Chemist, Market Place

Andrew Wemyss Ritchie, like his father with the same name, was usually known by his middle name (pronounced ‘Weems’). Wemyss senior was a chemist who moved to Langholm in the late 1870s, establishing himself in Market Place and adding dentistry to his services, advertising ‘painless extractions’ and ‘artificial teeth’.

Wemyss senior died in 1899 and his wife Catherine (which she spelled ‘Katherine’) continued the enterprise with her son Wemyss junior, who qualified as a chemist the same year.

Wemyss junior married Mary Fairley from Langholm in 1909, daughter of John Fairley, a local bank accountant. Together they had four daughters.

Either the younger Wemyss or Katherine continued the dentistry service, as seen in the following advert:

1916 was a difficult year: Katherine Ritchie died on a visit to the holiday resort of Silloth, Cumbria, and Mary’s brothers Mungo and Archibald Fairley were killed in the war. The chemist business was sold to Alexander Rally, and Wemyss and Mary moved to Montrose, Angus.

Mary died in 1934 and Wemyss was remarried in 1937 at age 61, to Ann Brown, a nurse, aged 37.

Born	Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, 1876
Parents	Andrew Ritchie, chemist and dentist (1838-1899), Catherine Mackay (1849-1916)
Siblings	Eldest of 3 brothers and 2 sisters
Marriage	Mary Fairley, 1909, Langholm; Ann Brown, 1937, Aberdeenshire
Children	4 daughters
Died	Montrose, Angus, 1956, aged 80