Ritchie, William

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Ritchie, William (1781–1831). Founder of the Scotsman. Ritchie was a solicitor from Fife. In 1817, irritated by the refusal of the Edinburgh papers to print his criticisms of the Royal Infirmary, he joined with Charles Maclaren and others to launch the Scotsman. It began as a weekly, became bi-weekly in 1823, and was first issued as a daily in 1855. His elder brother John (1778–1870) began life as a weaver and draper, but took over the paper after William's death and became sole proprietor.

J. A. Cannon

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