William Linklater Ritch

1876 - 1953  (77 years)

• Name	William Linklater Ritch
  Born	24 May 1876	Graemsay
  Gender	Male
  Died	19 Jul 1953	Stromness Gravestone Stromness c261
  Person ID	I58	My Relatives
  Last Modified	16 Oct 2019

  
  

  Father	George Robert Ritch,   b. 18 Dec 1835, c 27/12/1835 Windywalls ,   d. 28 Mar 1917, Graemsay Gravestone D25  (Age 81 years)
  Relationship	natural
  Mother	Mary Sinclair,   b. 19 Aug 1837, c 29/10/1837 Scareting ,   d. 29 Oct 1929, Windywalls Graemsay Gravestone D25  (Age 92 years)
  Relationship	natural
  Married	3 Dec 1862	Gramesay Church
  Family ID	F5	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Mary Elizabeth Sutherland,   b. 21 Nov 1878, Sandside Graemsay ,   d. 1 Jan 1951, Stromness Gravestone Stromness c261  (Age 72 years)
  Married	13 Jul 1905	Sandside, Graemsay
  Children	1. Catherene Mary Ritch,   b. 14 Jul 1906, Windywalls, Graemsay c 13/1/1907 ,   d. 26 Nov 1992, buried Stromness graveyard C504  (Age 86 years)  [natural]   2. George William Ritch,   b. 11 Apr 1909, c Graemsay 24/7/1909 ,   d. 26 Jul 1979, Stromness Gravestone C525  (Age 70 years)  [natural]   3. Clara Sutherland Ritch,   b. 26 May 1912, Graemsay c Graemsay 15/8/1912 ,   d. 25 Mar 1974, Haymarket, Edinburgh, Gravestone, Stromness c261  (Age 61 years)  [natural]   4. James Sutherland Ritch,   b. 3 Dec 1917, Robertsons Buildings, Stromness 1918/020/1 ,   d. 23 Mar 1918, Premature birth died 7 weeks old  (Age 0 years)  [natural]   5. Elsie Maud Ritch,   b. 7 May 1919, Graemsay, c Graemsay 9/7/1919 ,   d. 29 Oct 1996, St Peters Home, Stromness  (Age 77 years)  [natural]
  Last Modified	16 Oct 2019
  Family ID	F49	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  at 1891 census at Hoy and Graemsay ref 2-20-4-3 at 1901 census at Graemsay ref 0-20-4-003 at Marriage in 1905 a Lightkeeper address Windywalls, Graemsay at 1911 census at Windywalls, Graemsay at 1915 Valuation Roll a Tenant Farm and House Windywalls, Hoy and Graemsay at 1930 Valuation Roll at "Windywalls", Graemsay Farmer Windywalls, when retired 1948? lived in a hut in daughter Cathie's garden Dear Editor How many readers recognised the crofthouse featured on your page about Orkney Care and Repair (16th Feb)? Not too many I should think, but I knew it well for I spent all my childhood holidays there. The Ritch family were in Windywalls throughout the 19th century and perhaps for some time before that, until Georgie and Hughina retired to Stromness in the 1970s. The "new" house at Windywalls was built about 1903 by William Ritch, my grandfather. He engaged a stonemason from Hoy who got free board and lodging for the six weeks it took to build, plus a fee of £6:10s. William's father and several of his brothers were ships' carpenters so the completion was kept in the family. He intended to build two storeys but his mother put her foot down, declaring that the wind would demolish it. After great-granny died the old house, "Ma's", became the dairy and wash-house. It was so small, how on earth did they bring up eleven children there? The present house was modern in its day, comprising but, ben and far-ben, with a ladder to the loft where uncle George slept. The well-water was kept in the porch, with a pantry for the kirn-milk and cream. It has waited 100 years to get a toilet though. I was privileged to view the improvements one day last summer. It has undoubtedly lost a lot of its character but it is now a house for comfortable modern living. I don't know what grandad would have said but granny would certainly have approved! Len Wilson Falkland Berstane Rd St Ola After the Ritchs left Windywalls the people who lived there were Clive Walker Bob Tateson and Effie Everest - bought the croft then moved to Rosebank in Harry where Hughina Sutherland lived Currenty 2000 the Procters. John Procter died 31st January 2013.