Robert Whitton's Genealogical Information

This web site has been designed to report the result of over 20 years research into my ancestry. My fathers surname was Whitton and his family lived in Galashiels in the Scottish Borders, having moved there from Leslie in Fife to work in the weaving industry. The family originated pre 1750 in the region of Angus north of Dundee in Scotland.

When my father was working in Orkney during the second world war he met my mother, whose surname was Ritch, in Stromness. Her parents both came from the small island of Graemsay, which is located between Stromness and Hoy and as such her side of the family is interlinked with many of the other families on both Graemsay and Hoy.

Anyone researching a family from Graemsay should find information of interest to them in this file.

George and Mary Ritch c 1908

During my researches I have located substantial information about other families called WHITTON and RITCH, including people with surnames having slight variations in spelling. They have all been recorded in the hope that the information will be of use to other families. The information has been expanded with information about other families linked to either Ritch's or Whitton's so if you have such a surname in your family they may be located here. Details of over 50,000 people have been recorded.
I must also thank the numerous contributors to my research, over the years. Their efforts have all been incorporated here. You know who you are and it would be unfair of me to mention only some of you. Thanks again!

I must also thank Jane Hunt who designed this web site. If you would like a similar web site email me for her contact information.

If you have additional information you can either send me an email direct or post a message. I will review messages before they appear to everyone.

Robert Whitton, Edinburgh, Scotland

Latest additions and Research being undertaken

There comes a point in any research project when the information dries up. This means that I am researching some Whitton and Ritch families to see if perhaps they have had some connection with Scotland. I have found a few but also some families that have no Scottish origins. Having undertaken the research I have added them to my records in case it is of any help to others. I have also located a few people with Ritch (not Richard) or Whitton as a Christian name. Some of these are related to families in my records so I have added them also. It is clear that sometimes the use of Whitton or Ritch as a christian name, is because of friendship with a family of that name, or because that was their employers surname.