Daniel Riley

Daniel Riley (β 1819-05-04 – 1898-03-07) was my great-great-great-grandfather, being the father of Catherine Martin. He was born in Bandon, County Cork, Ireland, the son of Michael Riley and Mary Barry; married Ellen Donovan on 1845-11-18 in Clonakilty, County Cork; soon after immigrated to Cardiff, Wales; and died there. He had five known children.

Origin

We can try to determine Daniel’s birth from Welsh records:

Record	Year	Birthplace	Age	Inferred birth	Address
Census	1861	Ireland	39	1822^-	9 Herbert St., Cardiff
Census	1871	Ireland	40	1831^-	33 Tredegar St., Cardiff
Census	1881	Ireland Co. Cork	44	1837^-	23 Buzzard St., Cardiff
Census	1891	Ireland Bandon	65	1826^-	11 James St., Newport
Workhouse	1892/3		70	1821×3	1 Stanley St., Cardiff
Death	1898		61	1837^-	5 Rodney St., Cardiff

He evidently didn’t keep good track of his age, but we might guess a birth year around 1821, especially since the earliest record may be more accurate.

The birth location of Bandon reported in 1891 is an important clue. A search of the church records of Bandon turn up only a single baptism that is anywhere close to a match: a Daniel baptized in 1819 to parents Michael and Mary, as above. So it seems very likely that this is my Daniel. Note that although Riley is a characteristically Irish name, it’s not very common in County Cork (unlike, say, Donovan), making it more likely that this is the right baptism.

Michael and Mary were often on the move, since these other children of theirs are recorded in different towns:

John, baptized 1815-08-14 in Kinsale.
Catherine, baptized 1825-02-18 in Tracton.

Daniel had only one known son, named Daniel, but named two of his daughters Mary and Catherine.

Children

Daniel and Ellen has five known children, who were all born in Cardiff except for Catherine:

Mary (1847 – 1893-01-24), married Michael Hayes, and also immigrated to Massachusetts, with many descendants, including Sidewalk Sam.
Ellen (1851 – after 1901), married Henry Brandon Ridley in Cardiff and had at least three children, although two died young, both also named Ellen; the last definitive record I have found of her is the Cardiff workhouse register from 1901, where she is listed as a pauper, although the name Ellen Ridley appears receiving assistance as late as 1912, but without details to be sure it’s her. (There is a burial of an Ellen Ridley aged 41 in Felinfoel, Wales on 1891-09-17, which is a close match, but I am supposing it is coincidence.)
Catherine (1853-08-17 – 1938-01-24), my great-great-grandmother.
Daniel Jr. (1855-09-11 – 1931-09-18), married Frances Teresa Rogers; stayed in Cardiff, although he has American descendants.
Annie (1859-12-28 – 1913-11-16); had an illegitimate child Stephen Broderick Riley (1881-10-16 – 1906-11-04) who died in a coal mining accident, her only known child; married first Charles August Frederick Knuth; immigrated to Massachusetts in the early 1900s; married second Joseph C. Drew; died in Medford.

See

My Riley family page.