RIDDELLS OF GRANTON, SCOTLAND.
87
days in peace and security; indeed, as Woodrow states, when he returned
all his losses were made up, and he and his children (his wife, who was a
daughter of Henry Atkenhead, minister of North Berwick, having died
on the voyage to America) were in better circumstances than if he had
conformed, to which he had been instigated. He was appointed minister
of Trinity College Church, a fine structure built by Mary of Guelders,
in which charge he died in 1708, and his remains were deposited in
Greyfriars churchyard, where the bodies of many eminent servants of
God are buried, and where his brother, Sir John Riddell, the Baronet of
Riddell, had been previously interred. Mr. Riddell left a great reputation
behind him, and Dr. Hew Scott says: "He was a singularly pious and
laborious servant of Jesus Christ." English genealogists have stated that
there were two sons and two daughters in this family, but there are
divers evidences pointing to a son William settled in New Jersey, who
became the ancestor of the numerous Riddells and Riddles in Virginia
and about Cincinnati, Ohio, descended from William and John, sons of
the William before mentioned.
SECOND GENERATION.
Com. Walter Riddell (1), eldest son of Archibald¹ (1), of Granton,
married Sarah, sister of Sir John Nisbet, of Dean, but died without issue
in 1738; his widow married Sir John Rutherford, of Rutherford. He
was a captain in the Royal Navy, and greatly distinguished himself in the
war of the Spanish succession under Queen Anne. He became commo-
dore and was knighted. His conduct and bravery as a naval officer is
noticed in a history of Europe, 1709, and he is also proved to have dis-
tinguished himself in the capture of vessels and in opposing the rebels in
1715, stimulated, no doubt, by the treatment shown his father in the reign
of James II, as before shown. In the archives of the admiralty a list
exists of about thirty-seven vessels, taken by him from the French while
commanding the "Phoebe," frigate of war. Being attacked by a superior
force on one occasion, his vessel was taken by the enemy, and he succeeded
in getting off in a boat with part of the crew, unobserved. Having kept
in sight of the French fleet, he observed that for some reason the "Phœbe"
had fallen behind and become separated from the other ships, upon which
he rowed back to his vessel, recaptured her, and made his escape. In con-
sequence of this feat he was authorized to change his family escutcheon,
and to substitute a boat with oars in place of one of the ears of rye, and
to adopt the motto, "Row and Retake"; this is therefore the escutcheon
of the Granton branch of Riddell. He acquired the barony of West
Granton, near Edinburgh. Supposed to be the son that was chained to
his father in France, before mentioned. He was succeeded by his brother
in 1738.*
that they shall be used in the same way and manner as the French King uses the
said Scots Prisoners, which they may be ordered to acquaint their friends in France
with, that exchange may be more easily effected. For doing of which these Pres-
ents shall be your warrant, and so we bid you hertily farewell.
"Given at the Court of Kensington this 16th day of January, 1689, and of our
Reign the first year. By His Majesty's Command. (Signed) MELVILLE."
* WALTER RIDDELL was appointed captain of the "Mermaid" 21 Dec., 1703;
promoted to second lieutenant of the Chichester," of seventy guns, in 1705. The
first part of his service as naval commander is barren of incident. In 1706, he
commanded the "Isabella," a yacht, ordered with Sir Cloudesley Shovel, and the
fleet under his command to the Mediterranean (it being, at that day, always cus-
