Riddell/Riddle Family Londonderry, Northern Ireland to Londonderry, New Hampshire: Riddell Genealogy authors GT Ridlon versus William Pitt Riddell: When did the Riddell Family come from Scotland? When did they go to America? What are some issues neither author addresses? What does Walter Riddell Carre in his book Border Memories say about the Irish branch of Riddle/Riddell?
1. Ridlon, G. T. (1884). History of the Ancient Ryedales: And Their Descendants in Normandy, Great Britain, Ireland, and America, from 860 to 1884, Comprising the Genealogy and Biography for about One Thousand Years of the Families of Riddell, Riddle, Ridlon, Ridley, Etc. United States: Higginson Book Company. Google Books. https://www.google.com/books/edition/History_of_the_Ancient_Ryedales/OR2zUvQKGsIC?hl=en&gbpv=1
I have a major problem with the credibility of Ridlon for the following reasons:
- Ridlon ignores Northern Irish history such as the impact of the Irish Rebellion in 1641 and his claimed lineage for the Londonderry, NH branch matches none of the documentary evidence.
- Ridlon assumes my Riddle line was in the city Londonderry during the siege (no documentary evidence proves this such as tax lists, port records etc) and before the siege as early as 1641 in Londonderry County.
- Ridlon assumes that the Londonderry, NH branch came to Northern Ireland sometime in the 1600s. Another issue is the departure year from Londonderry, Londonderry County, Northern Ireland to Londonderry, New Hampshire in 1719 with others from the same area who were in the Governor Shute petition to settle Londonderry, NH. Riddle does not appear on this list as signer of the petition.
2. RIDDELL, W. P.. A Genealogical Sketch of the Riddell family including a list of the descendants of the three brothers Hugh, Gawn, and Robert, who came to America in 1737. United States: n.p., 1852. Google Books. https://www.google.com/books/edition/A_Genealogical_Sketch_of_the_Riddell_fam/uh1YAAAAcAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1
For a full discussion and other reasons why WP Riddell's version of the Riddell genealogy is probably more likely to be correct see "The Mystery Parish of Ballymeath" the 2020 updated and revised version was written by Gwynn Socolich. If you want a copy of this leave a comment with your email address and I will send it to you. The old 2010 version is online at: at https://gsocolic.tripod.com/The_Mystery_Parish_of_Londerry_Ballaymeath_.pdf
- The earliest mention of Riddle is in 1720 as a sheriff in Londonderry City, Londonderry, Northern Ireland this corresponds with WP Riddell's claim that his branch (which is my branch too) came at the end of the seige of Derry (aka Londonderry) and with King William's (of Orange) Army to Northern Ireland and possibly participated in the Battle of the Boyne. (There may be more information on who fought in King William of Orange's regiments. This information is not online and is located in the Orange Order library https://www.orangeheritage.co.uk/)
- WP Riddell does not address Robert Riddle's arrival date in 1729 but there is a witness named Robert Riddle on a will of Jessie Christie (who is in the Aiken family line who intermarried with the Riddle family in Bedford, NH)
So, since the WP Riddell book was published earlier than Ridlon's book and is written by a reputable MD and his brother William Pitt Riddell who was also an MD as editor and WP Riddell does not make unfounded assumptions or guesses like Ridlon does, I would say that the WP Riddell book is more reliable based on author credibility and accuracy of information in the two books.
Neither book addresses the possibility of forced transportation to America resulting from criminal actions, prisoners of war or because of Covenantor beliefs (such as was the case with Archibald Riddell who was transported to New Jersey and Hugh Riddell transported from Leith/Edinburgh, Scotland for stealing silver buttons to New York.)
Also, neither book mentions the Comber, Down Riddell family. This family went to Belfast and started a large manufacturing operation and were major financial supporters of Queens' College.
However, WP Riddell's book mentions the following: In Walter Riddell Carre's . Border Memories: Or, Sketches of Prominent Men and Women of the Border. United Kingdom: J. Thin, 1876. (Google Books on page 202) Walter Riddell Carre writes "I have some information about the descendents of the old house who flourish in Ireland, as well as America, but I cannot say how or when they came off the parent tree." Walter Riddell Carre (page 203) comments that the the Riddells and Morrisons intermarried and that these Morrisons were involved in the battle of Worcester.
