Part 1: Lessons learned from a large multi-year project on the Ulster Scot Family of Riddle, Riddell family Northern Ireland (repost from an article I wrote for NSDCGS newsletter)

Article originally published in the North San Diego Genealogical Society Newsletter in March 2024, permission to republish here given by the newsletter editor.

Lessons learned from a large multi-year project on the Ulster Scot Family of Riddle, Riddell family Northern Ireland: Part 1

Gwynn Socolich, Research and Mentoring Chair NSDCGS research@nsdcgs.org

During the past thirteen years I have been researching my Riddell/Riddle family from Londonderry County, Northern Ireland.

I discovered that The Genealogical Proof Standards were extremely helpful. These are best practices and are not just for Professional Genealogists but for all researchers. One of the biggest benefits of using them is that your research can be traced through its sources and your arguments can be analyzed logically and future researchers can follow your train of though and analysis as well as sources cited. https://bcgcertification.org/ethics-standards/

The most important lesson learned in this project was that I needed a research plan or in this case: several research questions in the framework of an overall plan. Make your best attempt to address your research questions one at a time and document them with complete source citations as you go, in a spreadsheet or a Word research log to keep them organized otherwise you can become overwhelmed.

Many of the initial difficulty I faced when I managed this large project stemmed from others over reliance on an unsourced book on the Riddell family by GT Ridlon. So, my first task, since it seemed like that many online trees referenced this book, was to confirm or disprove claims made by GT Ridlon and compare it to William Pitt Riddell’s earlier book on the Riddle/Riddell Family. After reasonably exhaustive research I discovered many of Ridlon’s statements about my branch of the family were in error and no parish existed in Londonderry County or Northern Ireland was Called Ballaymeath and no documents were found which listed the claimed family members in the same location at the same time. Patricia Law Hatcher in her article on the Riddle family came to the same conclusion going so far as to her claim that much of Ridlon’s work was fraudulent.1 (Hatcher p1-8)

The time period defined by Riddell/Riddle book by William Pitt Riddell contrasted with the Ridlon account. WP Riddell’s genealogy was partially derived from family letters of descendants of the Riddle/Riddell family from Pennsylvania who claimed that that this same branch came from Coleraine, Londonderry, Northern Ireland and arrived in Ireland at a later date from Scotland (possibly as late as 1689 or 1690 to 1739) as part of King of Orange’s Army versus Ridlon’s claim of 1649 with King James Army in 1641. The importance of the contrast is when and where the records were located.

The 1689 Post siege of Derry seems more logical as the earliest Riddell in Londonderry City is John Riddle who was a sheriff in 1709. Sheriffs were required to reside in Londonderry City. This residence and Sherrif position found in the town records more closely matches the WP Riddell genealogy claim of my branch of the family who came to Ulster during the post siege of Derry and received land from King William of Orange.

see part 2