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Archiver > WVBERKEL > 2000-09 > 0970205819


From: Gray Matters <>
Subject: [WVBERKEL] Riley family, 1700s-1817
Date: Fri, 29 Sep 2000 00:36:59 -0500


Trying to clear up some mysteries.

My g-g-g-grandfather, Alexander William RILEY, married Nancy HOUSEWORTH in
Martinsburg, Berkeley Co., on 7 Dec. 1815. In 1817 they moved to Ross Co.,
OH, with baby son George Alexander (my gg-grandfather). From April-July
1812 Alexander had served in the war (Capt. Gregory's Co., VA Militia), and
he was 77 in May 1872 when he made his pension declaration--that would give
him a birth year of about 1795. I have seen two or three secondary sources
give him a birth date of 8 April 1795, but I do not yet know where that
date originally came from.

This birth date is a little perplexing. An abstract sent me by the
Berkeley Co. Hist. Soc says (RR 1, p. 394), "6 Nov 1816 Alexander Riley and
Nancy his wife being the only survivors heirs of John Rieley [sic] late of
Ber. Co., VA, dec, sold to Wm Burns for $590.15 by his last will and
testament 20 June 1796 the children of the heirs of his second wife Martha
Riely (now Martha Whitelock) should be sole heirs of all his land in Ber.
Co. Alexander being the surviving heir of aforesaid children..."

Alexander was thus the son of John and Martha Riley (later Whitelock). My
problem is that I have John Riley's will, and he does not mention Alexander
by name (just a reference to "any children" he might have by Martha at the
time of his death), even though Alexander would have been a year old by
then (he names several grown children by his first wife, and his
step-daughter Elizabeth Black, daughter, apparently, of Martha). A greater
problem is that he only married Martha on 14 June 1796--six days before he
made this will. Was Alexander illegitimate? How would I find out? My
impression is that they may have been associated with the Tuscarora
Presbyterian Church--does anyone know where exactly that is, and whether
church or cemetery records are available anywhere?

Back to our story--the will was probated in Dec. 1801, and on 24 Dec. 1802
Martha married James Whitelock (wasting no time).

Does anyone have any information on any of these people? I can supply
names of John's older children, but otherwise I know very little about him
or Martha (who was her previous husband?). Suggestions and corrections
welcomed.

Martha Grenzeback

(new e-mail address)

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