The RitterLetter
Letter #2 - February 15, 1999

What you will find in this edition:

Apologies in advance

To say that the interest in this newsletter has been overwhelming is somewhat short of an understatement. I am finding that my mind isn’t as organized as I once thought it was. My ability to take many pieces of unconnected information and keep them filed accurately has either failed me or never existed. At any rate, I am receiving quite a bit of information from many of you and having trouble keeping it separated and associated with your names. So if I slip up and print something that you submitted with someone else’s name on it, please accept my apology in advance. Just call my attention to it and I will get out a correction so that you can be credited with the information. It would be most helpful if in the future, if you would give your full name and city/state with your email, at least until I get to know you better.

I am will be printing each of your submissions along with your email address. Should that be a problem, you should let me know in advance. I can’t say if it is a “Ritter thing” or not, but when I was younger I was informed by family, in no uncertain terms, that one must be very careful about what they let others know about themselves. Can any of you identify with that? Perhaps it is more of a “mid-North Carolina thing”. That is not to say that being careful is a bad thing, but my group of Ritters honed it to a fine art.

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Ritters in Mississippi

After the November NewsLetter we received some interesting information from Margie Croney Norcross, Ga. mbcroney@bellsouth.net, who writes:

I must say I don't have documentation for lots of this. I have gathered it here and there and from various persons. There is a lady living in Monroe Co. Ms. who has a 90 yr. old Aunt (Ritter) and a lot of the info was from the 2 of them. The story handed down is that around the 1830's 4 sons of Everett Ritter Sr.(1759-69) left Moore Co. NC. and headed to Monroe Co. Ms. They settled there and adjoining county of Itawamba Co. Some of this info was from "Monroe Co. History Book" in the library in Aberdeen, Monroe Co. Ms.

The 4 brothers were:

William b. 1802 NC who married Mary Young; Anderson b. about 1792 NC. Who married Phebe Douglas Young, sister of Mary; Everett Jr. b. 1804 mar. Jane Hornback; John b. about. 1799 NC married a Mary.

William Ritter (1802) had a son, John McBride (Mack) Ritter b. about 1825 who mar. Mary Ann Masengill (Polly) MCDONALD. I noticed these 4 brothers(John, William, Anderson, Everett Jr.) used mostly the same names for their children>>>>> Celia, Elizabeth, Everett, James, Jesse, Margaret, Martha, Nancy, Sarah, Thomas, William, John to name a few.

I "know" what I have from William Ritter (1802 NC) forward is pretty accurate, but back of him, I don't have documentation.

She also writes that she is researching the following names: BECK, BORDEN, DAY, DOWNS, EASTER, GUNTER, HOLLOWAY, JEFFREYS, NEAL, PIERCE, PUGH, RITTER, WHITE, WILLIAMS, YORK.

Editor’s Note: I have tracked all over Mississippi (my father’s birth place) looking for McDonalds only to find that Moore County had more McDonalds than any other surname at one point. (I was born in NC). Now I find that after looking all over Moore County NC for Ritters I find them in Mississippi. Who could have guessed that?

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That story of Ritters migrating from Pennsylvania just keeps popping up
Lottie Ritter of Raleigh, NC - Lritter1@aol.com has been kind enough to send me copies of information she has collected from various sources over the years. These copies include two additional accounts of the Williamson that we reported about in the last Ritter Letter. You remember the story where Williamsons and other families fled one night from an Indian attack. Well I now have four accounts of that same story, each with the same tale to tell, but several details are different in each account. In one of the accounts the Ritters are mentioned as being in that wagon train that fled that night.

Neither of these new tellings of that story mentions the John Ritter Family. I will transcribe some each of these new accounts for your information. The first is from a letter written by Edgar Williamson, of Orange NJ in 1938. It is titled History of The Williamson Family furnished by Rev. R.L. Williamson about twenty years prior. (that would have been around 1909) The original document is on file at the Malcom Blue Historical Soc. Aberdeen, N.C. 28315 and a copy is filed at the Moore County Library Historical Room.

The letter I have is handwritten and has been copied several times such that it is difficult to read. I have typed this transcript as best I can read it:

The beginning: Martha (in England) no one seems to know who she was. Catholic’s burned a Williamson at the stake and his wife and two children stood by – The Priest said “Throw them on the fire too: - the woman caught up the two children and fled. One Williamson from bath or Hull England came to the Valley of Virginia – Also one from Germany called Wilhelmson. Young Williamson in Va. was given a pot of gold by two thieves and was overtaken by officers and punished for the theft instead of the thieves – Williamson took up large tract of land in the Valley of VA. (Now West Va. – and known to this day as Williamson land) The City of Williamson West Virginia is on the land, and a Society known as the “Williamson Society” is now contact….. in the courts for the return of the land to the W – family.

There was an uprising among the Indians and all white settlers were to be killed. An Indian woman, who had been befriended, came and warned the Williamson family – they in turn warned other settlers and all fled the same night, just before the Indians arrived. The white settlers separated and the Indians overtook and killed all those who had taken the west course – The Williamson family pressed on through the Cullpepper Valley and into North Carolina, went to Cross Creek (Fayetteville) and then to Bear or Grassy Creek, Moore County, and settled.

The second document she sent was compiled by James Vann Comer of Sanford, N.C. and is titled Williamson Family of Upper Moore County, N.C. published by Lucy Kennedy Canter, Aaron Emsley Kennedy, Jr. and Jennafaye McConnehey Reynolds. (no attempt has been made to correct grammar or spelling errors)

Jonathan Williamson, V. was born Circa 1684 in the home of his parents, William Uilliamson. I. and ? located in Virginia (now S.W. Pennsylvania). According to the History of the Williamson Family written (1940) by Isaac -- Walter Williamson -" The French had armed the Indians in that locality, the then frontier, and as they outnumbered the white settlers overwhelmingly, their lives from 1735 to the time they fled the country was almost a running fight. . . . John the V and his son, William Johnathan figured in an Indian fight in 1737. The Indians began the attack at night, but the fire from the dwellings was so deadly that the Indians went to the barn and tried to fire it. It seems that the Williamsons were prepared for this, having a tunnel from the houses to the barn, - a trench covered with logs and smoothed over with dirt, and John and his son, Johnathan, ran through this tunnel, armed with hatchets, climbed into the barn mow, and leaped down on the Indians, hacking four of them to death before they fled.

In January 1740 the Indians went on the warpath in such numbers that resistence was impractical. The Williamsons, the Husseys, Garners, Shields, Maness and Williams families packed their wagons with necessities, food and seeds, with pigs and chickens in light crates, and kept their cows and horses haltered at night, ready for a dash to safety. They did not have to wait long, for early one evening, just as dusk fell, an old Indian squaw who had worked for the family came to tell them that she had come to kill them easy, as the Braves were only a few miles away.

They thanked her and were soon on the road back toward the coast, which, however, was nearly two hundred miles away . . . They had traveled only a few miles then they saw the light from the burning village they had left. Soon they came to a trail diverging to the south-east, and they took this. When they had gone a half mile, some of the men went back and obliterated the trail so that the Indians would follow the main body of refugees who had gone on down the main trail toward Jamestown. The ruse was successful, for the Indians kept on down the larger trail, overtook the fleeing settlers, and scalped many of them before turning back.

When the buffalo trail they were on led into the Tuscarora trail, they turned down this and followed it until they reached what is now Grassy Creek, in upper Moore.

Editor's note: In the first account there is more than one mention that the Williamsons were located in western Virginia, now West Virginia. In the second account, it mentions that the Williamson settlement was in Virginia, now SW Pennsylvania. I located the current town of Williamson mentioned above. That town appears to be in Pike County and southwest of Charleston WV. According to my map it is approximately 168 miles to anywhere in the current State of Pennsylvania, and that is a straight-line measurement.

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Ritters in Pennsylvania
This information supplied by Lottie Ritter of Raleigh, NC Lritter1@aol.com
Lottie Ritter has forwarded a document from the Mormon Church, Family History Center. There is no reference to the author of this document. The pages submitted titled Earliest Ritter arrivals in the Eastern Seaboard of America, it lists specific families and individuals who came to this country and where they settled. The document makes mention of Ritters settling in the following states: Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maryland and Pennsylvania.

Ms. Ritter notes: I am more convinced that ever that the Ritters prior to the North Carolina i.e. Jesse Sr. were from Pennsylvania, I have retyped a section from the above mentioned for inclusion here. PENNSYLVANIA

The first Ritters to arrive in Philadelphia were Christopher O. Ritter on the Ship Samuel Percy on October 27, 1727 with Hans Ritter who went South with his wife Mary to Luray, Virginia. With them were their children Craig Ritter, Moltey Ritter and the oldest child Elisabeth Ritter, aged 20.

On the Ship Samuel Percy on August 28, 1733 – Christopher Ritter son of the first Christopher O. Ritter evidently followed his kin to Luray, Virginia.

On the Ship Samuel Hugh Percy on August 23, 1731, Barbara Ritter arrived and evidently went to Bucks County where she may have married Christopher Haxler in 1791.

Also arrived, Anna Katherin Ritter (age 35) and Ann Klara Ritter (age30) whom I cannot locate. On the Ship Princess Augustus on September 16, 1763, my ancestor, Jurg (George) Ritter, age 17, with his mother, Maria Dorthy, whose husband, Johannes George Ritter died on the way to America. This Johannes George Ritter was married twice. His second wife died in America. One of his children by his first marriage was an Elisabeth Ritter, born 1710 who married Jurg Fedrick Baher, born 1717. He was a master silversmith. He died in Philadelphia on October 17, 1777. According to Church Records, he and his wife were sponsors to several of Jury (George) Ritter’s children. When Elisabeth Ritter died on September 11, 1788, left a will bequeathing money to sisters in Wirtemberg, Germany, also to her brother-in-law, Simon Fredrick Baher in Philadelphia. She left a legacy for a special niece and the residue to “The Poor of Philadelphia”. A half-brother to Jacob Ritter, the son of Jurg Ritter by his first wife, arrived in Philadelphia about the same time but evidently came from England. Heinrich was a baker. He was born in 1740 in Germany and died on August 30, 1793 (age52). He married Catherine Maria-------, who died August 31, 1780. He had a son Heinrich and a grandson William who were also bakers in Philadelphia.

Heinrich’s father made a model of an automatic Man which is exhibited in the British Museum in London, England. Other children of Heinrich, the baker were daughters mentioned in The Reformed Church Records in Philadelphia. The earliest Ritter who settled in Montgomery County was the father of Jacob Ritter who married Ann Williams(1) on October 18, 1802. His father also married an Elisabeth------ who was a Quaker Preacher.

Editor’s note: could there be a connection between the children of Christopher O. Ritter, Craig or Moltey, or even Christopher himself to the Ritters that traveled to Moore County with the Williamson Family as mentioned in the one account of the Williamson history. I have seen mention of either a Christopher, Craig or Moltey in Moore County Records.

Editor's note: The town of Luray is about 80 miles from the current Pennsylvania border for whatever that is worth.

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Ritters in Australia

Would you believe it, We had email from Shirley Burns asburns@one.net.au, who writes:

My g.grandmother was Willimena Freareka Agusta RITTER b.13 May 1866 Callington, South Australia, Australia to parents Adolph RITTER and Phillipa EDART. I know that they were from Germany but have not found when they came to Australia or from what part of Germany they came.

Willimena married William Henry HARGRAVE 7 Dec 1889 Kadina, South Australia, Australia and they had 6 children.

So as you can see, there's not much, but I am wanting to find out more about my RITTER ancestors. If anyone can help, I would love to hear from them.

Shirley Burns
Coffs Harbour, NSW, Australia
(formerly Alice Springs, NT)

Editor’s note: Our little newsletter has gone international…

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Questions about Benjamin Franklin Ritter

We got a note from Donna Ritter Riley of Cary, NC, d_riley@bellsouth.net, who writes:

I am a descendant of Benjamin Franklin Ritter, b:1815, where is undecided!!!. This is as far back on my Ritter line as I have gotten however I believe that he probably is the son of an Everette Ritter who was the son of Jesse Ritter of Moore County, North Carolina, just cannot prove it. One question I would have for your Newsletter is if there is anybody out there who knows if Everette Ritter, son of Jesse Ritter, of Moore County was married twice and if son who the first wife might have been and do they know of any children. I have access to land records where Jesse Ritter deeded land to Everette Ritter about 1790 in Moore County, North Carolina.

Editor’s note: any information you are able to share with Donna or others regarding their questions should also be sent to us so that we can publish it. Others may have similar questions.

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Who was the father of Everett Ritter?

Submitted by Cheryl Daubs CADaubs@aol.com who writes:

Ron Partin (he is on your list) and I are shirttail cousins. For years he and I both have been looking for the father of Everett Ritter. There are a lot of theories....but no proof! He married Anna Goodwin May 15, 1828 in Hardeman Co., TN. His pension records show he died Dec. 4, 1873 in Van Zandt Co., Texas. I drove to the county seat of Van Zandt...Canton, Texas. They have no records on him! We are VERY frustrated!

In another email Cheryl writes:

I just got my January 12, 1999 issue of Country Weekly. On page 50 is a really sweet article on Tex Ritter. It is a few pages and has some pictures of Tex and his wife, one with his sons, Tommy and John, a some other pictures. The article is both interesting and has some facts; one of which is that the Tex Ritter Fan Club is still alive and well!



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Question regarding William Ritter b.1802, NC
Submitted by Margie Croney, Norcross, GA. mbcroney@bellsouth.net

I am descended from William RITTER b. 1802 NC who was son of Everett RITTER SR.(1759-69 Moore co. NC). I have been unable to find record of William's marriage to Mary YOUNG, but have been told that was the wife's name and she was a sister to Phebe YOUNG, who mar. Anderson RITTER, brother of William. Does anyone have any info on the marriage of William? He and brothers Anderson, John and Everett Jr. were in Monroe Co. Ms. by 1830's. They settled there and neighbor co. of Itawamba Ms., and Marion AL. William's daughter, Martha C. RITTER b. 8-4-1837 mar. Thomas Issac JEFFREYS about 1857.

Anyone descended from this line, with any additional info? I have children of Martha C. RITTER JEFFREYS and grandchildren, etc forward.



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New web site for Ritter History
Submitted by Larry W. Ritter of Fairfield, TX Lwr@pflash.com who writes:

I've discovered a great new way for all of us in the family to keep in touch. It's a FREE family Web site at MyFamily.com where we can share news, photos, calendar events, family history information and more in a private, password-protected environment. Here's just a few of the things we can do on our new MyFamily Web site:

  • Create a family calendar with all the birthdays, anniversaries, special events, and other important dates
  • Automatically send email to everyone in the clan at once
  • Post newsworthy happenings so everyone can get in on the action
  • Develop an extended family directory with all the phone numbers, addresses, etc
  • Create an online family album with photos, sound clips, even movies for everyone in the family to see


    • There's a lot more, but rather than me tell you about it, just go check it out for yourself. I've already set up a family site. It's completely secure so only those with a password can have access to it.

    Hope to see you at the site soon!
    To login to our MyFamily Web site, go to http://www.myfamily.com and enter your temporary User Name and Password:

    User Name: UN2B098 Password: PW13311

    After you log into your site, you can change your User Name and Password in the Family Info area.

    If you need assistance, contact your site administrator(s): Larry W. Ritter (Lwr@pflash.com)



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    New web site for Ritter NewsLetter
    Submitted by Mr. Antone Ritter of Fort Worth, TX. antone@netxroad.com who writes:


    The URL of my genealogy page has changed to http://www.netxroad.com/antone/genealo.shtml so be sure to stop by sometime.

    Past copies of the RitterLetter can be found at http://www.netxroad.com/antone/newsletters/index.shtml. The copies posted there have pictures and formatted text.

    Special Note dated November 15, 2002: The URLs and email addresses listed here were accurate at the time this was originally published. They may or may not be current when you read these archived copies.
    See Ritter Related web site links in this edition.

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    Names for this letter
    By Jerry McDonald (RitterLetter editor)


    Last time we asked for possible names for this letter. We received correspondence from only one person. Mr. Glenn George Ritter of State College, PA, Knite102@aol.com, who wrote: “you know, Ritter means Knight in German, so how about “The Knight Light”?

    Editor’s note: perhaps an alternate version of that name might be “The Knight Lite”. Well we are still open to suggestions, or perhaps we might just default to the Ritter NewsLetter. What do ya think?

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    Ritter Photos

    Molcie Anne Williamson Ritter
    b.Moore Co. NC 12/07/1877
    d.Greensboro, NC 09/08/1963

    Molcie Anne Williamson Ritter
    b.Moore Co. NC 12/07/1877
    d.Greensboro, NC 09/08/1963
    Molcie Anne is the daughter of Eli Williamson 11/10/1848 - 03/09/1915 and Elizabeth (Betsy) Needham b.08/14/1853 d.01/26/1933 (dates from Garland Ritter)
    Siblings:
    George Emmitt b.1876 d.1947 never married
    Lottie Jane b.11/14/1880 d.09/12/1955 M.Orlando Crisco b.02/06/1873 d.04/27/1921 (dates from Ruby Peurifoy)
    Martha Emily b.?? d.?? Daniel Yancy Bray b.07/27/1972 d.05/12/1931 (dates from Ruby Peurifoy)
    Ollie T. b.1893 d.1926 never married
    Flossie Elizabeth b.09/01/1890 d.09/15/1969 M.Willie Walter Ritter b.06/10/1883 d.08/11/1959 (dates Garland Ritter)

    Molcie Anne married Thomas Wesley Ritter Moore Co. b.07/21/1877 d.02/14/1956, M. January 19th, 1902. They lived most of their adult lives in Pleasant Garden, NC, just south of Greensboro and near the site of Ritters Lake.

    There is some dispute about the spelling of her first name. My mother told me that Molcie was the correct spelling rather than Molcy. Her death certificate and the stone at her grave spell it as I have above. I have two great pictures of Molcie which have probably never been seen by anyone living at this time. I discovered the negatives in a box belonging to my mother after her death. I am sure these pictures were taken by Thomas Wesley Ritter, probably not too long after they were married. Thomas took many pictures and printed them himself, these would have been taken around 1910.

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    Milestones
    T. Theodore Ritter b.12/30/1917 d.10/28/98 source: G. Williamson, Robbins, NC

    Artance Britt Hussey of Eagle Springs, NC (Near Robbins) Great Great Granddaughter of Mary Maness Ritter, wife of John Spinks Ritter - died Thursday, January 28th, 1999 according to sources in Robbins, NC. She was 70 years old. I hope to have more details very shortly. I have been unable to verify details.

    Editor's Note: Please keep us informed of births and deaths of Ritter family members.

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    Name Index
    Name - Article
    We are working to complete a name index with links for each issue and a master name index to cover all issues of the RitterLetter

    Please check back soon hopefully this feature will appear in this issue soon.
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    Ritter Web Page Links
    We are always happy to link Ritter related web sites to our newsletter. Please send us your URL.

    Antone Ritter's web site http://www.netxroad.com/antone/index.html


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    The RitterLetter is a publication devoted to the preservation of information, ideas, stories and photographs of Ritter Family ancestors. We invite you to submit articles for publication about Ritter family members. Please contact us at the email address below. We appreciate your taking time to send articles, however, we must respectfully reserve the right not to publish information we deem inappropriate, offensive, or relating to those living or recently deceased.

    The RitterLetter is published by Jerry R. McDonald, New Albany, Ohio 43054. All materials are ©2002 by Jerry R. McDonald and all rights reserved.     Email the publisher: