South Australia - McRITCHIE, Sqn Ldr Alexander Ian

[Ferryman]

I am trying to trace ancestry of the late Sqn Ldr Alexander Ian McRitchie, date of birth around 1920. He had a distinguished war record in the RAAF and I understand he had an engineering firm after the war ended. McRitchie Crescent in Whyalla was named after him.

Wartime photos of him show a very strong family resemblance to my own family, who were mariners in North Queensferry, Scotland, from 1650 to around 1900. We know many McRitchies worked on UK-Australia-NZ run,  some crewmen stayed in Australia, and other McRitchies emigrated to there. If I could trace his parents/grandparents' details they may link to family information I hold.

All info very gratefully received!

[sidsmith]

Here is Birth

MCRITCHIE,  Alexander  Ian
Father: Edwin Alfred  Mother: Sarah Casling WOOLLEY
Birth Place: SOUTH MELB
Year: 1915
Reg. Number: 14741

Sid

[sidsmith]

Here is parents marriage

Edwin MCRITCHIE and Sarah WOLLEY married 1914 Victoria
Reg no 9244

Sid

[cando]

Birth
McRITCHIE Edwin Alfred
Father John Matthew  Mother Sarah TAYLOR
At Geelong  1863  Reg#14280

Marriage of parents - parish record
McRITCHIE  John
TAYLOR Sarah
1853 Reg#6354
Denomination Church of England  Parish ST James, Melbourne  Fich#976

Marriage
McRITCHIE Edwin Alfred born Geelong
PARKINSON Sarah
1881  Reg#4235

Deaths
McRITCHIE Edwin Alfred
Father Mcritchie John   Mother Sarah  TAYLOR
At Heidelberg  62 years  1926  Reg#10134

McRITCHIE Sarah Casling
Father Woolley Anthon  Mother Sarah Ann  HART
At South Melbourne  90 years  1968  Reg#19027

Australian Electoral Roll
1903
McRITCHIE Edwin Alfred  16 Sandilands Street, South Melbourne  Contractor
McRITCHIE Emma Flora  16 Sandilands Street, South Melbourne  Dressmaker
McRITCHIE Sarah  16 Sandilands Street, South Melbourne  HD

1909
As above with addition of
McRITCHIE John Edwin 16 Sandilands Street, South Melbourne  Plumber

1914
McRITCHIE Edwin Arthur 16 Sandilands Street South Melbourne  Collector
McRITCHIE Flora 16 Sandilands Street South Melbourne  Milliner
McRITCHIE John Edwin  16 Sandilands Street South Melbourne  Ironworker

1919
McRITCHIE Edwin Alfred  160 Cecil Street South Melbourne  Mason
McRITCHIE Sarah Casling 160 Cecil Street, South Melbourne  HD
McRITCHIE Mary Ellen  450 Coventry Street, South Melbourne  HD
McRITCHIE Wifred Edwin  450 Coventry Street South Melbourne  Cooper

1924
McRITCHIE Edwin Alfred  52 Victoria Avenue, Albert Park  Mason
McRITCHIE Sarah Casling  52 Victoria Avenue, Albert Park  HD

1968
McRITCHIE Sarah Casling 450 Coventry Street, South Melbourne  HD

Certificates can be purchased online and immediately downloaded
https://online.justice.vic.gov.au/bdm/index-search?action=purchaseImage

Information on certificates in Victoria
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,373754.0.html

Cando

[judb]

PROV has a digitised will for John Matthew McRITCHIE, gentleman, of Raglan St, Sandridge (now Port Melbourne), died 14 March, 1880. 

He leaves all to his wife Sarah, and appoints his daughter Flora McRITCHIE as executrix.
http://210.8.122.120/indexes/index_search.asp?searchid=54

Electoral roll 1856
John M McRITCHIE, sarjeant water police,
Residence: house off Nelson St.

From TROVE:
Not sure if this is the same family but looks as though it fits with your Queensferry McRitchies

1856 Marriage of Christina, daughter of James McRITCHIE, shipowner of Queensferry.
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/49749417

Judith




 

[Ferryman]

Thank you so much for your help, everyone. We're now searching online ship listings for John Matthew McRitchie, the airman's grandfather who married Sarah Taylor in 1853 and assuming he was born around 1830 or so. If anyone has any pointers to him I'd be grateful, we think he may have emigrated.

There was considerable emigration from Scotland in the mid-19th century, we found that the Australian Govt subsidised a steamboat service from Leith (north of Edinburgh) to London where they would change to a sailing ship as steam did not have the range. The sailors would go round the Cape (no Suez Canal yet) and continue round the world with prevailing trade winds to return to England after a year.

@ Judith B:
Yes, Christina was my gt-gt-gt-gtaunt who with her sister Margaret left North Queensferry in 1848. (The McRitchies were mariners there since at least 1650). Thanks to Rootschat researchers Jenn and Sue we have their story which reads like a novel, Margaret married a wealthy merchant in Adelaide and is buried in Geelong, Christine married a bigamist and died in the Melbourne poorhouse.

[cando]

Christine married a bigamist and died in the Melbourne poorhouse.

Death notice for Christine's husband Stephen William GOETZE [STEPHENS]
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0k8q/

Cando

[judb]

My goodness what different lives the sisters led.

I see a bit more for John Matthew McRITCHIE.

Australian Death Index:
Victoria 1880, reg no 1168
John Mat Living McRITCHIE  (sic)
Age:   59
Father: Thomas
Mother: Martha Scott
Estimated Birth Year:   abt 1821

Perhaps the parent names can help. 

Electoral roll:

1856
John M McRITCHIE, sarjeant water police
Residence: House off Little Nelson St, Williamstown

Williamstown is on the bay near Melbourne and was a port.

Judith

[cando]

John McRITCHE a sergeant in the Police of Victoria in 1858....
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0k8o/

Thank you so much for your help, everyone. We're now searching online ship listings for John Matthew McRitchie, the airman's grandfather who married Sarah Taylor in 1853 and assuming he was born around 1830 or so. If anyone has any pointers to him I'd be grateful, we think he may have emigrated.

According to his death registration he was born c1821.  His death certificate would note the time in Australia.

http://www.familysearch.org/eng/search/frameset_search.asp?PAGE=igi/search_IGI.asp&clear_form=true
Extracted parish record
McRITCHIE John Matthew
Born 17 Jun 1819      
Baptism 18 Jul 1819  Saint Helena, Saint Helena Colony, Atlantic Islands
Father  Thomas McRitchie    Mother  Martha McRitchie

Death
McRITCHIE John Matthew Living
Father Thomas  Mother Martha SCOTT
1880  59 years  Birth place unknown  Reg#1168

Any of his children's birth certificates would also note his place of birth.

McRITCHIE Edgar Walter
Father John Matthew  Mother Sarah TAYLOR
At Williamstown  1854  Reg#2193

MCRITCHIE Flora
Father John Matthew  Mother Sarah TAYLOR
At Williamstown  1856  Reg#1193
 
McRITCHIE John Scott
Father John Mathew  Mother Sarah TAYLOR
At Williamstown  1857  Reg#14366

McRITCHIE George Fran
Father John Mathew  Mother Sarah TAYLOR
At Williamstown  1857  Reg#14367

McRITCHIE Herbert
Father John Matthew  Mother Sarah TAYLOR
At Geelong  1860  Reg#14509

McRITCHIE Edwin Alfred
Father John Matthew  Mother Sarah TAYLOR
At Geelong  1863  Reg#14280

McRITCHIE Wilfred Ernest
Father John Mathew  Mother Sarah TAYLOR
At Emerald Hill 1865  Reg#15125
 
Deaths
McRITCHIE Edgar Walter
Father John Matthew Mother Sarah UNKNOWN
1857  Born Victoria  2 years  Reg#1046

McRITCHIE George Francis
Father John Mathew  Mother Sarah
1858  Born Williamstown  5 Weeks  Reg#1267

A few newsnippets you may be interested in
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0k8r/
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0k8s/
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0k8t/
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0k8u/

http://freebmd.rootsweb.com/cgi/search.pl
Marriages Sep 1941  
McARTHUR Joyce W    Surrey Mid E 2a/607     
McRITCHIE Alexander I    Surrey Mid E 2a/607

Cheers
Cando