Ritchie, Meeting House Farm, Tranent

[sasha97]

Does anyone have information about Meeting House, Tranent or the family of Robert Ritchie who were tenant farmers there early 1900's.

Thanks

[tidybooks]

Hi Sasha,

I found Robert Ritchie as an unmarried 24 yo at High Street Meeting House, Tranent in the 1881 census staying with parents William and Ann Ritchie, or there is another staying at same address, who is 11yo to parents John and Agnes. They are both cousins, I think.

The 24 yo Robert was born in Penicuik to William Ritchie and Ann Dailly, the 11yo was born to John Ritchie and Agnes Wardlaw. There is a picture of the meeting house on Scran,

http://www.scran.ac.uk/database/record.php?usi=000-000-471-237-C

Tom

[sasha97]

Thanks
My great grandmother (Ann Lauder nee Blair) was Robert Ritchie's 2nd wife. They had two children Ann Dally Ritchie and William Ritchie.

My grandmother (Jessie Lauder) was married at Meeting House and various other members of the family all worked there either as farm servants or domestic servants around 1900.

I am interested in the history of the place. I believe there was a link to the united free church and that it was owned by the coal board at one time?

[tidybooks]

Hi sasha97,

Here is another picture of meetinghouse with following notes.

Meeting House - http://www.eastlothianmuseums.org/exhibitions/tranent/houses/Ai1758.htm

This building was traditionally associated with religious dissent of various kinds. A group of Catholic ladies lived here at one time; the Covenanters held their conventicle and later the Episcopalians worshipped. The nucleus of what was to be the United Presbyterian Church formed here. It was also a farm.

Tom

PS added link, Duh

[Claz]

Hi I'm your cousin lol. Was your gran called daisy if so she was my grandads sister. Cause aunty daisy's real name was jessie Lauder.  John lauder was our great grandad and the son of ann Lauder,  later married to robert Ritchie . George lauder was John's father. John was the manager of meeting house farm early 1900s . The lauders and grieves all worked at meetinghouse.

[tidybooks]

Just a note to say, that the link, http://www.eastlothianmuseums.org/exhibitions/tranent/houses/Ai1758.htm

is no longer working. I have searched but cannot find a photo of meeting House Farm.

Tom Buchanan

[Forfarian]

Might there be something of interest here http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NT4072 ?

I take it that the actual meeting house has been demolished but there seems to be a street named after it.

[tidybooks]

Hi Forfarian,

Not sure if it still standing, stay through in East Kilbride now, but was born in Tranent, and I am familiar with Meeting House Drive. The houses shown in the photo are in New Road, not Meeting  House Drive.

I was born on opposite side of Tranent at 40 Ormiston Crescent, which was renamed as 43 Ormiston Crescent West.

Tom

[Forfarian]

The houses shown in the photo are in New Road, not Meeting House Drive.

'The photo'? Which one? There are 86 photos in that link.

If there is something wrong with one of the captions or descriptions, please use the 'contact the photographer' button to draw it to their attention.