RIDDELLS OF BALLYBLACK, IRELAND.
185
RIDDELLS OF BALLYBLACK, IRELAND.
[PENNSYLVANIA BRANCH.]
John Riddell (1), descended from a Scottish stock, lived at Bally-
black, County of Down, province of Ulster, Ireland. He was born about
1740; married Margaret Moore, of Scottish descent, and had issue seven
children, of whom hereafter. Mr. Riddell's ancestors came from Scot-
land to Ireland previous to 1620. An effort was made to trace the an-
cestry of this family, but as the parish registers of Ballyblack have been
destroyed, connections cannot be made. They spelled the name Riddell.
Mr. Riddell died in 1806, and his widow Feb. 1, 1816; they were buried
at Ballyblack.
Matthew Riddell' (1), brother of the preceding, was born at Bally-
black, County of Down, province of Ulster, Ireland, in 1743; came to the
County of Westmoreland, Penn.; thence in 1796 to Venango County,
where he settled permanently. He married Elizabeth Gilkey, a native of
Ireland (she was born in 1753, and died Nov. 26, 1817), and had issue
four children, of whom hereafter. He died Nov. 26, 1830.
Ann Riddell (1), sister of the preceding (parents' names unknown),
was born at Ballyblack, County of Down, Ireland, and is supposed to have
died there. Her name, with that of a sister, was found in a letter written
from Ireland by her brother's wife.
Mary Riddell' (1), sister of the preceding, was born at Ballyblack, Ire-
land, and is supposed to have lived and died there; probably her descend-
ants may be living there.
SECOND GENERATION.
*
Matthew Riddle² (2), a son of John¹ (1), was born at Ballyblack,
County of Down, Ireland; married Sarah Findlay, and had issue nine
children, of whom hereafter, all born in Ireland. After the decease of
his wife he followed his kindred to the United States (1824), and settled
at Howard, Centre County, Penn., where he died in 1850.
William Riddle² (1), son of John' (1), was born in Ballyblack, Coun-
ty of Down, Ireland; married Sarah Brittan, and had issue seven children,
of whom hereafter. He came to America, and settled at Bellefonte, Cen-
tre County, Penn., previous to the Irish Rebellion (1796-8). He was a
stone-mason by trade.
Hugh Riddle² (1), a son of John' (1), was born at Ballyblack, Coun-
ty of Down, Ireland, Aug. 1, 1779; married Sept. 1, 1814, to Miss Re-
becca Lee, and had issue nine children, of whom hereafter. He came to
the United States about the time of the Irish Rebellion (1796-8), and
lived awhile with his brother, before mentioned, at Bellefont; while there
he went to Wilmington, Del., after his baggage, and their being no public
conveyances, nor bridges across the streams at that time, he started for
the Susquehanna on horseback, and reached Clark's Ferry where the river
was a mile wide. Having recently crossed the ocean, the distance over
the Susquehanna seemed insignificant, and urging his horse forward he
entered the stream; the current was strong, and horse and rider were
swept down river, till, fortunately, the horse rested upon a large rock
*Her brother, William Findlay, lived in the County of Down, and his daughter
was wife of Rev. William Mitchell, the Presbyterian minister of Ballyblack
church, in 1878.
