John Ritchie (August 12, 1831 – October 27, 1887) was a

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

from

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

, and a judge of the

Maryland Court of Appeals The Supreme Court of Maryland (previously the Maryland Court of Appeals) is the highest court of the U.S. state of Maryland. The court, which is composed of one chief justice and six associate justices, meets in the Robert C. Murphy Courts of ...

Education

Born in

Frederick, Maryland Frederick is a city in, and the county seat of, Frederick County, Maryland, United States. Frederick's population was 78,171 people as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Maryland, second-largest ...

, Ritchie completed preparatory studies at the Frederick Academy. He commenced the study of medicine but abandoned it for the study of law at

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

. He was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

and began practice in Frederick in 1854.

Early career

Ritchie served as captain of the Junior Defenders (militia) and was ordered by President

James Buchanan James Buchanan Jr. ( ; April 23, 1791June 1, 1868) was the 15th president of the United States, serving from 1857 to 1861. He also served as the United States Secretary of State, secretary of state from 1845 to 1849 and represented Pennsylvan ...

to the scene of

John Brown John Brown most often refers to: *John Brown (abolitionist) (1800–1859), American who led an anti-slavery raid on Harpers Ferry, Virginia, in 1859 John Brown or Johnny Brown may also refer to: Academia * John Brown (educator) (1763–1842), Ir ...

's raid at

Harpers Ferry Harpers Ferry is a historic town in Jefferson County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 269 at the 2020 United States census. Situated at the confluence of the Potomac River, Potomac and Shenandoah River, Shenandoah Rivers in the ...

. He also served as State's attorney for

Frederick County, Maryland Frederick County is located in Maryland, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, the population was 271,717. The county seat is Frederick, Maryland, Frederick. The county is part of the Washington metropolitan area, ...

, from 1867 to 1871.

Congress and judicial work

Ritchie was elected as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...

to the Forty-second Congress (March 4, 1871 – March 3, 1873). He was an unsuccessful candidate in 1872 for reelection to the Forty-third Congress, and resumed the practice of law in Frederick. He was appointed by Governor

William Thomas Hamilton William Thomas Hamilton (September 8, 1820October 26, 1888), a member of the United States Democratic Party, was the List of Governors of Maryland, 38th Governor of Maryland in the United States from 1880 to 1884. He also served in the United St ...

on March 16, 1881, chief judge of the sixth judicial circuit and associate justice of the

to fill the unexpired term of Judge Richard Bowie. Ritchie was elected in November 1881 to this office for a term of fifteen years and served until his death.

Personal life

Ritchie was married to Betty Nelson Maulsby, daughter of Colonel William P. Maulsby. They had eighteen children, including

Emily Nelson Ritchie McLean Emily Nelson Ritchie McLean (January 28, 1859 – May 20, 1916) was an American civic leader who served as the 7th president general of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution. Early life and family McLean was born Emily Ne ...

. He died in

on October 27, 1887 and was interred in Mount Olivet Cemetery.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ritchie, John 1831 births 1887 deaths Judges of the Supreme Court of Maryland Harvard Law School alumni Politicians from Frederick, Maryland American militia officers Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Maryland Burials at Mount Olivet Cemetery (Frederick, Maryland) 19th-century Maryland state court judges

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives