U.S. Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ -- USGenNet Inc. -- Please read the U.S. Data Repository Copyright Statement on the following page: ------------------------------------------------------------------- Riley, Mordecai Dunham (b. 1842) ------------------------------------------------------------------- The History of Barbour County, West Virginia, From its Earliest Exploration and Settlement to the Present Time by Hu Maxwell The Acme Publishing Company, Morgantown, W.Va., 1899 Page 455 Mordecai Dunham Riley, born in Harrison County in 1842, son of William H. H. and Margaret (Dunham) Riley; was married November 14, 1867, in Barbour County, to Annetta, daughter of Abraham and Maria (Morgan) Hudkins. Children, Walter G., Florence, Edna D. and Roscoe H. His daughter Florence, married Jacob Knapp of Philippi, and Edna married Herman Tyson. Mr. Riley is a member of the Missionary Baptist Church, a farmer and stockraiser living on the waters of Elk Creek where he owns 325 acres, half of it underlaid with coal, and all in line state of cultivation. He moved to Barbour thirty years ago, lived first on Simpson's Creek, and then moved to his present farm. Ten years he served on the Board of Education of Elk District, and four years he was a member of the county court, one year as its president. While a member of the court he introduced machines for working the roads. Mr Riley's great-great-grandfather came from England to America before the Revolution and was a soldier in that war. Three brothers came with him to America. One located in Fauquier County, Virginia, and two in Maryland. About 1810 the grandfather of the subject of this sketch, with a large family, moved to Harrison County, and took part in the War of 1812, marching to Norfolk, under Colonel Joseph E. Johnson, who was afterwards Governor of Virginia. He took part in the fighting about Washington and Baltimore in 1814 which culminated in the defeat of the British at North Point. William H. H. Riley, father of the subject of this sketch, was born 1813, and his children were, Julia Ann, John W., Jonathan G., M. D., Mary, James K. P. Leonard, Elizabeth, and Amanda. ------------------------------------------------------------------- If you've reached this file through a SEARCH, you can access other biographies for Barbour County, WV by going to the following URL: http://www.us-data.org/wv/barbour/bios.html -------------------------------------------------------------------