Archibald Riddell

Abt 1636 - 1708  (72 years)

• Name	Archibald Riddell  [1]
  Birth	Abt 1636	Ayrshire, Scotland
  	3rd son of Sir Walter Riddell of Riddell and Janet Rigg
  Gender	Male
  Residence	9 Jul 1656	Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland
  	Graduated Master of Arts from the University of Edinburgh
  Occupation	1670	Kippen, Stirlingshire, Scotland
  	Minister - place of his "clandestine" ordination
  	Source: John Warrick (1913) The moderators of the Church of Scotland from 1690 to 1740 (Edinburgh: Oliphant, Anderson & Ferrier), p60
  Military service	22 Jun 1679	Bothwell, Lanarkshire, Scotland   [2]
  	Accused of being with the Covenanter army at the Battle of Bothwell Bridge
  Occupation	1680	Scotland
  	Covenanter preacher. Imprisoned several times for field preaching
  Religion	1680	Scotland
  	Presbyterian - Covenanter
  Imprisonment	1 Oct 1680	Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland   [3]
  	Date when examined by the Privy Council regarding field preaching and 'sent bak to prosson agen'
  Imprisonment	5 Jul 1681	Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland   [4]
  	Imprisoned in Edinburgh Tolbooth; date ordered to be sent to the Bass Rock prison
  Residence	Abt 1683	Bass Rock, East Lothian, Scotland
  	Imprisoned in the Bass Rock jail
  Legal	24 Dec 1684	Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland   [5]
  	The Privy Council ordered Archibald's release, provided he emigrate with George Scot, “never to return without special licence”
  Role	1685	East Jersey, New Jersey, USA
  	Transported prisoner
  	later fractioner (1688)
  Property	28 Jul 1685	East Jersey, New Jersey, USA   [6]
  	Granted 200 acres by the Proprietors for promoting settlement to the Colony of East Jersey, on grounds that he, with Rev Paterson, was "greatly esteemed by persons of their persuasion in matters of religion"
  Legal	7 Aug 1685	East Jersey, New Jersey, USA   [7]
  	Power of attorney, William Aickman appointing Archibald Riddell, brother germane to Sir John Riddell, as agent in East New Jersey
  Departure	5 Sep 1685	Leith, Midlothian, Scotland
  	Aboard the Henry and Francis
  Arrival	7 Dec 1685	Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA
  	Aboard the Henry and Francis having been encouraged to leave
  Occupation	1686	Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA
  	Minister
  Legal	4 Jan 1686/87	Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA   [8]
  	Acted as attorney for William Aikman in presenting a petition to the Board of Proprietors
  Property	2 Jun 1688	East Jersey, New Jersey, USA   [9]
  	Obtained the patent to 1/10 of 1/48 of East Jersey, land by the Raritan River formerly owned by William Aikman
  Residence	May 1689	Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA   [10]
  Property	3 May 1689	Middlesex, New Jersey, USA   [10]
  	Deed, Robert McClellan to Rev Archibald Riddell, both of Woodbridge, for one third of a lot, bought from Joshua Bradley (see patent, 30 Dec 1670), adjoining at the north end of the third, given by grantor to his son-in-law Gawen Lockhart; also 7 1/4 acres of meadow, east of Raraton River
  Departure	Jun 1689	Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA
  	Bound for Scotland
  Imprisonment	24 Sep 1689	Rochefort, Allier, Auvergne, France   [11, 12]
  	Held in French prisons with son, daughter and maid (Nantes, Rochefort, Dinard), having been captured en route to England. Released with Robert McClellan in a prisoner swap
  	Date when the Privy Council reported that Riddell was proposed for a prisoner exchange. Edinburgh merchant, John Watson was authorised to negotiate for his release and that of Mr Charles Gordon, the minister of Veere who was held in Dunkirk. The proposed exchange was with Alexander Christie, Catholic priest, held in Dunnottar, and one Innes, held in Blackness
  Occupation	26 Sep 1691	Wemyss, Fife, Scotland   [13]
  	Minister, Wemyss Parish, having been appointed as minister in Kippen, Stirlingshire earlier in 1691
  Occupation	20 May 1697	Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland   [14]
  	Minister of Kirkcaldy parish - date of transfer from Wemyss
  Occupation	8 Dec 1701	Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland   [15]
  	Minister, Trinity parish - date of transfer from Kirkcaldy
  Property	Bef 1 Apr 1703	Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA   [16]
  	Sold a tract at the Bald Hill, Woodbridge to Thomas Gordon of Perth Amboy
  Death	17 Feb 1708	Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland   [15]
  Person ID	I31184	East Jersey Genealogies
  Last Modified	19 Oct 2025

  
  

  Father	Sir Walter Riddell   d. Abt 1669
  Relationship	natural
  Mother	Janet Rigg,   b. 1614, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland d. Bef Dec 1682 (Age < 68 years)
  Relationship	natural
  Family ID	F20540	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 1	Helen Aitkenhead,   b. Abt 1637, North Berwick, East Lothian, Scotland d. Abt Oct 1685, At sea (Age 48 years)
  Children	1. Sarah Riddell,   b. Abt 1677, Scotland d. Aft 1720 (Age > 44 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   2. Captain Walter Riddell,   b. Abt 1671, Scotland d. 1738 (Age 67 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   3. Doctor John Riddell,   b. Abt 1679, Scotland d. 1740, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland (Age 61 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   4. Janet Riddell,   b. Scotland d. Scotland  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   5. unknown Riddell   d. Apr 1671, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
  Family ID	F30567	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	19 Oct 2025

  
  

  Family 2	Jean Ker   d. Aft 1708
  Marriage	8 May 1694	Wemyss, Fife, Scotland   [15]
  	The Fasti entry suggests this as the probable date
  Marriage Contract	1 Jun 1694	Wemyss, Fife, Scotland   [17]
  	Pre-nuptial contract of marriage between Mr Archibald Riddell, minister at Weemes, and Mrs Jean Ker, sister of William Ker of Newtoune
  Family ID	F20539	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	19 Oct 2025

  
  

• Event Map

  Birth - Abt 1636 - Ayrshire, Scotland Residence - Graduated Master of Arts from the University of Edinburgh - 9 Jul 1656 - Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland Occupation - Minister - place of his "clandestine" ordination - 1670 - Kippen, Stirlingshire, Scotland Military service - Accused of being with the Covenanter army at the Battle of Bothwell Bridge - 22 Jun 1679 - Bothwell, Lanarkshire, Scotland Occupation - Covenanter preacher. Imprisoned several times for field preaching - 1680 - Scotland Religion - Presbyterian - Covenanter - 1680 - Scotland Imprisonment - Date when examined by the Privy Council regarding field preaching and 'sent bak to prosson agen' - 1 Oct 1680 - Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland Imprisonment - Imprisoned in Edinburgh Tolbooth; date ordered to be sent to the Bass Rock prison - 5 Jul 1681 - Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland Residence - Imprisoned in the Bass Rock jail - Abt 1683 - Bass Rock, East Lothian, Scotland Legal - The Privy Council ordered Archibald's release, provided he emigrate with George Scot, “never to return without special licence” - 24 Dec 1684 - Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland Departure - Aboard the Henry and Francis - 5 Sep 1685 - Leith, Midlothian, Scotland Arrival - Aboard the Henry and Francis having been encouraged to leave - 7 Dec 1685 - Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA Occupation - Minister - 1686 - Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA Legal - Acted as attorney for William Aikman in presenting a petition to the Board of Proprietors - 4 Jan 1686/87 - Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA Residence - May 1689 - Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA Property - Deed, Robert McClellan to Rev Archibald Riddell, both of Woodbridge, for one third of a lot, bought from Joshua Bradley (see patent, 30 Dec 1670), adjoining at the north end of the third, given by grantor to his son-in-law Gawen Lockhart; also 7 1/4 acres of meadow, east of Raraton River - 3 May 1689 - Middlesex, New Jersey, USA Departure - Bound for Scotland - Jun 1689 - Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA Imprisonment - Held in French prisons with son, daughter and maid (Nantes, Rochefort, Dinard), having been captured en route to England. Released with Robert McClellan in a prisoner swap - 24 Sep 1689 - Rochefort, Allier, Auvergne, France Occupation - Minister, Wemyss Parish, having been appointed as minister in Kippen, Stirlingshire earlier in 1691 - 26 Sep 1691 - Wemyss, Fife, Scotland Marriage - 8 May 1694 - Wemyss, Fife, Scotland Marriage Contract - Pre-nuptial contract of marriage between Mr Archibald Riddell, minister at Weemes, and Mrs Jean Ker, sister of William Ker of Newtoune - 1 Jun 1694 - Wemyss, Fife, Scotland Occupation - Minister of Kirkcaldy parish - date of transfer from Wemyss - 20 May 1697 - Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland Occupation - Minister, Trinity parish - date of transfer from Kirkcaldy - 8 Dec 1701 - Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland Property - Sold a tract at the Bald Hill, Woodbridge to Thomas Gordon of Perth Amboy - Bef 1 Apr 1703 - Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA Death - 17 Feb 1708 - Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Sources

  [S3434] Ancestry.com, Ridlon, G.T., History of the ancient Ryedales and their descendants, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT; Date: 2005;). [S3526] National Records of Scotland, (Location: Edinburgh;), JC26/51/1. [S3526] National Records of Scotland, (Location: Edinburgh;), GD237/20/27. [S3522] Book of the Old Edinburgh Club, (Name: Old Edinburgh Club; Location: Edinburgh; Date: 1916;), Vol. VIII, 1916, p110. [S3611] Privy Council of Scotland, The Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, 3rd Series, X, p79. [S3652] "Early Land Records, 1650-1900s", State of New Jersey, Department of State, Early Land Records, 1650-1900s. A(EJ): Folio 384-385 (SSTSE023) https://wwwnet-dos.state.nj.us/dos_archivesdbportal/EarlyLandRecords.aspx [S3607] Nelson, William, Calendar of Records in the Office of the Secretary of State, 1664-1703, p90. [S3720] Miller, George J., The Minutes of the Board of Proprietors of the Eastern Division of New Jersey from 1685 to 1705, p149. [S3652] "Early Land Records, 1650-1900s", State of New Jersey, Department of State, Early Land Records, 1650-1900s, F(EJ): Folio 678-679 (SSTSE023). [S3607] Nelson, William, Calendar of Records in the Office of the Secretary of State, 1664-1703, p167. [S3526] National Records of Scotland, (Location: Edinburgh;), GD136/1349. [S3611] Privy Council of Scotland, The Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, 3rd Series, XIV, pp337-338, 427. [S3612] Scott, Hew, Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae; the Succession of Ministers in the Church of Scotland from the Reformation, (Name: Oliver and Boyd; Location: Edinburgh; Date: 1923;), Vol. V - Synods of Fife and of Angus and Mearns, p121. [S3612] Scott, Hew, Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae; the Succession of Ministers in the Church of Scotland from the Reformation, (Name: Oliver and Boyd; Location: Edinburgh; Date: 1923;), Vol. V - Synods of Fife and of Angus and Mearns, p113. [S3612] Scott, Hew, Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae; the Succession of Ministers in the Church of Scotland from the Reformation, (Name: Oliver and Boyd; Location: Edinburgh; Date: 1923;), Vol. I - Synods of Lothian and Tweeddale, p133. [S3607] Nelson, William, Calendar of Records in the Office of the Secretary of State, 1664-1703, p155. [S3526] National Records of Scotland, (Location: Edinburgh;), GD40/5/61.6 Papers of the Kerr Family, Marquises of Lothian.