| 6. | John Ritchie was born on 22 Mar 1767 in Fintry Parish, Stirlingshire, Scotland; died on 22 Aug 1828 in Bathurst Twp, Lanark County, Ontario, Canada; was buried in Old Burying Ground / Pioneer Cemetery, Craig Street, Perth, Ontario, Canada. Other Events and Attributes:
- FindaGrave Memorial ID: 52613388
- Name: John Ritchy
- _UID: A3D4EA00E0D4445EBF5B880A814F98956087
Notes:
FindaGrave Memorial ID:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/52613388
Died:
Transcription of an excerpt of a typewritten account of the Ritchie family history in Ontario received from Mr. Lyndsey Ritchie of Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1949. Much of it appears to have been compiled by a Mrs. Jessie Hendry McLaren of Perth, Ontario in 1931.
History and Record of John Ritchie and his wife, Janet Luke, Fintry, Scotland and Perth, Ontario, and their children to the fourth generation. [Excerpt]
This brief record of the Ritchie family has been written to preserve for the present and future generations, the history of their ancestors. There may be errors and omissions, but it is, we believe, a fairly accurate record, and, as such, it is sent to members of the different branches of this family with the hope that it may prove interesting, and also that it will be preserved.
For help and information we would thank Mr. Robert Ritchie of Edmonton, Alberta; Mr. W. W. Kemp of Forest; Mr. S. H. F. Kemp of Toronto; Dr. H. B. Anderson of Toronto; Mrs. Crawford of Sarnia; Mr. James McLean of Renfrew County; and Dr. J. W. Jory of St. Catherines, Ontario. The compiling of this record has been a great pleasure, and we regret that more time could not have been spent in its preparation.
From old pages and records we find that in the year 1784, John Ritchie, Jr., son of John Ritchie of Dalry Mills, Scotland, was apprenticed to Henry Hannah, smith, of Lennie Park, for the term of four years, "for the learning of, and serving him in the business and craft as a smith." John Ritchie's brother, James, "taking burden upon himself for his said brother as cautioner." The record says that he served his term of apprenticeship faithfully and honestly.
Four years later, in the year 1792 he married Janet Luke, their home being in the beautiful little village of Fintry, nestled on the South side of the Campia Hills, about midway between Edinburgh and Glasgow. There he worked in a factory, and was in charge of the machinery. Some fine specimens of his work are still in possession of his grandsons and their sons.
It was toward the end of the Napoleonic wars, when hard times in the old country induced many families to improve their fortunes by emigration to the United States or Canada, that John Ritchie of Fintry, Scotland, with his wife and family of eight children sailed from Greenock, in June, 1815 for Virginia, in order to re-establish themselves in the new world.
The war of 1812-1815, in which the Americans had joined with the French against the Motherland was just drawing to a close. In order to escape French privateers on watch for British shipping, the sailing ship with the Ritchie family turned Northward, for the St. Lawrence. The County of Lanark, in upper Canada was just then being opened for the settlement of a large immigration of soldiers and civilians from Lanarkshire, in Scotland, and the Ritchie family made Lanark County their destination, and located a tract of land seven miles from the future county town of Perth. The Lanark settlement soon became well established and prosperous. In fact, the most successful emigration in the early history of the province.
About seven miles South from Perth the Ritchie homestead was situated; the grant being one hundred acres of land. John, the eldest son, also received a grant of one hundred acres, adjoining his father's land. The first years in the new land were ones of hardship, but the Ritchies appear to have been clever and resourceful.
The second son, Robert, went with his young wife (Margaret Hume) to Peterboro county, obtaining a grant of four hundred acres of land. Here they prospered, and established saw and grist mills, as well as engaging in farming.
The youngest son, William, stayed on the homestead, which he extended to three hundred acres. He also went into the lumbering business, and at one time owned extensive timber limits. The house, built by his mother, (with later additions) still stands as a fine old mansion, and is now owned and occupied by a descendent of the Ritchie family. The saw mill passed into other hands, but is again in operation on a small scale.
There is no record of the death of John Ritchie. We learn that he was a man of quiet and retiring nature, but evidently capable and clever. His wife, Janet Luke, was a woman of fine and commanding appearance, dignified, wise, and most capable. She lived a number of years after the death of her husband, at the old home, having attained the age of 84 years.
These men and women, good, noble, and industrious, as many of them were, have, with their descendants, taken no small part in the making of Canada. For it is the good citizens and true patriots who make a Country Great.
Compiled in 1931 by Jessie Hendry McLaren ? (Mrs. P. S. McLaren)
R. R. #2, Perth, Ontario.
Comment by L. K. Ritchie ? grandson of Peter Ritchie ? No. V [Peter Ritchie was a son of Robert and Margaret (Hume) Ritchie.]
This seems to be a very fine piece of work, and it's value will increase more and more as time passes, and records are harder to reach, and memories fade and fail. These folks who have given of their time and effort to set this record up are definitely entitled to the most hearty thanks of all the descendants of John Ritchie and Janet Luke. I have collected, developed and compiled ? with the very generous help of some of my "cousins", both Ritchie and Kidd ? quite a bit of genealogy connected with the second son, Robert, who was my great grandfather, and it has been a most interesting work. There are some noticeable "differences" between the various recordings, but I know of no way to now determine the accuracy of any one item over another, and so have recorded the seemingly most 'probable' version ? subject to correction.
4618 Pillsbury Ave., Minneapolis, 9, Minn.
John married Janet Luke on 2 Sep 1792 in East Kilbride Parish, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland. Janet was born about 1773 in Dalkeith, Midlothian, Scotland; died in Jan 1856 in Bathurst Twp, Lanark County, Ontario, Canada; was buried in Old Burying Ground / Pioneer Cemetery, Craig Street, Perth, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
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