Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

Embarkation Information

Military Awards

Death

Biographical Notes

Hugh Beresford Ritchie was born on 13 July 1898 at Greenock, Renfrewshire, Scotland, the second son of Robert Renwick and Alice Ann Beresford (née Meechan) Ritchie. In 1901, 2-year-old Hugh was at home with his parents and siblings at Greenock. Robert and Alice and eleven children arrived at Lyttelton, New Zealand, on 2 November 1908. Another son, James Fleming Ritchie was born after their arrival but died at 2 years of age. He was buried at Ashburton. The family lived first at Allenton on the outskirts of Ashburton, then moved to Timaru in early 1913. Perhaps Hugh was the H. Ritchie who started in the three-mile Cross Country Race held at Ashurtonin early July 1912. Sadly, Robert Ritchie died at Timaru on 30 October 1914. He was buried with his little son and daughter at Ashburton. Mrs Alice Ritchie continued to live at Timaru until after the war, some of the family with her.

Hugh Ritchie, a 19-year-old salesman at Timaru, married Kathleen Minola Gibson, a 19-year-old shop assistant, at Chalmers Presbyterian Manse, Timaru, on 18 May 1918. Two daughters were born at Timaru to Hugh and Kathleen – Greta in 1918 and Lorna Margaret in 1920.

Come 12 August 1918 and H. Ritchie was in the South Canterbury quota of the Fortieth-fifth Reinforcements who left for camp. He had enlisted on 28 July 1918 at Timaru, just two weeks after his twentieth birthday. He named his wife as next-of-kin – Mrs K. M. Ritchie, 7 Church Street West, Timaru. He was serving with the 2nd South Canterbury Regiment Territorials. In 1919 Hugh and Kathleen were still in Church Street. By 1925 Kathleen had moved to Ashburton and then to Christchurch.

It was in December 1925 that Kathleen Minola Ritchie sought a divorce from her husband, Hugh Ritchie, on the grounds of desertion. A decree nisi was granted, to be moved absolute after three months. Kathleen was to have custody of their two children. Some costs were allowed against Hugh. In May 1926 a maintenance order was made against Hugh Ritchie at the rate of 15 shillings per week for each of his two children. Hugh Ritchie was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment in February 1927, for disobedience of the maintenance order. The issue of the warrant would be suspended provided £10 was paid with seven days, and thereafter at the rate of 10 shillings a week, in addition to current payments. In December 1928 he did not appear on a charge of disobeying a maintenance order. He was convicted and sentences to seven days’ imprisonment, the warrnt to be suspended so long as he paid 5 shillings a a week on addition to the current order. Another court appearance, on a default of maintenance charge, occurred in 1944,

Hugh Beresford-Ritchie married Ethel May Brayshaw in 1933. Hugh and Ethel lived in Cuba Street, Wellington, but after the 1930s Hugh did not appear on electoral rolls. He was in Cuba Street in 1942 when his name was drawn in a Wotld War II ballot. Kathleen Minola Ritchie also remarried, in 1938. She and their two daughters remained in Canterbury. Mrs Alice Ritchie died in 1932 in Wellington where she had gone to live, probably to be close to family. She was cremated and her ashes were interred in the family plot at Ashburton. Hugh Ritchie, whose occupation was given as army cook, died at his residence (303 Cuba Street, Wellington) on 11 August 1959 and was cremated at Karori. His older brother, William Robert Ritchie, also served in World War I, as did a younger brother, Ninon Beresford, who enlisted as Hugh Nimon Ritchie, it seems to disguise the fact that he was underage.

Sources

Ashburton Guardian, 5 July 1912, Timaru Herald, 18 February 1914, 7 March 1914, Press, 5 December 1925, 13 May 1926, 15 February 1927, 4 December 1928, NZ Police Gazette, 14 December 1927, 15 February 1938 (Papers Past) [23, 24 & 25 October 2021]; 1901 Scotland census return (ancestry.com.au) [21 October 2021]; NZ Electoral Rolls (ancestry.com.au) [21 & 22 October 2021]; Karori Crematorium record (Find A Grave)

External Links

• Military personnel file

Related Documents

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Researched and Written by

Teresa Scott, SC branch NZSG

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