Tuesday 5 November 2013

Archibald Ritchie and family

 The above gravestone is most impressive and probably cost a fair penny but sadly it hasn't stood the test of time very well and the text is now virtually unreadable. I'm noting here the text as found in Sheila A. Scott's book Peeblesshire Monumental Inscriptions pre 1855:

Archibald Ritchie born 1748, died 1815, his wife Mary Lewisham, born 1755, died 1821; John Ritchie born 1784 died 1865, his wife Wilhelmina Stevenson born 1790 died 1859,  daughter Mary wife of Peter Stenhouse, born 1820 died 1868, daughter Jean born 1834 died 1836; William Ritchie born 1822 died 1901, wife Agnes Houliston born 1827 died 1909, both buried Natal SA; Archibald Ritchie born 1814 died 1866, wife Agnes Ballantyne, born 1819 died 1874; William Davidson, born 1824 died 1864, wife Janet Ritchie born 1825 died 1894; John Ritchie born 1845 died 1924, only son Archibald born 1891 died 1927.
It's hard to date the gravestone. It's certainly not contemporary with the oldest burials as far as I can tell. It was probably erected by more recent generations and they included their forebears on the stone.

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