James Ritchie was born in England, he sailed from Liverpool, England, about 1768 with five brothers, the ship that he sailed on was "The Marigold".  He came to Virginia and settled on the James River there in Virginia, while one of his brothers settled in East Tennessee and one brother in North Carolina, another brother John (Long John) Ritchie settled in Cranes Nest, Virginia. James lived in Virginia for awhile and then he moved to Buncombe Co, North Carolina,  his wife Mary (Keith) Ritchie had two brothers there Gabriel Keith and Reuben Keith.  James & Mary Ritchie lived there for some years, they are on the 1800 Census for Buncombe Co, NC and so are Mary's two brothers with their families. They moved to Kentucky sometime after 1800, they crossed the river at Carrs Creek in Kentucky and James Ritchie was drowned there in between 1811 and 1818. James family buried him along side of the river there, but no one knows the location of his grave today. After James Ritchie's death his wife Mary  with her son John (long John) Ritchie and all her family except Alexander Crockett Ritchie, went back to VA, Scott Co or Russell Co, John Ritchie's descendants are know living in Wise C, VA.         Alexander Crockett Ritchie was the only one of his family to stay in the Kentucky mountains, he had his pick of the land in Carrs, but it was to lonesome there, so he searched around until he found the nearest families, a few scattered ones in Clear Creek in Knott Co.  At the head of Clear Creek is some high pretty land called Hammonds Gap, it is here where all his children were born. Alexander  lived in a cave for awhile before his house was built up on  Hudson's Ridge, where Gabe Hudson's farm used to be, most of his children stayed in Kentucky and raised their families there, but a few of his children moved after 1850 to Madison Co, Arkansas, Isom, Hiram and some of the daughters and their raised their families there. James Ritchie was a Private in the 2nd Virginian State Regiment, during the Rev War, he fought in the battle of Yorktown with his brother JOHN (Long John ) RITCHIE, Yorktown battle date was September 28, 1781, where the British in command was Lord Cornwallis, he was captured.  A story that James told about this battle has been passed down through generations. He said that before his regiment went into action, the officers had their men mix up whiskey with gunpowder in it to make them nervy. After the War James went to North Carolina and was in Buncombe Co, NC in 1795 and on the 1800 census of Buncombe Co, NC. The NC census lists him as over 45 years old .       He moved to Virginia again between 1801 and 1802 because he was living in Russell County, VA in 1802 as a citizen and he applied for and received a land grant in Russell County VA in 1804. The Ritchie family lived beside the Cranes Nest river, (now Wise Co, VA)  Next they moved to Perry Co, Kentucky around 1815.  After their father JAMES RITCHIE died, crossing Carrs Creek, Alexander Crockett Ritchie's family  remained in Kentucky, the rest of the family with the mother Mary (Keith) Ritchie moved back to Virginia.  All his sons were in the Civil War, John Ritchie was a Union soldier and the other sons were confederate soldiers.  James DEATH: Drowned while crossing the river at Carrs Fork Creek, Ky.  BURIAL: He was buried along side Carrs Fork of Troublesome Creek in Perry Co, Ky, exact location unknown. Here are some notes on Alexander Crockett Ritchie.  Alexander, Betsie and their family moved from Russell Co, VA about 1809, they came thorough "Pound Gap" to Clay C, KY, they lived at Carrs Creek for a short while before going onto Clear Creek of Troublesome Creek in what later became Knott Co, Ky. Most believe that he is the Crocker Rickey that is on the 1810 Clay Co, Census, he is also on the 1820 Census of Clay Co, Ky, as Clocker Richie, both spelt wrong, but quite obvious that its him, his name is also on the 1811 and 1812 tax lists.  He was living with his son Isom Ritchie on the 1850 Census of Perry Co, KY and it has his birth place as North Carolina, we do not know why.  Alexander Crockett Ritchie lived in a cave while his house was being built for his family in Perry Co, KY. The site of the house is gone and the cave, it was obliterated when they stripped mined for coal some years ago. The cave and house were up on Hudson's Ridge, where Gabe Hudson's farm used to be. BURIAL: Ritchie Cemetery, Fisty, Kentucky.