4266 Private William Ritchie
6th(Perthshire)Battalion(Territorial)
The Black Watch(Royal Highlanders)
13th November 1916
Born at 3am on 15/07/1897 at Craignorth, Kinfauns, Perthshire. His parents were William Ritchie (04/03/1866-17/06/1945) and
Catherine Dempster (08/09/1867-09/04/1909). They were married on 05/01/1891.
William had a brother Robert Burns ( 16/04/1895-28/02/1903) and 2 sisters, Isabella Georgina Strong (26/06/1891-20/10/1920) and Euphemia Stratton (21/03/1893-06/02/1952).
In the 1901(Scottish) Census, the family were recorded as living at Pittlewie Glen Cottage, Kinfauns, Perthshire. William snr. was employed as a wire fencer.
The family was to be hit by a couple of tragedies in the next few years when first William's brother Robert died of bronchial pneumonia in 1903 and then his mother passed away in 1909 from Splenic Anaemia.
William snr. remarried on 29/04/1910 to a widow named Helen Alexander Scott (maiden name Elder,12/01/1868-02/10/1950)).
In the 1911(Scottish) Census, William can be found living with his father and step mother in Inchyra Village, St Madoes, Perthshire.
William was at school ,whilst his father was employed as a fisherman for the Tay Salmon Syndicate.
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William enlisted in Perth and was killed in action on 13/11/1916.
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He was awarded the 1914-1918 British War and Allied Victory medals.