John Ritchie (newspaper owner)
Encyclopedia
John Ritchie was a Scottish
newspaper
owner.
He was born at Kirkcaldy
, Fife
, and at an early age went in service to a small farmer near Largo. Later he returned to Kirkcaldy, working as a hand-loom weaver. In around 1800 he moved to Edinburgh (where his younger brother William
was training in the law), and established himself as a draper.
In 1816 he helped to finance his brother's new venture, The Scotsman
newspaper.
Following his brother's death in 1831, he became much more involved with the newspaper, giving up the drapery business. Within a few years he was the sole proprietor, having bought out the other shareholders. He turned the paper in to a daily in 1855, selling at the price of 1d.
In 1842, Ritchie's great-nephew John Ritchie Findlay
came to live with Ritchie, and entered the business.
In addition to his newspaper activities, Ritchie was a town councillor in Edinburgh, a magistrate, chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and one of the founders of the United Industrial School.
On Ritchie's death in 1881, John Ritchie Findlay succeeded him in the ownership of The Scotsman.
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
owner.
He was born at Kirkcaldy
Kirkcaldy
Kirkcaldy is a town and former royal burgh in Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. The town lies on a shallow bay on the northern shore of the Firth of Forth; SSE of Glenrothes, ENE of Dunfermline, WSW of Dundee and NNE of Edinburgh...
, Fife
Fife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
, and at an early age went in service to a small farmer near Largo. Later he returned to Kirkcaldy, working as a hand-loom weaver. In around 1800 he moved to Edinburgh (where his younger brother William
William Ritchie (editor)
William Ritchie was a Scottish lawyer, journalist and newspaper owner.He was born at Lundin Mill, Fife, where his father had a flax dressing business....
was training in the law), and established himself as a draper.
In 1816 he helped to finance his brother's new venture, The Scotsman
The Scotsman
The Scotsman is a British newspaper, published in Edinburgh.As of August 2011 it had an audited circulation of 38,423, down from about 100,000 in the 1980s....
newspaper.
Following his brother's death in 1831, he became much more involved with the newspaper, giving up the drapery business. Within a few years he was the sole proprietor, having bought out the other shareholders. He turned the paper in to a daily in 1855, selling at the price of 1d.
In 1842, Ritchie's great-nephew John Ritchie Findlay
John Ritchie Findlay
John Ritchie Findlay was a Scottish newspaper owner and philanthropist.He was born at Arbroath, Angus, son of Peter Findlay and was educated at Edinburgh University...
came to live with Ritchie, and entered the business.
In addition to his newspaper activities, Ritchie was a town councillor in Edinburgh, a magistrate, chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and one of the founders of the United Industrial School.
On Ritchie's death in 1881, John Ritchie Findlay succeeded him in the ownership of The Scotsman.