Ritchings was a teacher. He was the first pupil teacher at the Taieri School. After attending the Otago University, he taught at North East Valley, then Tinkers, near Clyde. He then went to the North Island where his brother William was farming. He taught at the Wanganui Boys School, and married while there. He later became Principal of the Timaru Technical School, and finally Inspector Supervisor of Manual Training with headquarters in Christchurch. He had two sons.