St. Pancras Marriage 1803/Birth 1804/5

[Gener8or]

Hi Ian55,
I have been chasing down McRitchies in Perthshire for a short time, looking for antecedents of my 4th great grandfather, George McRitchie (abt 1781-1863) who was a baker at Strathallan Castle, Blackford Parish.  The record of his death in the statutory registers gives his birth as Dunkeld and parents as John McRitchie, baker (dec) and Janet Reid (dec) (329/00 0025 Auchterader)  Interestingly, George was also married to his first wife Martha Trench or French, in London in 1803 -- this marriage occurred at St Saviours, Southwark, London.

When I noticed the similarities with your Constable/McRitchie marriage, I began to look at the OPR births for Margaret McRitchie Constable's children... the Dundee parish births at this time often record the namesake of the child... no disappointment there, William and Margaret Constable's daughter Janet b 21 Oct 1807, was named after "J.Reid, grandmother". ( 282/00 0090 0283 Dundee)
So it is possible that your Margaret McRitchie Constable was a sister of my George McRitchie, and that they were both in London at the same time. 

George McRitchie and his wife Martha also moved back to Scotland by December of 1812, when the birth of their daughter Mary is recorded in the Muthill Episcopal Records, and their address is given as North Gate Strathallen House, Blackford Parish, Perthshire. My 3x great grandmother, Margaret McRitchie, and at least 4 other children were born there as well, before Martha died (between 1820 and 1822). George then remarried to Ann Sorley, and he is listed in the statutory deaths as widower of Ann.

I should mention that Georgina Constable is recorded as being named after her maternal grandfather in the OPR births (082/00 0090 0523 Dundee), whereas the father's name as recorded on the statutory death register for my George McRitchie, the baker, is John.  It is possible that two McRitchies could have married two J. Reids and had children in Dunkeld. However, it is also possible that the name John was reported incorrectly. William McRitchie, the son who reported George's death, was  born about 1817, when his own father was nearing 40, and may never have known his grandparents personally. 

Although I suspect kinship, I have not been able to locate records to positively identify the name of the father and siblings of George McRitchie, the baker.  My research is conducted from afar, which complicates matters! I will let you know if anything develops, and please let me know if anything turns up on your end.
Thanks-
Gener8or

[ian55]

Hi Gener8or,

Thanks for your posting. There is no doubt in my mind that your George McRitchie d1863 and my Margaret McRitchie or Constable d1859 are brother and sister both being children of George McRitchie and Janet Reid of Dunkeld.

The handwritten family tree produced c1910 mentioned in my original posting gives some clues to support this.

It also mentions specifically that George McRitchie and Janet Reed (sic) were married at Dunkeld on 25 Nov 1773.

It would be good to compare notes in greater detail so I will send you a PM.

Ian55

[dawnsh]

Hi Ian & Gener8or

You need a post count of 2 or more to be able to use the personal message (pm) system.

Ian, unless someone else has beaten you to it, you may be able to send 1 pm, if not you get an error message.

Gener8or, you need to make one more post to be able to reply to a pm.

Hope this helps.

Dawn

[ian55]

Hi Gener8or,

It seems you may not have received my PM so I will repeat it here.

I have just now found the Marriage of your George McRitchie and Martha French in London in 1803 on Ancestry.

I recognise the two witnesses as sisters of your George McRitchie. There is Margaret McRitchie who goes on to marry William Constable later that year and there is Jean Shed who appears in the handwritten family tree as "Jean (McRitchie) married George Shed". This is the first time I have seen anything to confirm this entry. So thanks for that.

I also have another sister of your George McRitchie. This is Mary McRitchie who married George Stewart, a Sergeant in the 42nd Regiment of Foot (Black Watch). They had a daughter who was married twice and had three children.

I also have a brother of your George McRitchie called John McRitchie but I have not been able to find out anything about him yet.

Ian55

[Gener8or]

Sorry I have been offline handling other family matters .
I have the marriage of George McRitchie and Janet Reid (Reed, Read) from the OPRs as follows:
[1773] Novr 6th George McRichie, baker, and Janet Read. (OPR Marriages DUNKELD 349/00 0010 0423). The date is pretty close to that in your handwritten account.
Yes, I have Mary McRitchie as well. She appears in the OPRs as follows: "March 19, [1776], George MacRitchie, baker, had a daughter born and baptized 26th, named Mary" (Dunkeld, 349/00 0010 0220).  There is also this note: OPR Marriage Banns Dunkeld 1798: Proclamations:
"Dougal McPhail, private in the 2nd fencible regiment and Mary McRichie of this town" Feb 11, 1798. 349/00 0010 0452.  There is no confirmation that the ceremony actually took place, although the banns were read. I have not had much success chasing down Dougal McPhail. But it is interesting that you have her marrying another military man, George Stewart. What is the documentation for that marriage, and where did it occur? I will see if that name leads me anywhere.
RE: John McRitchie, brother of Mary, Margaret and George. I do have the documentation of his birth on 5 October 1784 in Dunkeld (OPR, Dunkeld 349/00 0010 0226).  Not much other information though. Where did you run across him?
RE: sister Jean who married George Shed. This is very interesting. I thought it logical to search for a sister named Jean or Jane or Janet, but have not been able to find a definitive OPR documentation of birth. There is only one Jean MacRitchie in the OPR births for Dunkeld, she is listed as born 25th Aug and baptized 27th Aug 1774, (OPR, Dunkeld 349/00 0010 0226) dau of George MacRitchie  _____ (illegible) to his grace the Duke of Atholl. It is not clear that this is our same George McRitchie, baker and husband of Janet Reid. There is also a George MacRitchie who is a gamekeeper for the Duke of Atholl and this entry may pertain to him. 
I am very encouraged that our information seems to overlap.
Thanks
Gener8or

[Gener8or]

PS just found this in the Dunkeld OPR marriages:

Nov'r 25th [1794] James Shade, baker in Dundee, and Jean MacRitchie.

[Gener8or]

Sorry that was recorded in the OPR as Jean MacRitchie (not Janet as previously reported)

[Old Moon]

PS just found this in the Dunkeld OPR marriages:

Nov'r 25th [1794] James Shade, baker in Dundee, and Jean MacRitchie.

Hi,

This couple, James Shade/Shed/Sheed and Jean MacRichie are my husband's family.
I am wondering if it is possible to tell me who the witnesses to the marriage were.

Thanks,

Abi.

[ian55]

Hi Abi,

Sadly there are no witnesses mentioned in the register. The entry is simply as quoted by Gener8or.

I don't have anything further on the descendants of James Shade/Shed/Sheed and Jean MacRitchie so I'd certainly be interested in hearing more about your husband's branch of the family.

Ian