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Peter Franklin Ridings

Peter was born on September 11th, 1816 in Middletown, Frederick County, Virginia. Peter's father was Dr. Peter Joseph Ridings and his mother was Mary Brotherton. His paternal grandparents were John Ridings and Mary Morris. He had ten brothers and a sister, named Edwin, James, John, William, Joseph, Cyrus, Samuel, George, Charles, Isaac and Sarah. He was the third youngest of the twelve children. He died at the age of 49 in 1865.

General Notes
- He married Mary Jane LARRICK and Elizabeth HALTERMAN, 6 children, and moved to Missouri.
  
  "During the Civil War, this family suffered, as did many others; but two instances of specially brutal treatment may be mentioned: Peter was taken from his home and family and shot dead by a squad of Union soldiers, within a half mile of his home; while at another time, John W. Ridings' wife was killed in her own home on the Middle Road, West of Newtown. A large squad of Sheridan's Cavalry, led by Brown, a renegade Frederick County man, made a rush upon the house, firing many volleys. Mrs. Ridings was killed. Both cases were without excuse. William Ridings, her son, lives in the vicinity at this writing; and several other children survive. E. C. Ridings, James W. (now Notary Public) and other members of the two families mentioned, live at Middletown and vicinity."
  Shenandoah Valley Pioneers and Their Descendants
  By Thomas Kemp Cartmell, 1909