Find Ancestors

Would you please give any advise how to achieve this, any help much appreciated :-D

You need to use scotlandspeople. It is a pay-to-view site but you can download images of original birth, marriage and death entries so itcan work out less expensive than buying English certs.

A quick search shows two births for Alfred Ritchie between 1870 and 1873. None for James Alfred or Alfred James.

Do you know what happened to Alfred and Jessie? I can only find them on 1901 census.

I checked for an Alfred Ritchie prior to 1901 Census b Scotland living Woolwich came up with only 1...



name: Alfred Richie
: Census event date: 1891
: Male age: 21 relationship to head of household:
Lodger birthplace: Glasgow ******
district: Woolwich sub-district:
Woolwich Arsenal
ecclesiastical parish: Holy Trinity
civil parish: Woolwich

EDIT....Birth of Alfred James Registered Dec Quarter 1892 Woolwich 1d 1220

Hi after 1901 great granddad whet to buy cigs and never return :-D as fa as I can see could find in 1911.
Have birth certificate for Alfred born 1892 my granddad, father James Ritchie occupation slater . Found I think Alfred & James Ritchie 1881 census Scotland, James born Glasgow widower occupation Slater . can't get any further back.
You all so kind Thank you

Wasn't Alfred b 1892 the son of Alfred and Jessie..grandson of James...?
So who went for the tabs and never come back...?

Alfred James Ritchie father of Alfred , husband to Jessie went for cigarettes and never returned. Alfred James Ritchie son of Jessie was born Woolwich 1892.
Family are confusing :-S

Can you post that 1881 that you think you've found for James and Alfred please?

Sorry just remember it was James Ritchie found but not with Alfred, was found in Scottish 1881 census Lodger, occupation Slater, with Ried family. This was found about 2008. I hoping with fresh eyes maybe able to move close to find a birth record for my auntie who entrusted me to unravel family tree :-S

Is this the 1881 you found:

1881 Scotland Census
about James Ritchie
Name: James Ritchie
Age: 30
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1851
Relationship: Boarder
Gender: Male
Where born: Edinburgh
Registration Number: 574
Registration district: Port Glasgow
Civil parish: Port Glasgow
County: Renfrewshire
Address: Church Street
Occupation: Slater
ED: 13
Household schedule number: 78
Line: 12
Roll: cssct1881_176
Household Members: Name Age
John Henry 26
Agnes R Henry 26
Martha Reid 20
John Reid 22
James Ritchie 30


There is another James Ritchie, slater in the 1881:

1881 Scotland Census
about James Ritchie
Name: James Ritchie
Age: 58
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1823
Relationship: Head
Gender: Male
Where born: Glasgow, Lanarkshire
Registration Number: 644/1
Registration district: Bridgeton
Civil parish: Glasgow Barony
County: Lanarkshire
Address: 114 Main St
Occupation: Slater
ED: 2
Household schedule number: 42
Line: 15
Roll: cssct1881_214
Household Members: Name Age
James Ritchie 58
Isabella Ritchie 4 Power loom weaver**
William Ritchie 12


From previous censuses, I think Isabella's age is wrong**-

I have totally lost the plot on this one..!

How did we get from James in Orkney to possibly Invergordon then to Glasow and a son Alfred James in Woolwich....

As I see it
James... Orkney is on 1881 Census..Orkney
James...Invergordon is on Census for there

Alfred J....b.Glasgow .... is on Census for Woolwich

Father stated on MC as James Ritchie (Slater)...well the only one 1881 (Glasgow) would possibly be what Potty has posted but that James Slater was also b Glasgow....

It could not be the one who is a boarder with the Henry's as he is only 30.

Hi was going with the James Ritchie because occupation & age he 22 ish when Alfred born 1872/3 He begin a widower could have married Martha as Alfred born 1892 had sister named Martha Francis Ritchie she died in infant-hood.

Please Give me feed back
Maybe Invergordon was pass though family and got mixed up with Martha Reid family or James Ritchie first wife

Just to say I got birth date from marriage certificate Alfred & Jessie :-S

I think you will need to check the births on scotlandspeople - it will cost you £7.00 for 30 credits. It takes one credit to view the results list and 6 to view the entry.

As I said above, there are three Alfred Ritchies (using soundex) born between 1870 and 1873 but none are in Glasgow.

Edit: you could also check the image for the 1881 census which will tell you if that James is or has been married.

Okay...Back to the drawing board...


We are looking at the family for :

Alfred Ritchie married in Woolwich to Jessie child Alfred James b 1892 Woolwich.

Alfred (21) according to the 1891 census states he was b Glasgow..which would be abt. 1870..give or take a couple years.
He should ..all things being equal be on 1871/1881 Glasgow Census.

Potty cannot find him and neither can I.
I cannot locate a Birth for an Alfred Ritchie (so far) b Glasgow abt that time..

What was his occup.on the MC.

Does it definately say that James his father was a Slater (occup) and not have James Ritchie Slater....?



Although Invergordon may have been ? passed down through the family I personally would not dismiss it ....The place name is not somewhere you would just pluck out of a hat so to speak....

But I thought it was Alfred who was the husband of Jessie and father of Alfred jnr?

London, England, Births and Baptisms, 1813-1906
Name: Alfred James Richie
Record Type: Baptism
Estimated Birth Date: abt 1892
Baptism Date: 21 Sep 1892
Father's Name: Alfred Richie
Mother's Name: Jessie Emma Richie
Parish or Poor Law Union: Woolwich Holy Trinity
Borough: Greenwich
Register Type: Parish Registers

MarieCeleste...Dont go there..!!

Thats the son b 1892....

Its the father of Alfred snr shes after trying to find..I think..!!

Alfred snr. apparently went out to buy some tabs and never came back.....(I think I got that bit right...)

Did they have tabs then, I thought it was all pipes? (But you said above he was Arthur)

Just so I've got it clear in my head, it was Jessie's old man that did a runner?

Oh..the posts have crossed..even this isnt making sense...!!

Woodbines..Craven A..Black Cat....Capstan Full Strength and others .....Oh! and 3 Castles.

EDIT....Alfred for "Arthur"

Yes your right MarieCeleste...!!

I know what I wrote but it wasnt what I meant..

Jessies' fella did a runner..he's the one who went for the tabs....!