James Monroe Ritchie (July 28, 1829 – August 17, 1918) was an American lawyer and politician who served one term as a U.S. Representative from Ohio from 1881 to 1883. He was the father of Byron Foster Ritchie.

Biography

Born in Dunfermline, Scotland, Ritchie immigrated to the United States in 1832 with his parents, who settled in St. Lawrence County, New York. His early schooling was limited and he received instruction at home from his father and mother. He studied law. He was admitted to the bar in 1858 and commenced practice in Toledo, Ohio. He served as delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1880.

Congress

Ritchie was elected as a Republican to the Forty-seventh Congress (March 4, 1881 – March 3, 1883). He was not a candidate for renomination in 1882.

Later career and death

He again resumed the practice of his profession in Toledo, Ohio, and died there August 17, 1918. He was interred in Grafton Cemetery, Grafton, Ohio.

Sources

• United States Congress. "James M. Ritchie (id: R000274)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress