Ritchie - Scots Irish

[jillian ann]

I am trying to trace back my Grt grt grandfather Daniel Ritchie who settled in Manchester around 1850's. The earliest I can trace him is a marriage cert 1853 Manchester Cathedral marrying Bridget Turner. I  ordered the certificate hoping it would give a clue to his religion, but apparently a good deal of marriages took place there at that time, of many persuasions.  All census records show Daniel a weaver by trade, as coming from Ireland nothing more.

Looking through the 1861 census records I found his elderly mother and father (father Robert is documented as 78 years old and "out of business") and grown up daughters none married, all power loom weavers, again all from Ireland but no clue as to where. 
 
I cannot trace them on the 1851 census, but I understand that some of the records were damaged for Manchester, so I cannot be certain when they settled in England

Any suggestions would be very much appreciated.

Jill

[helenar]

Hi

I looked on this site first which is for most of Ireland it is free to login and search, only 4 came up in my search, the map tells you what Counties are available

Church Baptism Ritchey Daniel 1832 Co. Down 
 Church Baptism Ritchie Daniel 1835 Co. Antrim 
 Church Baptism Ritchie Daniel 1843 Co. Down 
 Church Baptism Ritchie Daniel 1897 Co. Down 

http://ifhf.brsgenealogy.com/index.php

Then checked site below which only covers Down and Antrim this is the only one that had Robert as father the other 3 spelt Ritchie fathers name was different

RITCHEY DANIEL 1832 Father is ROBERT Co down

http://www.ancestryireland.com/index.php?ai_home

I am not sure if this is him as there could be records that are missing.

Helena

[jillian ann]

Hi Helenar

Many thanks for your reply, I have been so frustrated with this one as my knowledge on searching Irish records you could put on a postage stamp , but yesterday I looked at these sites and came up with the same records. On purchasing the credit I looked at the Daniel Ritchey record and the mother is recorded as Sarah Wightman, father as Robert Ritchey and they are living in Dunmore, Magherah Hamlet,(presbyterian) Co. Down.

I have this family in the 1861 census for rawtenstall Manchester father is   Robert and mother is a Sarah.  Daniels age is right,the only difference is the spelling but I suppose many people were illiterate in them days.

Do you think that this is the right one?

Many thanks for your help Helenar

[helenar]

Hi Jillian

Ritchie is not a common name, it looks like you may have the right family Daniel is not that common either and having both parents as Sarah and Robert is certainly interesting and you have the right year, you might want to do some more research to see if you can validate further.

I have found surnames to be wrong on more than one occasion, example of spelling variations are Stuart and Stewart, Moore and Muir, Crawford and Crauford, McCullough many variations, I have seen multiple variations of that same name in the same Parish. I have even found a Stuart/Stewart same person birth and marriage record having different spelling, variations did happen.

Here are some more sites for you to look around

http://www.failteromhat.com/griffiths.php

Above site put in both variations and you will find where the name is found in Ireland

http://www.emeraldancestors.com/

Above site take of the tick box for exact spelling

http://www.proni.gov.uk/index/search_the_archives/will_calendars/wills_search.htm

Search tips for the above site, Ritch*  in the abstract field you can put in any thing e.g. name or place and check the tick box it will give you the name Ritchie/Ritchie where your other option in the abstract box appears. This will give you names that you are not looking for where the name Ritchie may appear e.g. executor or married sisters name etc.

In the forename field try *Ritch* don’t put in anything else and leave out surname but select a registry otherwise the search may not work this will give you anyone who may have the name as a middle name or even first name.

Check out Co. Down message forum board and someone may help further

Helena

[aghadowey]

Here's another site to search Griffith's valuation (scanned images and in some cases maps):
http://griffiths.askaboutireland.ie/gv4/gv_family_search_form.php

However, first you really need to find where the family lived in Ireland (parish if not actual townland).

[helenar]

Thanks Aghadowey

That is site has a good search engine for the griffiths

Helena

[jillian ann]

Thank you both very much for your replies,  I was about to give up  

However, first you really need to find where the family lived in Ireland (parish if not actual townland).

I get very confused with parish, townland etc. The church baptism record shows address as Dunmore, Maghera Hamlet, (Presbyterian) Co Down. Any idea on how I would find the townland? or is part of this address townland ? please excuse my ignorance.....
 
I shall check out these sites. Once again thank you both very much for your help.

Jill

[aghadowey]

Well, I live here and I'm cofused by the information you got as well.
Hamlet isn't a word I've come across much in Ireland.
The fact that Presbyterian is in brackets makes it seem as though the record came from a Presbyterian church but I would have thought the name of the church would be listed. Any Presbyterian baptisms from that period I've seen list the date of baptism, child's name, name of father, sometimes mother's name, and the townland.
Perhaps someone else can explain what the places in the record mean.

[eadaoin]

my alphabetical index shows Dunmore as a townland in the civil parish of Dromara, Co Down. Nothing about Maghera, which could be a local name, not official.

eadaoin