John and Elizabeth Reiley

1751-1845
 

Complied by Elizabeth Morrow Cooley and part of the research collection held by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Family History Center in Norwood, Ohio, and reprinted here with the permission of the previous director, Alma Ryan. It is intended for the free use of researchers and is not to be sold.
 

John Reiley was born in Cecil County, Maryland 9 Dec 1751 and died in Rush County, Indiana 22 Dec 1845.  He was the son of Michael or Matthew and Catherine Smith Reiley who were married in 1750. Michael (or Matthew) and Catharine came to America and settled first in Cecil County, Maryland.  Later they moved to Washington County, Pennsylvania where John, when of age married Elizabeth McCollough. 

Elizabeth was born in Scotland in 1764 and died in Rush County, Indiana 7 Dec 1826.  She came to America when she was 7 years old. John was one of the guards at the fort at Wheeling, Virginia against the Indians; was with Lord Dunmore when he came down the Ohio River from Ft. Pitt (Pittsburg) to the Kanawa, but arrived too late to engage in the battle of Mt. Pleasant. He enlisted in the war between the colonists and Great Britain from Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania in August 1776. 

He rose from a private to a captain taking part in a number of battles among them Valley Forge and the Battle of Bonhampton, New Jersey where in April 1777, he was shot through the body.  He recovered from his wound enough to serve throughout the rest of the Revolutionary War.  His grandson, Edward Reiley, states in a letter that his grandfather on his death bed showed him the scar on this body from the wound suffered during the war.  The greater part of his service was as a sharpshooter under General Dan Morgan.

He and his family came down the Ohio River about 1790 in a flat boat landing at Cabin Creek, three miles above Limestone (Maysville), Kentucky.  After moving about for several years they finally settled in Alexandria, where the rest of their children were born.  In 1820 John and his wife moved to Rush County, Indiana where both of them lived until their death.  They are buried in the Hopewell Cemetery about 15 miles from Rushville, Indiana.  His grave is marked "A soldier of the Revolution".

Children of John Reiley and Elizabeth McCullough

1. Robert Reiley b-21 Jan 1785 in Washington, Pa d-Cincinnati m-Esther Stevens March 1809 in Alexandria
2. William Reiley b-21 Oct 1786 in Washington, Pa d-19 Jan 1882 m-Elizabeth Morin in 1812
3. Mary Reiley b-5 Jan 1789 in Washington, Pa
4. John Reiley b-13 Dec 1791 in Alexandria d-1845 in Madison Indiana m-Lavina Morin in 1813, fought in the War of 1812
5. Margaret Reiley b-24 Mar 1794 m-Thomas F Spilman Sep 1818 d-Indiana
6. Smith Reiley b-20 Dec 1797 d-Decatur County, Indiana m-Lettice Spilman Mar 1819; had at least the following children: William, John, Nancy and Rebecca
7. Rebecca Reiley b-15 Sep 1800 d-Illinois m ----- Daily, had one son, William
8. Davis Reiley b-17 Jan 1803 in Alexandria d-26 Feb 1868 in Illinois m-Margaret; b-1806 in Kentucky; d-1 Apr 1868 in Illinois
9. Nancy Reiley b-12 Jan 1806
10. Jonathan Reiley b-15 Jan 1809
 

William Reiley, s/o of John and Elizabeth, married Elizabeth Morin d/o Edward and Elizabeth Morin. She was born 8 Mar 1789 and died in Alexandria 6 Sep 1878.  William was a mechanic and a farmer, and was the first clerk of the Alexandria Baptist Church at the time of its founding in 1820.  He was active in civic affairs both in the state and in Campbell County, serving for several years as a member of the Kentucky State Legislature in 1848-55-57 and as a magistrate in the county.

Children of William Reiley and Elizabeth Morin

1. Benjamin Franklin Reiley b-2 Aug 1813 in Alexandria; d-22 April 1906 in Alexandria; br-Alexandria Cemetery; m-Susan Stroubs in 5 Oct 1837 in Alexandria
2. George Washington Reiley b-24 Jul 1815 d-Feb 1861 in Alexandria m-1st Emily Shaw in 1839 and 2nd Margaret Shaw in Jun 1848
3. Edward Reiley b 1819 in Alexandria d-June 1917 in Alexandria m-Mary Reddick 9 Nov 1854
4. John Reiley b-feb 1826 in Alexandria; d-30 Sep 1901; m-Letty Ann White in 1852
5. Eliza Reiley b-July 1817 d-Oct 1910 in Alexandria m-Daniel Allen Thatcher Dec 1840
6. Nancy Reiley m-Andrew Jackson Wright 2 Dec 1841
7. Sarah Reiley b-28 Feb 1828 d-27 Jan 1883 m-Jacob White in 1849 both are buried in the Alexandria Cemetery; had one daughter Lavina, who m-Joseph Wright who died 19 Jun 1898
8. Elizabeth Reiley

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Children of Davis Reiley and Margaret

1. Nancy Reiley b-1831 Rush Co Indiana; m- ------- Billings
2. Alfred T Reiley b 1834 Rush Co Indiana; d-4 Jul 1909 in Illinois
3. John P Reiley b-1836 Rush Co Indiana; d-23 Jun 1912 in Illinois
4. William S Reiley b-1840 in Rush Co Indiana; d-14 Dec 1864 in the Civil War near Cumberland Gap, Tennessee
5. Charles W Reiley b-30 Aug 1841 in Rush Co Indiana
6. Milton C Reiley b-1844
7. Robert T Reiley b-1847 in Rush Co Indiana; d-1887
8. David Reiley b-1849 in Rush Co Indiana
 

George Washington Reiley was born in Alexandria on 24 Jul 1815 and died there in Feb 1861.  He was married in Alexandria first to Emily Shaw, d/o Robert Shaw and Margaret Morin in 1839, and second to her sister, Margaret Shaw in 1848.  His home, a lovely large brick house, was built on Persimmon Grove Pike out from the center of town.  He was very active in the Campbell County Agricultural Society when it was formed in 1856, being its first treasurer.

Children of George Washington Reiley and Margaret Shaw

1. Luelah (Ella) Reiley b-17 Aug 1849 in Alexandria m-John Ducker; had Sarah and John
2. Samuel Coleman Reiley b-26 Jul 1852 in Alexandria
3. Elizabeth Gertrude Reiley b-1854 m John Ducker; had George and Stewart
4. George Washington Reiley b-17 May 1857 m-1st Lyda White, 2nd Bertha White
5. Edward Morin Reiley b-28 May 1862 m Rose Hartman
6. Harriet Jane Reiley b-20 Aug 1865 m-Charles Surran; had Margaret, Elizabeth, Charles
7. Emma Pearl Reiley b-17 Apr 1870 m ------ McMillen; had Burnett

Edward Reiley was born in 1819 in Alexandria and died there in April 1917.  He was married 9 Nov 1854 to Mary Reddick, d/o William J Reddick and Cynthia Caldwell of Kenton County.  Her parents were married 20 Dec 1826 in Campbell County.  Edward was born and raised on his father’s farm where he remained until he was of age.  He then studied law and was admitted to the bar at Cincinnati in 1850. He began to practice law and became a well-known judge.  In 1867 he and his family finally located to Alexandria where he remained until his death actively engaged in his profession.

Children of Edward Reiley and Mary Reddick

1. Cynthia Elizabeth Reiley b-1856 unmarried
2. William Leonidas Reiley m-Dora White d/o Thomas
3. James Reiley d-1878
4. Charles Allen Reiley b-1864 unmarried
5. Mary Alice Reiley b-1866 unmarried
6. Harry Mosby Reiley b-1870 unmarried
7. Arthur Reiley d-Dec 1901 unmarried

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Children of John Reiley and Letty Ann White

1. Ada Reiley b-1853 m-Thomas Nelson
2. Sally Keturah Reiley b-1855 m-John Shaw
3. Cora Reiley b-1856 m-Knox Carmack
4. Elizabeth Reiley d-young
5. William Jacob Reiley 6-1863 m-Lalla Traver
6. John Wesley Reiley b-1866 m-Charlotte Fuller 1 Nov 1911
7. Albert Verner Reiley b-1873 m-Flossie Slater; daughter Alta Ruth

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Children of William Leonidas Reiley and Dora White

1. May Reiley d-young
2. William Leonidas Reiley
3. Mary Elizabeth Reiley m-Samuel C Rouse
4. Margaret Reiley d-in infancy

John Wesley Reiley was born in Alexandria in 1866.  On 1 Nov 1911 he married Charlotte Fuller. His home near the Washington Trace south of Alexandria, was the lovely old brick home of his maternal grandfather, Jacob White, one of the early settlers of Alexandria, who came from Orange County, Virginia.  For years he was interested in civic and church affairs. He was County School Superintendent for 36 years.

Children of John Wesley Reiley and Charlotte Fuller

1. Gladys Reiley b-1917 m-William Marsh
2. John Wilburn Reiley b-17 Aug 1925
3. William Daniel Reiley b-17 Aug 1925 d-three weeks later

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Children of Samuel C Rouse and Mary Reiley

1. Elizabeth Jane Rouse b-Sep 1920 m-Richard Paul Schaber
2. Margaret Ann Rouse b-30 Oct 1924
3. Martha Maria Rouse b-30 Oct 1924

 

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