William Ritchie

The Builders of the Queen's Bridge

Queen's Bridge, built by Francis Ritchie & Son, in 1841-1842, under the personal supervision of Dr. William Barry Ritchie, and opened for traffic in January, 1843

DEATH OF W. B. RITCHIE, M.D., J.P.

Long before the death of his father, the well-known Francis Ritchie, which occurred in February, 1864, the gentleman whose sudden demise has now taken place was well known to the residents, not only of Belfast, but of a large portion of the North of Ireland. He had been closely associated with his father in the carrying out of a number of important contracts, one of the most noteworthy being the Queen's Bridge, which was built under his personal supervision. Shortly after the completion of that undertaking in 1844 (1842) the extensive chemical works were established in Ballymacarrett. The distillation of tar and the manufacture of felt occupied for a time almost the entire attention there... A kindly and philanthropic gentleman, a friend of social and scientific progress, an earnest though unobtrusive Liberal politician, an eminently good man of the class Belfast can least afford to lose, has passed away. The sorrow is general. Many tears will be shed over Dr. Ritchie's grave.

Northern Whig, 17th February, 1887.