Research Notes:
We are researching John Ritner, son of Michael Ritner and Catherine Haffner. The various names of wives listed on these records suggest that they may not all relate to the same John Ritner.
1812 The pension application for John Ritner, Pvt in Captain Jacob Marshall's Company, Pennsylvania Mil., named widow Elizabeth Ritner. [1] [2]
1814 Jacob and John Ritner were listed as privates on the payroll of militia commanded by Captain Jacob Marshall under Colonel Schappel, of the 43 Regiment, York County. Dated September 1. [3]
1817 John Ritner was taxed in South Middleton Twp, Cumberland County. [4]
1820 John Ritner lived in East Pennsboro Twp, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania in a household with Males: three (age 0-16), one (age 16-26), one (age 26-44) and Females:three (age 0-16) and one (age 26-45). [5] [6]
1830 John Ritner (age 50-60) lived in Silver Spring, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania with males: one (age 10-15), one (age 15-20), one (age 20-30) and females: one (age 5-10), one (age 10-15), one (age 20-30), and one (age 40-50). [7]
1840 John Ritner (age 60-70) lived in North Middleton, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania with one female age 30-40, one female under 5, and one female 5-10. Michael Ritner age 30-40 lived in Mechanicsburg, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania with one male under 5, one male 5-10, one female under five, and one female 20-30. The adjacent listing was for George Stowye, age 20-30 lived in North Middleton Twp, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania with wife and 1 child, perhaps John's son-in-law husband of Rachel. [8]
1850 John Ritner (age 72), a laborer, lived in Silver Springs, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania with Mary (age 49). The adjacent listing was for Michael Ritner (age 48) and Elizabeth (age 38) lived in Silver Spring, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania with Catharine (age 11), Susan (age 8), Francis (age 2), and Henry (age 6). They were all born in Pennsylvania. [9]
1858 "Died-On Thursday, the 7th inst., at his residence in this Borough, John Ritner, in the eighty-first year of his age." [Cumberland County Historical Library][10]
1868 Elizabeth Ritner was listed as a pension applicant, certificate 58 issued July 1868. [11] Elizabeth Ritner, widow of John Ritner, was listed as a pension applicant. John was a private under Captain J McIlhany. [12] Elizabeth Ritner was listed as a pension applicant under Colonel J Schappel, Berks County. [13]
Research Notes:
Rachel Ritner Stoey, wife of George W.B. Stoey, was named as the daughter of John D Ritner and niece of ex-governor Ritner. [14]
John Ritner, 27 June 1779, 24 Nov 1834, [Zeamer], wife, Susanna, 27 July 1779, 24 March 1834, age 56-7-3, Sect. A#111. were buried at John's Cemetery, Hampden Township, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. [15]
Some researchers name Catherine Ritner, spouse of Jacob Leidig, as a daughter of John D Ritner, as we do. Others show Sara Ritner, daughter of Peter Ritner and Rachel Scott as a spouse of Jacob Leidig. We seek further evidence to clarify these possible relationships.
[1] United States War of 1812 Index to Pension Application Files, [FamilySearchImage], [FamilySearchRecord].
[2] Thomas Lynch Montgomery, Pennsylvania Archives, Sixth Series, Volume 9 (Troops) (1907), 379, 477, [InternetArchive].
[3] Thomas Lynch Montgomery, Pennsylvania Archives, Sixth Series, Volume 8 (Troops) (1907), 1167, 1169, [HathiTrust], [HathiTrust], [InternetArchive], [GoogleBooks].
[4] Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, Tax, [FamilySearchImage], [FHLCatalog].
[5] United States Federal Census, 1820, [FamilySearchImage], [FamilySearchRecord].
[6] United States Federal Census, 1820, [AncestryImage], [AncestryRecord].
[7] United States Federal Census, 1830, [FamilySearchImage], [FamilySearchRecord].
[8] United States Federal Census, 1840, [FamilySearchImage], [FamilySearchRecord].
[9] United States Federal Census, 1850, [FamilySearchImage], [FamilySearchRecord].
[10] Newspaper, Weekly Gazette (Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania), Thursday, October 14, 1858, 3-47.
[11] Thomas Lynch Montgomery, Pennsylvania Archives, Sixth Series, Volume 9 (Troops) (1907), 574, [InternetArchive].
[12] Thomas Lynch Montgomery, Pennsylvania Archives, Sixth Series, Volume 9 (Troops) (1907), 379, [InternetArchive].
[13] Thomas Lynch Montgomery, Pennsylvania Archives, Sixth Series, Volume 9 (Troops) (1907), 477, [InternetArchive].
[14] William Henry Egle, R. H. Schively, Harry I. Huber, A. S. Dudley, Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania (1896), 488, [HathiTrust], [InternetArchive].
[15] USGenWeb Archives, [USGenWeb].
[16] The family tree of a person who has a DNA match to Robert suggests a lineage to this sibling of Robert's ancestor. The lineage is through a descendant shown on our website, [Link].
[17] The family tree of a person who has a DNA match to Robert suggests a lineage to this sibling of Robert's ancestor. The lineage is through a descendant shown on our website, descent: Peter Ritner (spouse of Rachel Scott) or John D Ritner (spouse of Elizabeth), Sara or Catherine Ritner (spouse of Jacob Leidig), Sarah Elizabeth Leidig (spouse of Henry Zinn), Shared Ritner matches, [Link].
[18] The family tree of a person who has a DNA match to Robert's family suggests a lineage to this sibling of Robert's ancestor. The lineage is through a descendant shown on our website, [Link].
[19] The family tree of a person who has a DNA match to Robert's family suggests a lineage to this sibling of Robert's ancestor. The lineage is through a descendant shown on our website, [Link].