Bartholomew Righter, Jr., son of Bartholomew and Elizabeth Righter, seems always to have used Bartle as his name. His wife was named Charlotte. By occupation he was a blacksmith, and lived the greater part of his life in Lower Merion Township. He was born in Roxborough Township and was a minor when his father died in 1745. When his father's 250-acre farm was divided among the 4 sons in 1757, he inherited 66 1/4 acres, most of it on the Westerly side of the Ridge Road, and at the southern end of the tract. On 8 March 1753 he sold 34 3/4 in 2 distinct lots, one with tenement to George Righter, probably his uncle (Deed Book H-19, p 451) and the next day sold 7 acres, a tract on the easterly side of Ridge Road for 49 pounds to his brother Peter (Deed Book H-18, p 116). He probably sold all his Roxborough land before 1769, the year of the first tax assessor's list for the township, for Bartle's name was not on that list. No deed was found recorded for the same of the remaining 24 1/2 acres. In the deeds for the sale of this land, no wife was named, so he probably married Charlotte after March, 1763. Perhaps he lived with John when he first went to Lower Merion, for on the Tax assessors list of 1769 his name was entered with John's grist and saw mill (Pennsylvania Archives 3rd Ser., Vol. XIV, p 101). On 12 March 1773 he purchased for 235 pounds, 46 acres, 60 perches of land in Lower Merion Township, then Philadephia County, from his brother John (Deed Book D-36, p. 5). This tract in the Mill Creek area was part of the 75 acres John had bought from Hannah Harrison in 1763. Bartle's neighbor was Frederick Bicking, whose sons, Frederick and Joseph married John's daughters Sarah and Jane. Most of this land Bartle held for the rest of his life, and on it probably had his blacksmith shop. Bartle's name was on the tax lists for Lower Merion Township in 1774 with 45 acres of land, 1 horse, 2 cattle, and 1780 his propery had a valuation of 1500 pounds (Pennsylvania Archives 3rd Ser., Vol XIV, 101, p 357; Vol XV, p. 64). He was one of the heads of the families listed in the 1790 census for Lower Merion, when his family included 1 male over 16, 2 males under 16 and 5 females. This may indicate that 2 of his sons and 4 daughters were born before 1790 (Heads of Families, 1790, p. 157). On 20 April 1792 Bartle and his wife Charlotte sold 13 acres, 21 perches of his land to Peter Bechtel. A note on this deed showed that John Johnson held a mortgage on the property (Montgomery County Deed Book 7, p 132).

Bartle Righter made his will, October 1807, and probably died in 1809, for the will was probated 14 November 1809. *(Joseph Price and his Diary 1788-1810 states: 1809 Oct 11th Wind E & over Cast George Jarret here Soon for a Coffin for Bartle Righter been Long aleing intemperate but been perhaps 3 Months or good while that he Could not take any kind of Sperrits Casper Goodman & I Joind the Coffin finish'd & took home in Evening so back about dark. 12th Wind & very Like for rain driseled a little about noon All prownonced wet afternoon & night at the pike in Morn afternoon attend the funeral had much preaching but no drink of any kind Last night nor to day the first dutch Burial I beleived I was at without whiskey Somthing I hope it may Continue. - added by M. Nelson)

It provided that his wife "Charlot" should hold for her use during her life all his estate, real and personal. He devised 25 pounds to each of his daughters to be paid when his youngest son should attain his 21st year. He gave his daughter Elizabeth his best feather bed, and 5 pounds to his grandson 'Bartolamy Katch,' when he should reach age 21. All the residue of his estate he gave to his 3 sons after the death of his wife. If the sons could not agree on the divison of the land each was to choose a man, and these 3 with a surveyor were to make the partition, a drawing of lots to determine which portion each son should have. He appointed his son Rudolph and his friend George Jaret as executors. The inventory of his 'good and chattels,' made 28 October 1809 by George Grow and John Cochran included besides household articles, smith tools worth $40 and farm animals, crops and equipment to a total value of $502.25 Montgomery County Will Book 3, p 170 and Will #5211. The orginial will is missing from his folder but the inventory is here.) Charlotte Righter may have died early in 1819, for in May of that year the division of the land among the sons was made by Joseph Price, Jonathan Jones, and William Staddleman with John Elliott, surveyor. Of Bartholomew's 32 acres, 103 perches, Rudolph received a lot of 7 acres, 70 perches, together with buildings; Joseph 2 lots, one of 6 acres, 60 perches and one of 10 acres 80 perches, and William 2 lots, one of 9 3/4 acres, 8 perches and one of 2 1/2 acres (Montgomery County Deed Book 35, p 751 and 36, 534: Releases).

The children of Bartholmew and Charlotte Righter were (in order mention in Bartle's will: Hannah, Mary, Rebecca (She may have married Aaron Keech. Horace H. Platt and William Lawton, The History of Roxborough Lodge, No., 135, F and A Masons, 1813-1913 (Philadelphia 1913), p 117. The biography of Past Master George Keech states that he was a native of Lower Merion, b. 29 August 1799, son of Aaron and Rebecca (Righter) Keech. 'Bartolomy Katch,' grandson mentioned in Bartle's will, may have been a son of Aaron and Rebecca (Righter) Keech. Bartle's spelling was defective as shown here in the spelling of his own first name. Aaron Keech was a member of Lower Merion Baptist Church, baptised 6 June 1829. Church records give date of his death as September, 1844. (GSP Collections, Records of Lower Merion Baptist Church, #101) He left no will. Letters of Administration were granted to Henry Keech, 28 September 1844. (CSP Collections, Abstract of Wills and Administrations Montgomery County, 1828-1850, Vol. II, p 363)), Catharine, Elizabeth (She may have married William Fisher, 19 March 1818 (GSP Collection, Marriages 1806-1853 by the Rev. Horatio G. Gates Jones, D.D. Pastor of Lower Merion Baptist Church). He was one of the Administrators of the estate of her brother William), William (He was a blacksmith and lived in Lower Merion Township. He died in 1827, intestate. An inventory of his goods worth $31.57 was filed 27 August 1827. These was no mention of a wife in the releases he signed when his father's land was partitioned. On 3 May 1828, Joseph Righter and William Fisher administrators of the estate of William Righter, sold for $810 the 2 lots he had received in the partition of his father's land. The Orphans Court had ordered this sale (Montgomery County Will, file #15577, Montgomery County Deed Book, 44, p 145), Rudolph, and Joseph.

Information received from the Grow Family Organization -- Genealogy Report 1967 Richard W. Grow, family genealogist.