Ritter in the greater Braintree area

[warwickb]

Hi All
Hannah Ritter Laver is b 1789 as eldest child of Robert Laver (1762) of Braintree and Hannah Fairhead of Bocking.
While I have possibly tracked Hannah Fairhead (b c 1759) back three generations the use of  'Ritter' as Hannah's (1789) middle name is a puzzle (it does not appear)  so I  can not discount the tracking is wrong. Ritter could reference Hannah Fairheads mothers maiden name or grandmothers maiden name. (It could also reference Robert's paternal grandmother Elizabeth's maiden name which is still unknown).

The only Ritter's I have found reference to in the Braintree area so far are on Ancestry being a William Ritter bapt 27 July 1656, son of John Ritter in Bradwell (not sure which one) (film no 001471933). As it happens the Fairheads also track back to Bradwell-juxta-Coggeshall.
SEAX does not have Bradwell baptisms prior to 1704.
So interested please in any Ritter's located in Bradwell prior to 1704 or others in vicinity particularly any Hannah Ritter's that might link to a Fairhead (Hannah Fairhead's mother would be born circa 1720-1730 and a grandmother circa 1700).
Thank you for any assistance.
Regards
Warwick

[LizzieL]

In my experience if ancestral surnames are handed down as middle names, they don't normally skip a generation. Perhaps Ritter was a family friend who had been particularly generous to the family.

For others looking at this one - earlier thread which found some of the Laver ancestors

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=777575.msg6318894#msg6318894

[LizzieL]

The only Ritter's I have found reference to in the Braintree area so far are on Ancestry being a William Ritter bapt 27 July 1656, son of John Ritter in Bradwell (not sure which one) (film no 001471933).

Seen scan on SEAX, looks more like Skitter, with cap S and lower case k quite close together. There a capital Rs in same writing on same page which look distinctly different. Bapt at Bradwell on sea not Bradwell near Coggeshall

added
John Skitter baptised another son a couple of years earlier in same place, different clerk, clearly reads "Skitter"

[LizzieL]

Just looked at Hannah's baptism record, it's very neatly written and clearly says Ritter. It almost looks too neat as do the others above. Her baptism was the last for the year and it almost looks as if the clerk had written quite a number of records from different dates at the same time - perhaps catching up with his records at the end of year. Even when its the same handwriting you usually get some differences on adjacent lines if written at different times. If he was copying from scraps of paper into the official register he may have made a mistake with the name. Could be Rutter - much more common surname. And skimming through the register a few years either side of Hannah's baptim, I was struck how similar Quilter looked - several of those.

[warwickb]

Lizzie
hi
Thank you for taking a look at this. Apologies in delay response -just back from busy weekend. Your thoughts are appreciated.  I had wondered about Rutter as had seen that name in Braintree and environs registers (interestingly I am a Rutter descendant but up in Cumberland/Northumberland).

Good to potential isolate 'Ritter/Skitter' link. On the matter of middle names being maiden name while I concur with you, my great grandfather has his maternal grandmothers maiden name as his middle name so it did happen.
I'm still missing Robert Laver m to Elizabeth Unknown in circa 1735. His wife Ester dies in 1734 and there is a birth to Robert & Elizabeth in 1735 and 1739 on-wards in Braintree. Have now searched parishes in a 4 mile radius - obviously have to look a bit further.
Thank you again for comments
Cheers
Warwick