The Ritso family was probably the first family to live in No 12 Prior Park Buildings (at the time it was No 13). Captain John Ritso (1772-1866) moved there in 1825 after a long and distinguished career in the Army. His ancestors came from Germany and had close connections with the Royal House of Hanover. Ritso is an anglicised form of the German Ritzau. John was born in Surrey in 1772. In 1790 at the age of 18 he travelled to India and joined the 76th Regiment as a volunteer.

In 1791 he was promoted to Ensign and fought in the Mysore wars against Sultan Tipu, most notably in the siege of Seringapatam in 1792, when Tipu was killed and his sons surrendered. By 1804 he had reached the rank of Captain and was appointed as ADC to the Governor General to India the Marquis of Wellesley (brother of the Duke of Wellington). He returned to the UK in 1806 and initially settled in Kingsbridge in Devon. He transferred to the Royal Artillery and was made Professor of Fortifications at Woolwich Arsenal.

In 1807 he married Charlotte Boyce. They had 6 children together some of whom were born in Somerton. He retired in 1823 and moved to Prior Park Buildings in about 1825. He died in 1866 at the age of 93! As a child John’s father George Ritso was a play mate of the young George III. Later George married Louisa Grimm who was an attendant to Queen Charlotte. Louisa was born in 1743 in Gotha, Saxony, Germany. They had 11 children together. She died on 3 March 1825 at the age of 82 years, and was buried in Bathwick.