Janet and Robert Wolfe Genealogy --- Go to Genealogy Page for Michael Ritner --- Go to Genealogy Page for Mary Catherine Haffner

Notes for Michael Ritner and Mary Catherine Haffner

A biosketch about Governor Joseph Ritner named Michael as his father and John [sic, perhaps John Joseph?] as his grandfather. [1]:

JOSEPH RITNER (deceased), ex-governor of Pennsylvania, was born where the city of Reading, Berks Co., Penn., now stands, March 25, 1780. His grandfather, John Ritner, a descendant of one of the noble families of Silesia, located for some time in Alsace, then a part of France, but afterward came to America and settled in Berks County, Penn.; his son, Michael, who was a soldier of distinction in the Revolution, serving until its close, swam Long Island Sound, being one of the very few that escaped by that route, and he was in the service at the time of the birth of his illustrious son. He followed the trade of weaver, locating in turn at Lancaster, Carlisle and York, where he died. Our subject, at twelve years of age, was hired out by his father to Jacob Myers, a farmer near Churchtown, this county, but who afterward moved to near Newville, and there Joseph Ritner lived until his marriage, May 26, 1801, with Miss Susan. daughter of Jacob Alter.

A newspaper description of Governor Joseph Ritner reported [2]:

His father was a weaver by trade, and had the reputation of being an honest, industrious man, and a good mechanic. He served two years in the revolutionary war, with credit to himself as a private soldier in the Pennsylvania line - He was a member of Governor Heister's "flying camp" raised early in the revolution. He was at the battles of Long Island, White Plains, and Germantown, the taking of the Hessians at Trenton, and all the other battles in this part of the Union during the first years of the war. He went out on several occasions, and always went as a volunteer. He was the father of nine children, of whom Joseph was the second. His wife died in 1795, and he survived til 1817.

Michael Ritner's family was described in a biosketch of his son, Joseph Ritner, who was governor of Pennsylvania. [3] [Photocopy, Notes about Michael Ritner and his children.] [Photocopy, Notes about children of Michael Ritner.] [Photocopy, Cover page of book.]

1773 Michael's sister, Barbara, had a baby: "Langhammer, George Michael, of George Langhammer and his wife M. Barbara, born February 4, 1773, baptized February 14, at Reading; sponsors, Michael Rittner and Frances Fricker." [4]

c 1776 Michael Ritner served in the Revolutionary War as a volunteer in Governor Heister's Company. He was at the battles of Long Island, White Plains, and Germantown. [5]

c 1776 Michael Ritner "enlisted in the Revolutionary war, fighting gallantly under Gen. Washington, and at the battle of Long Island, swam across the sound, carrying his musket by its strap in his month." [6]

1778 A child was born to Catherine's brother, Frederick: "Haffner, John Michael, of Frederick Haffner and his wife Barbara, born during Mass and a little before he was baptized, baptized February 10, at his father's house at Reading ; sponsors, John Michael Ruttner and his wife Catharine." [7] [8]

1778 "Rüttner, John, [son] of Michael Rüttner and his wife Catharine, born May 22, 1778, baptized June 14 at Reading; sponsors Sebastian Altgayer and Catharine Rüttner." [9]

1778 Michael Rittner purchased a chair at the estate sale of John Biddle in the town of Reading. [10]

1779 Michael Ritter, weaver, was taxed for 1 cow in Oley, Berks County, Pennsylvania. [11]

1779 Michael Ritter was taxed as a weaver in Alsace Twp, Berks County, Pennsylvania. [12]

1780 Michael Ridner was taxed as a weaver in Alsace Twp, Berks County, Pennsylvania. [13] [14]

1780 Son Joseph Ritner was born on March 25 on the Schuylkill in a village that is now part of Philadelphia. [15]

Michael Ritner was a weaver at Schuylkill, Pennsylvania. [16]

Michael Ritner followed the trade of weaver locating in turn at Lancaster, Carlisle, and York, where he died. [17]

1781 Michael Retner was taxed as a weaver in Reading, Berks County, Pennsylvania. [18] [19] [20] [21]

1781 "Rüttner, M. Barbara, [daughter] of Michael Rüttner and his wife Catharine, born the same day as above [September 9], 1781, baptized October 7, 1781, at Reading; sponsors, Joseph Rüttner and his wife M. Barbara, grandparents of the child." [22]

1781 Michael Ritner had rejoined the army and participated in the siege of Yorktown and was present at the surrender of Cornwallis. [23]

1781 Mich'l Ritner, weaver, was taxed in Reading, Berks County for 1 cow. [24]

1782 Mich'l Ritner, weaver, was taxed in Reading, Berks County for one house, 2 lots and 1 cow. [25]

c1783 "When [son] Joseph was about three years old, his parents moved into Lancaster County. They rented a house in Earl township, on the banks of the Conestoga, near Carpenter's Mill." [26]

1785 Michael Ritner, was taxed in Lancaster County for one house and one lot. [27]

Michael Ritner's oldest child was John Ritner.

1787 Catharine, daughter of Michael and Mary Catherine Ridner, was born on April 4. She was baptized at St Mary's Catholic Church in Lancaster City, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Catharine Ritner was baptized on 7 May with sponsors Michael and Anna Maria Hogan. [28] [29]

1787-1790 Michael Ritner was taxed as an inmate in Earl Twp, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. [30] [31] [32] [33] [34]

1790 Michail Ridner lived in Earl Twp, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, in a household with 1 males under age 16, 1 males age 16 and over, and 5 females. [35]

1794 Michael Ritner moved to near Newville, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania.

1795 Mrs. Ritner died. [36]

1798 Michael [Ritner] Ridner, perhaps this one, witnessed the will of Jacob Wise of Middleton Twp, Cumberland County.

1798 Michael Ritner was taxed in Carlisle Borough, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania for 3 houses: a two story wood house, dimension 28 by 24 feet, with 8 windows and 103 panes of glass; an old house; an unfinished house; and a stable, on 243 acres of land. [37] [38]

1800 Where was Michael Ritner living in the 1800 census?

1802 Son Joseph Ritner moved to Washington County and married Miss Alter.

1810 Michael Rittner and wife (both age 45+) lived in Monaghan Twp, York County, Pennsylvania with female (age 0-10). [39]

1817 Michael Ritner died. [40]

Research Notes:

Michael Ritner has been described as being of Alsace, but his birthplace has also been reported as Germany. [41]


Footnotes:

[1] Samuel P. Bates, P. A. Durant, and J. Fraise Richard, History of Cumberland and Adams Counties, Pennsylvania, Part I Pennsylvania (Warner, Beers:1886), 586, [GoogleBooks], [HathiTrust], [HathiTrust].

[2] Newspaper, Pennsylvania Inquirer and Daily Courier (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), October 9, 1838, column D.

[3] Lives of David Porter and Joseph Ritner, Two Candidates for the Office of Governor of Pennsylvania, compiled from authentic sources (1838), 9, "His domestic life and habits", [GoogleBooks].

[4] Thomas C. Middleton, "The Goshenhoppen Registers, (Second Series) 1765-1785," Records of the American Catholic Historical Society of Philadelphia, Vol. 3 (Philadelphia: 1891), 295-398, at 325, [HathiTrust], [GoogleBooks].

[5] Newspaper, Pennsylvania Inquirer and Daily Courier (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), October 09 1838, column D.

[6] J. H. Beers & Co, Pub., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County Pennsylvania (1893), 465, [HathiTrust], [InternetArchive].

[7] Thomas C. Middleton, "The Goshenhoppen Registers, (Second Series) 1765-1785," Records of the American Catholic Historical Society of Philadelphia, Vol. 3 (Philadelphia: 1891), 295-398, at 343, [HathiTrust], [GoogleBooks].

[8] St. Paul's Mission, Church of the most blessed sacrament, The Goshenhoppen Registers, Baptisms, 1741-1818 [Abstracts], [Reading Berks Website].

[9] Thomas C. Middleton, "The Goshenhoppen Registers, (Second Series) 1765-1785," Records of the American Catholic Historical Society of Philadelphia, Vol. 3 (Philadelphia: 1891), 295-398, at 345, [HathiTrust], [GoogleBooks].

[10] Thomas Lynch Montgomery, Pennsylvania Archives, Sixth Series, Volume 12 (Forfeited Estates) (1907), 31, [GoogleBooks], [InternetArchiveCatalog].

[11] Pennsylvania, Tax and Exoneration, 1768-1801, year reported incorrectly as 1768, [AncestryRecord], [AncestryImage].

[12] William Henry Egle, Pennsylvania Archives, Third Series, Volume 18 (Berks Taxables) (1897), 180, [InternetArchive].

[13] William Henry Egle, Pennsylvania Archives, Third Series, Volume 18 (Berks Taxables) (1897), 308, [InternetArchive].

[14] Berks County, Pennsylvania, Tax, [FamilySearchImage], [FHLCatalog].

[15] J. H. Beers & Co, Pub., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County Pennsylvania (1893), 465, from a biosketch of nephew Joseph Ritner Cunningham, [HathiTrust], [InternetArchive].

[16] J. H. Beers & Co, Pub., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County Pennsylvania (1893), 465, [HathiTrust], [InternetArchive].

[17] Samuel P. Bates, P. A. Durant, and J. Fraise Richard, History of Cumberland and Adams Counties, Pennsylvania [Cumberland] (Warner, Beers:1886), 586, [GoogleBooks].

[18] Berks County, Pennsylvania, Tax, right, [FamilySearchImage], [FHLCatalog].

[19] Pennsylvania, Septennial Census, 1779-1863, [AncestryRecord], [AncestryImage].

[20] Pennsylvania, Tax and Exoneration, 1768-1801, [AncestryRecord], [AncestryImage].

[21] William Henry Egle, Pennsylvania Archives, Third Series, Volume 18 (Berks Taxables) (1897), 537, [InternetArchive].

[22] Thomas C. Middleton, "The Goshenhoppen Registers, (Second Series) 1765-1785," Records of the American Catholic Historical Society of Philadelphia, Vol. 3 (Philadelphia: 1891), 295-398, at 357, [HathiTrust], [GoogleBooks].

[23] J. H. Beers & Co, Pub., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County Pennsylvania (1893), 465, [HathiTrust], [InternetArchive].

[24] Pennsylvania, Tax and Exoneration, 1768-1801, [AncestryRecord], [AncestryImage].

[25] Pennsylvania, Tax and Exoneration, 1768-1801, [AncestryRecord], [AncestryImage].

[26] Lives of David Porter and Joseph Ritner, Two Candidates for the Office of Governor of Pennsylvania, compiled from authentic sources (1838), 5, "From birth till marriage", [GoogleBooks].

[27] Pennsylvania, Tax and Exoneration, 1768-1801, [AncestryRecord], [AncestryImage].

[28] Pennsylvania Church Records, Adams, Berks and Lancaster Counties, 1729-1881, [AncestryRecord].

[29] William P. Price, "Baptismal Records from St. Mary's Church, Lancaster, PA," Records of the American Catholic Historical Society of Philadelphia, Vol. 25 (Philadelphia: 1914), 39, [HathiTrust].

[30] Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Tax Records, 1787, [FamilySearchImage], [FHLCatalog].

[31] Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Tax Records, 1788, [FamilySearchImage], [FHLCatalog].

[32] Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Tax Records, 1789, [FamilySearchImage], [FHLCatalog].

[33] Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Tax Records, 1789, [FamilySearchImage], [FHLCatalog].

[34] Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Tax Records, 1790, [FamilySearchImage], [FHLCatalog].

[35] United States Federal Census, 1790, [AncestryImage], [AncestryRecord].

[36] Lives of David Porter and Joseph Ritner, Two Candidates for the Office of Governor of Pennsylvania, compiled from authentic sources (1838), 7, "Birth, parentage, and connexions", [GoogleBooks].

[37] Pennsylvania, U.S. Direct Tax Lists, 1798, list A, line 211, [AncestryRecord], [AncestryImage].

[38] Pennsylvania, U.S. Direct Tax Lists, 1798, list 1, line 211, [AncestryRecord], [AncestryImage].

[39] United States Federal Census, 1810, [AncestryImage], [AncestryRecord].

[40] Lives of David Porter and Joseph Ritner, Two Candidates for the Office of Governor of Pennsylvania, compiled from authentic sources (1838), 7, "Birth, parentage, and connexions", [GoogleBooks].

[41] J. H. Beers & Co, Pub., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County Pennsylvania (1893), 465, [HathiTrust], [InternetArchive].