James Crockett Ritchie
and Mary Keith

James Ritchie b 7 May 1757 (or 8 May 1757) Ayrshire Co Scotland d 1818 Carrs Fork, Perry Co KY s/o Alexander Ritchie and Mary Wilson. James Ritchie m. about 1775 VA to Mary Keith d/o Samuel Keith and Catherine Ring b between 1755 and 1757 Buncombs Co NC. Children of James Ritchie and Mary Keith:

 John "Long John" Ritchie b 1774 Buncombe Co NC m. 1804 to Nancy Hutchinson b 1775 NC d Wise Co VA; d/o Peter Hutchinson and Nancy Jane Green.

 Nancy Ritchie b 1775 m. Unknown Ferguson?.

 Henry Ritchie b 1783 Buncombe Co NC

 Rhoda Ritchie b 1785 m. Ambrose Bledsoe.

Mary Polly Ritchie b 1787 Buncombe Co. NC m. Isom Childers.

 Elizabeth Ritchie b 1789 Buncombe Co., NC d Lawrence Co., Arkansas m. 22 June 1824 Scott Co., VA to Charles Buster.

 Alexander Crockett Ritchie b 1790 Buncombe Co NC d 1878 Clear Creek, Perry Co., KY m. 1806 to Elizabeth Betsy Grigsby (aka Susan Elizabeth Grigsby), b 1790 Cumberland Co NC d 1876 KY, d/o Benjamin "Benny Dutch" Grigsby and Elizabeth Duncan.

 James Ritchie b 1795 Buncombe Co NC m. 18 Jun 1825 Scott Co VA to Sally Carter.

More about James Crockett Ritchie b 7 or 8 May 1757;
Died crossing Carrs Fork creek between 1811-1818.  James was a Revolutionary war soldier and he enlisted as a private in  Capt. in Wm Long's Company of 2nd Va state regiment. Some of his family including his widow returned to Virginia after his death. Only his son Alexander and his wife Betsie Elizabeth Grigsby and their first two children remained. They went to Clear Creek in present day Knott Co. Ky.

James was known to have been with George Washington's army when Cornwallis surrender at Yorktown. James is our immigrate ancestor. It is said that he came to American with five of his brothers from Ireland via Scotland and first settles in Va. The Ritchies were associated with the MacIntosh Clan in the Highlands of Scotland. The officers had the men mix whiskey and gunpowder to drink to make them nervy.

James came to America on a ship named the Marigold from Liverpool England. James, after the war moved his family to Buncombe Co. NC till moving to Ky. James is listed on the 1790 census with his wife Mary Polly (Keith) Ritchie. James is buried somewhere along the banks of the Troublesome river but no one knows where.

More About Mary Keith;
Mary was born in Buncombe Co. VA and is the daughter of Samuel Keith and Catherine Ring. Mary's brother Gabriel was a spy sent sometimes to watch the movements of the Cherokee Indians. After the death of her husband, James, Mary went back to Va. with her son John.