History of The Eastern Kentucky Ritchies.

By Joseph Ritchie.

  (1925)

Submitted by Susan Fahnstrom

This document was written 1925, when the writer was about 57 years old and he wanted to put down what he knew of an ancestor who was the first of the family who now lives in Eastern Kentucky. It was found in a trunk by his granddaughter, stored in the basement of the home of Levi Ritchie, now deceased. Before his death, Levi stated that his father had boxes of papers and notebooks, but they had been destroyed when the old house had been torn down and they had been stored where the dampness had caused them to mildew, rendering them useless. His name was Joseph Ritchie, commonly known as “Bald Joe”. He was a school teacher by profession and a great grandson of Alexander Crocket Ritchie, SR. He was born in 1868 and at the time of Alexander Crocket Ritchie’s death, would have been ten years old. Fully old enough to have (been) present at some of those old gatherings where everyone sits on the porch on Sunday afternoons and talks of their family and to rember things and people who were there or spoken of.

Grethel Ritchie.

Ritchie Family Co- Chairperson.

James Ritchie’s Descendants to Present Generation.

    By Joseph Ritchie.

 James Ritchie with five of his brothers came from England about the year 1768. He settled in Virginia on the James River, while some of his brothers settled in East Tennesse and others settled in what is now North Carolina and Texas. He married a dark skinned, black haired woman, whose maiden name was Keith. He, James fought in the Revolutionary war and was in the battle of Yorktown, He said before his regiment went into action, the Officiers had their men mix whiskey and gunpowder together and drank it to make them nervy.

 Our Author for this was his son Crocket Ritchie, who informed Old man Gabe Ritchie, (Pop’s Gabee) who at the time of his death was the best informed on local history in the mountains. He never forgot anything and he liked to talk about his ancestors.

What they did and said, so that is why he knew so much about them.

 After the Revolution, James Ritchie moved to North Carolina, Buncombe County, where he remained for some time. Then he moved to Kentucky and made a cabin in what is now Knott County, where he died. His family then returned to Virginia, except his son Crocket Ritchie, who remained in Kentucky. After he became permanently settled in Kentucky, his brother John went back to Virginia and aklso the mother, his mother Mary Keith came back from Virginia and stayed with him for some time.

Our informant, Gabe Ritchie, said he could well remember seeing her several times at her son Crocket Ritchie’s home on the Big Branch of the Ball in the bottom just below where Jason Ritchie, Elic’s Son, (Elic, Alexander Crocket Ritchie JR) now lives.

One of his daughters married a Mr Ferguson who settled further West in Kentucky. MR Ferguson finally came and took his mother in law to his Western Kentucky home, she never came back and nothing was heard of her any more.

It is said that the Ferguson’s in the Central part of Kentucky are off spring of the Ritchie – Ferguson marriage.

Crocket Ritchie is said to have built the first cabin in Hammond’s Gap, in what is now known as the Gabe Hudson Farm.

Crocket Ritchie married Suan Elizabeth Grigsby, the daughter of Bennie Grigsby, to this wedlock were born, Nicholas, Isom, Hiram, John, James, Elic and Gabriel – Sons and daughters, Ara, Polly, Oma, Betty and Nancy.

 I assume that Old man Gabe was Gabriel Ritchie who married Nancy Campbell and was my ancestor. My grandfather told me that Alexander Crocket Ritchie was referred to as “Crocket”, Uncle Crocket, Pop and in some case, Grandpop. He was born after the death of Alexander Crocketb Ritchie but was also a great grandson of Crocket Ritchie.