John W. Riley (abt. 1841 - 1892)

Born about 1841 in Ireland

Husband of Nancy Jane Graston — married 6 Feb 1859 in North Vernon, Jennings, Indiana, United States

Descendants

Died 1892 at about age 51 in Franklin, Williamson, Tennessee, United States

Biography

This profile is part of the Reilly Name Study.

John W. Riley was said to have come to the US with his brother Terrence Riley when they were 12 and 14. His granddaughter, my great-aunt, did not specify which age he was and whether they traveled with other family members. John did name his first child Terrence Albert after his brother, however, the child went by Al most of his life.

We do not know when and where the two boys arrived in the US. The first record we have of John is his marriage license to Nancy Graston in North Vernon, Jennings County, Indiana in February 6, 1859.

I cannot find John and Nancy in the 1860 census. In the 1870 census they are living in Blue River Township, Edinburg Post Office, Johnson County, Indiana, where John is working as a cooper (barrel-maker) at a mill. He is listed as being 30 years old [1841]. Nancy is listed as being 31 years old [1840]. "Terrance A." is 10 years old , his sister [Nancy/Nannie] Jane is 7 [she was actually born 13 January 1862], James F.[Francis] is listed as 6, [January 1864], "Rosanna" age 4 [1867], and "Alferetta" age 2 [1868]. Alferetta was known as Mary [born May 7, 1868] in later years. They probably got tired of telling everyone how to spell it. ;)

Son James Francis Riley's marriage license for his first marriage [to Johanna Donnelley] states he was born in Seymour, Indiana, which puts the Rileys in Jackson County, Indiana in 1864.

In Rosie/Rosanna Riley's marriage license of 10 April, 1882 in Franklin, Tennessee, she states her place of birth was Jennings County, Indiana [in 1866].

So if all these records are correct, the Rileys were in Jennings County Indiana when T. Albert was born (1859), Seymour, Jackson County Indiana when James Francis was born (1864), then back in Jennings County Ind. in 1866 when Rose Annie/Rosa was born.

And then in 1870 they are in Johnson County, Indiana. Perhaps after that was when they moved to Indianapolis? Son T. Albert Reilly said he and his siblings went to school in Indianapolis.

Son John/"Jack" Riley was born in September 1872 in Indiana. Thomas "Tom" Riley was born July 4, 1875 in Indiana. The last surviving daughter, Louisa/Louella was born in August 1879 in Franklin, Tennessee.

In the 1874 Indianapolis City Directory, there is a John Riley who is a cooper with D.[Daniel] Burton who resides at 8 Minerva Street.

There was also a laborer named "Terrie" Riley who resided at 170 Maple Street in Indianapolis. (1877 Indianapolis City Directory). I once wondered if the John Riley who lived next door to him at 169 Maple Street might have been "our" John Riley, living next door to his brother. However, in looking at census records, the Maple Street John Riley had a different wife and children. No occupation for that John Riley was listed.

That area of Indianapolis (Minerva Street/Agnes Street/New York Avenue) was home to the Acme Evans Flour Mill and Kingan and Company, "one of the world's largest port-packing plants" according to IUPUI, which now covers that former neighborhood. Their history notes that Kingans advertised in Ireland for men to come work in their plant. Another opportunity for barrel-makers was the nearby Maus Brewery. Finally, Standard Oil Company was needing barrels for their new product, back when a barrel of oil was literally a barrel of oil. Standard Oil was on the leading edge of technology, however, and the city directory boasted of Standard Oil's new stave factory. Could skilled hand woodworkers complete against mass-produced barrels?

T. Albert Riley moved down to Nashville in 1878, just ahead of the rest of the family, and both Al and John are listed as coopers in the Nashville City Directory in that year. They worked for a man named Samuel Gardner, who was listed as having his shop on Franklin Street but who resided in Indianapolis (W. New York Street in the 1877 City Directory). The Rileys were listed as boarding on Maple Street, Nashville.

The family had moved to Franklin, Williamson County, Tennessee by the 1880 census. T. Albert Reilly said that he and his father worked building barrels for Lilly Mills, which is still producing White Lily Flour in Knoxville.

The 1880 census has some glaring errors.

Sources

• Memorial: Find a Grave (has image)
  Find A Grave: Memorial #162158388 (accessed 23 December 2023)
  Memorial page for John Riley (unknown-1892), citing Rest Haven Cemetery, Franklin, Williamson County, Tennessee, USA (plot: Riley).