Kennedy in the parish of Blair.
Donald Stewart and James Reaoch(?) witnesses.

There do not seem to have been any children from this marriage and Christian Kennedy was dead by 1755 when Donald Ritchie married his third wife, Ann Robertson.

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Donald Ritchie and Ann Robertson in Pitfeolain, Glen Fincastle

When Donald Ritchie married for the third time the Banns of Marriage were read in the parish of Moulin, not Dull. This would suggest that he was living near Ardtulichan which was just over the hill from Pitfeolain in Glen Fincastle.

Moulin OPR, 18 Nov 1755
Donald Ritchie and Ann Robertson, both in this parish being legally contracted, booked and proclaimed and no objection offered, were married December 4th.

The proof that this is the same Donald Ritchie is not conclusive, but the only other Donald Ritchie in the area around this time, died at Balinuarain in 1736. Assuming that it is the same fellow, then he returned to Glen Fincastle.

Dull OPR, 18 Sep 1757
Elspeth, daughter to Donald Ritchie and Ann Robertson in Pitfeolain (of Glen Fincastle) was baptised.

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(Generation 3) The Children of Donald Ritchie and Ann Robertson in Glen Fincastle

Name Born Married Date Residence Died
Elspeth Sep 18 1757 . . Pitfeolain d.

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John Ritchie in Ardkincael, Shierglas and Lurgbea

Neither the 1694 Rolls of Hearth Tax nor the 1705 Roll of Fencible Men list any men named Ritchie living in the parish of Dull. So it would seem that the John Ritchie who married there in 1712 originally had come from Blair Atholl parish.

Dull OPR, 30 Dec 1712
December ye 10th 1712, John Ritchie in this parish and Margret Robertsone in Blaire of Atholl parish were booked. Married December ye 30th.

The groom is believed to be the same John Ritchie who was a tenant at Ardkincael in 1705. Any other John Ritchie, not on the Fencible List, would have been 15 or younger in 1705 and therefore no more that 22 years old in 1712, making him much too young to have considered marriage. In addition there is no evidence of John Ritchie being at Ardkincael, or elsewhere, after 1705.

If John was born around 1675 he would have been a 30 year old tenant at Ardkincael in 1705, and 37 years old when he married in 1712. The seven year gap between 1712 and the birth of his daughter Margaret in 1719 is strange if he was living in Dull parish as there baptismal records cover that period. However, the couple may have returned to Blair Atholl parish where there are no baptismal records before 1718, or he may have enlisted in the army. Either way the couple had three children born on the south side of the River Garry between 1719 and 1723.

Dull OPR, 3 May 1719
John Ritchie and Margaret Robertsone in Shierglas, parish of Dull, had a daughter baptised, named Margaret.

Dull OPR, 8 May 1721
John Ritchy and Margaret Robison (sic) in Shierglas, parish of Dull, had a daughter baptised, named Janet.

Dull OPR, 28 Apr 1723.
John Ritchie and Margaret Robertson in Lurgbea had a son baptised, named Duncan.

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The children of John Ritchie and Margaret Robertson in Shierglas and Lurgbea

Name Born Married Date Residence Died
Margaret May 3 1719 . . Shierglas d.
Janet May 8 1721 Neil McIntosh Jun 12 1750 Balintoul h.
w.
Duncan Apr 28 1723 . . Lurgbea d.

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Neil McIntosh and Janet Ritchie in Balintoul

The surname 'McIntosh' has a variety of alternative spellings in the documentation - Mackintosh, McIntoish, even Tossich and Toshach.

Blair Atholl OPR, 12 Jun 1750
Neil MackIntosh in Balintoul and Janet Ritchie in Shierglas, Dull parish were married.

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The children of Neil McIntosh and Janet Ritchie in Balintoul

Name Born Married Date Residence Died
Janet Nov 29 1751 . . Balintoul d.
Donald Sep 13 1753 . . Balintoul d.
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