John Ferrill Riley (abt. 1756 - 1801)

Born about 1756 in Femanogh County, Ireland [uncertain]

Ancestors

Husband of Martha (Blade) Riley — married 14 Jun 1796 in Berkeley County, West Virginia

Descendants

Died 1801 at about age 45 in Berkeley County, West Virginia, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Ellen Jennings [send private message]

Biography

John Ferrill Riley was born in about 1756 in Femanogh (?) County, Ireland. He was the son of John Ferrill Riley and Mary McCormick.^[1][2]

1774 - Indenture of 12 March 1774 between George Washington of Mount Vermon in the county of Fairfax VA and John Reiley of Berkeley county farmer leases land for lives of John Reiley and his sons James Reiley and Alexander Reiley, 200 acres of land.

• Lease for the duration of three lives.

Lease of land in Berkeley county lying at the head of spring of Bullskin run, the rent of six pounds to be paid yearly on 25 December; and within seven years of the date of this indenture to build a dwelling house at least 16 feet square, and an orchard of 100 apple trees and one hundred peach trees, land to be sown in good english grass, meadow to be fenced, etc. Witnesses include a George Reiley. Indenture

Will

Will Book 3, page 410. The will of John Riley Senior of Berkeley County and Commonwealth of Virginia.“

In the name of God Amen. I John Reily senior of the county of Berkeley and Commonwealth of Virginia, being in an infirm state of body, perfect and disposing mind and memory, and [realizing?] the mortality of human nature do make and constitute this my last will and testament.

After my just debts and burial charges are paid, I do give and dispose of my worldly estate in manner and form following that is to say I will to my son Thomas Riley all my wearing apparel of every description of which I die possessed. I will and bequeath to my son John five shillings; I will and bequeath to my Daughter May five pounds Pennsylvania money. I will to my granddaughter Margaret the daughter of my son John Riley five pounds Penn. Money. I will and bequeath to my son William twenty pounds Penny money. It is my will to bequest to Elizabeth Blade my present step-daughter now about twelve years of age a good milch Cow or the full price of one to be paid her by my executors in cash.

I will, devise, bequeath unto my wife Martha Riley to her her assigned, the full entire and absolute use of all my landed, personal and other Estate of every description, the above largesse only accepted during her widowhood but provided she should marry again she is immediately upon such intermarriage to be restricted to one third part of the Estate such as the law points out of a widow and the remaining two-thirds. . . thereof shall be applied to the education and raising all the children which I may have by her the said Martha at the time of my death and upon her decease the whole devise shall rest completely in the said children. . . . it is my will intention and desire I order and direct should I have no surviving child or children by my present wife and the time of my death that at the end of her the said Martha’s natural life that all the land and other property intended for her and her children shall be sold and the money arising there from shall be divided, share and share alike, amongst my three following children, that is to say Thomas Riley, William Riley, and Mary Kennedy.”

Executors were wife Martha and John Butler. Dated and signed (by an X) on 20 June 1796. Witnesses were Ephraim Gaither, James Anderson, Magnus Tate Jr., and Amos Mendenhall. Proved by James Anderson and Amos Mendenhall and ordered recorded on 21 December 1801 by H. Bedinger, Clerk, Berkeley County Court.

John Riely had children Thomas, William and Mary, from a previous marriage (all named in the will) and somehow also had Alexander William in 1795. I don't believe we know who AW's mother was. Even his bio says that he was orphaned at age 5. John married Martha Blade the year after AW was born.

AW served in the War of 1812 and married Nancy Houseworth around 1815 in Berkeley County, and sold the acreage his father John left him and around 1815-1816 they moved to Ross County Ohio. Later on they moved to Iowa.

Martha Blade Reily/Riley (possibly his mother) married a James Whitelock in 1802, and they are on the census for Ross County, Ohio also, so they followed AW west.

Alexander's affairs from 1801 on were were apparently kept in order by Amos Mendenhall a friend of John Riely's and stone mason by trade. He also shows up later in Ross County Ohio. We know nothing about his early life but his bio makes reference to the stone mason trade. It is possible he was raised by Amos Mendenhall.

There is no mention of where the other siblings from John's other marriage(s) went, although Thomas Riley/Riely did marry Hannah Applegate in Berkeley County VA, I believe around 1802.

Thank you

According to Dale Morrow’s well-documented web site, four of John’s sons (all but Alexander) served in the Revolution. Alexander may have been too old.

Type: Will

Title: Last Will and Testament of John Reily, Sr.

File Number: Berkeley Co. (W) Va Loose Probate Papers 1772- 1885

Register: FHL SLC Film #184 5195

Source Locality: Salt Lake City FHL, found & copied by Martha

Type: Web Site

Author: Markus Riley

Title: Riley Family Genealogy Forum

URL: http://genforum.genealogy.com/riley/messages/5995.html

Date: 12/19/2007

Type: Web Site

Author: Dale Morrow

Title: The Family of Magnus Tate and Mary Mccormick (8th generation)

URL: http://www.geocities.com/dalemorrow/tat150.htm

Date: 3/4/05

Sources

1. ↑ Birth: Type: Book. Author: Hugh Milton McIlhany. Periodical: Some Virginia Families Being Genealogies of the kinney, Stribling, Trout, McIlhany, Milton, Rogers, Tate, Snickers, Taylor, McCormick and Other Families of Virginia. Page: 221-227. Date: 1962. (accessed before 4 October 2010)
2. ↑ Birth: Type: Census. Title: United States Federal Census 1880. Place: Lenox Township, Iowa County, Iowa. Date: 1880. Source Locality: Ancestry.com via Cook Memorial Library. DATV 2/24/04.