3. Patrick may have simply found it too difficult to extract a living from his lands along Moccasin Creek or a pang of wanderlust again may have struck his heart. In any event, he left Russell County circa 1800. For, on February 23, 1801, Patrick and Catherine Riley of Montgomery County, Kentucky sold to James Tate of Russell County for $250 the 120 acre tract lying on Mockeson Creek, undoubtedly the same tract that he had obtained by warrant in 1786. While Patrick signed the deed with his mark, his wife Catherine was not mentioned. Neither did she release her dower rights. Perhaps she had died by 1801 or perhaps she simply did not accompany her husband on the long journey back to Russell County from their new home in Kentucky. Even more interesting is the fact that the deed was witnessed by a William Riley, who signed with his mark but did not prove the deed in court. On February 27, 1798, Patrick Ryley and his wife Catherine of Russell County sold to Isaiah Sallyer for 40 pounds a certain 107 acre tract lying on both sides of Coper Creek. Both Patrick and Catherine signed their names to the deed. But it is interesting to note that the deed was not witnessed. In addition, no record has been found of Patrick ever having obtained the tract on Copper Creek. Neither has any record been found of him disposing of the 42 acre tract surveyed in 1793.
At the November 1795 Term, William Riley, Patrick Riley, Stephen Miller, and George Miller appeared before the Russell County Court in order to be discharged from a recognizance bond for good behavior towards William Dawson. And, at the April 1797 Term of the Court, Patrick Riley, William Riley, Allen Riley, and James Riley appeared in order to be discharged from a recognizance bond for good behavior towards William Dawson. The exact nature of the dispute between the Riley men and William Dawson is not clear from the records. Evidently, the feud culminated in Dawson charging trespass against Patrick Riley, William Riley, Allen Riley, Patrick Riley, Jr., Zachariah Salliers, and Joseph Piercefield which was heard at the June 1798 Term of the Court. The defendants, except Zachariah Salliers, were found guilty and ordered to pay damages. Perhaps the litigation was one impetus for Patrick to leave Russell County.
From all of the foregoing, it is assumed that John, William, Allen, James, and Patrick, Jr. were all sons of Patrick Riley, who appears on the extant tax lists of Russell County for the years 1787, 1788, 1789, 1790, 1792, 1794, 1795, 1796, 1797, 1798, and 1799, but not thereafter. However, he is listed with one additional tithable, presumably a son, in 1790 and 1792. He is listed with two additional tithables in 1795 and, again with one additional tithable in 1796, 1797, and 1798. John Riley appears on the tax lists continuously each year from 1792 through 1800, inclusive. William Riley appears on the 1796, 1797, and 1798 tax lists. Allen Riley appears on the 1797, 1798, 1799, 1800, and 1802. In 1810, Allen was taxed for one poll and 14 horses (a not inconsiderable sum in those days), but with no slaves. It should be noted that Allen also appears on the 1796 personal property tax list of Lee County. No others named Riley appear there for any years between 1795 and 1803. And finally, James Riley appears on the 1799 and 1800 Russell County tax lists. The tax lists seem to corroborate the assumption that these men were all sons of Patrick Riley.
Patrick, Sr. next appears on the Clay County, Kentucky tax list of 1807, with sons James and Patrick, Jr. Also that same year, Patrick, Sr. recorded a deed of gift to his son, Zachariah, for "...all his goods in his present dwelling house: two cows, three two-year old heifers, two yearlings and three calves, one horse beast, two feather beds and furniture, one half dozen puter plates, one large puter dish and two barons, thirty head of hogs, two pots and one oven, and the present crop of corn as it now stands." Contrary to the implications of his punctuation, surely Patrick kept neither his livestock nor his corn crop in his dwelling house!
By the following year, Patrick, Sr. paid the property taxes for a 100 acre tract on the waters of the middle fork of the Kentucky River, but not thereafter. It is curious that no deeds concerning this property were recorded. Patrick, Sr. was granted a 50 acre tract on the middle fork for which he began to pay taxes in 1820. He also paid taxes on the property for 1821 and 1823, after which he no longer appears on the tax rolls. Beginning in 1824, Patrick, with no designation of Sr. or Jr., paid the taxes on both tracts as well as a third 25 acre tract on Longs Creek.
Apparently, Patrick, Sr. died intestate by 1824 and a dispute arose concerning the disposition of his estate. For, in 1828, Zachariah Riley sold a tract of land to John Turner for $200. The tract was located adjacent to Patrick, Jr. along the middle fork of the Kentucky River. Zachariah felt compelled to include in the deed his pledge to defend the title against any claim by the heirs of Patrick, Sr. Unfortunately, the deed does not provide any further details concerning the estate of Patrick, Sr. Either no dispute arose or Zachariah successfully defended any adverse claims, as the new owner subsequently sold the tract to Alexander Harrald, a Justice of the Peace for Clay County. Even though he had presumably been paying the taxes on the land, Patrick, Jr. had no claims on the property as he witnessed the deed of sale.
Both Patrick, Sr. and his wife, Catherine, were listed as over 45 years old in the 1810 and 1820 Censuses of Clay County. Neither were enumerated there in 1830. The children of Patrick and Catherine Riley were:
i. John, born circa 1770. A farmer with real estate valued at $4200, he was enumerated in the 1850 Census of Hancock County, Tennessee. John, aged 80, was born in Virginia and his wife, Anna, aged 65, was born in North Carolina.
ii. Allen, born circa 1771. On July 11, 1800, Allen Riley bought from George Miller late of Russell County for $100 current money 80 acres on the west side of Molls Creek a branch of Copper Creek. His brother, John Riley, witnessed the deed. On February 1, 1808, Allen Riley purchased from Nancy Mahan for 230 pounds current money of Virginia 130 acres lying on the south side of Big Mockerson Creek a north branch of the north fork of the Holston River. Allen added to his land holdings in Russell County by purchasing, on February 6, 1810, from John and Nancy Wood for $500 the same 170 acre tract located on Big Mockerson Creek that had previously passed from Walter Preston to Patrick Riley, then to John Riley, and thereafter to John Wood. On October 19, 1826, Allen Riley of Scott County and his wife Margaret for $133 current money sold to Jonathan Salyer of Russell County 80 acres on the west side of Molls Creek previously purchased from George Miller in 1800. Allen signed his name, while his wife Margaret made her mark. No witnesses to the deed were recorded. And finally, on January 9, 1830, Allen Riley sold to Benjamin Fugate 43 acres on the south side of Mockenson Creek for $400. Both Allen and his wife Peggy signed their names to the deed. But, no witnesses were recorded.
The land where Allen lived became part of Scott County in 1815, although a portion of the property remained in Russell County. He and his wife, Margaret, were enumerated in the 1820, 1830, and 1840 Censuses of Scott County. In 1826, Allen Riley of Scott County conveyed to Andrew S. Fullin of Washington County the 170 acre tract on Big Mocquison Creek that he had purchased from John and Nancy Wood in 1810. Allen owed $172.13 to Robert Dickenson and posted the tract as security for the debt. A laborer at the age of 79, Allen was living in Hancock County, Tennessee in the home of Hiram V. Riley, aged 30, at the time of the 1850 Census. In 1851, Allen Riley of Hancock County, Tennessee sold for $3200 his 253 acre property on Big Mocasin Creek in Scott and Russell Counties adjacent to the land purchased from John Wood.
iii. William, born circa 1774.
iv. James, born circa 1778. He first appears in the Clay County, Kentucky tax lists in 1807 with no real estate but 3 horses. He apparently dealt in hoses, paying taxes on 6 head in 1809, 7 head in 1811, 8 head in 1814, and 9 head in 1815. James does not appear in the tax lists after 1820.
v. Patrick, Jr., born circa 1779. He purchased a 90 acre tract from John Smith for $200 in 1813. Patrick, Jr. paid taxes on that tract from 1813 through the year 1830. By 1824, he obtained a land grant for and began to pay taxes on a 25 acre tract on Long's Creek. Early in 1824, William Strong, Patrick Riley, Jr., James Pennington, and Edward Turner were appointed by the County Court to lay out a new road "from opposite the mouth of Canoe fork up the river and Long's Creek to Patrick Riley's mill." In 1825 and 1828, Patrick paid taxes on 50 acres of land on Long's Creek. Late in 1828, he and Samuel Johnson sold 25 acres to James Johnston for $150. T he parcel was part of a 50 acre survey on Long's Creek previously granted to the two men. James Johnston obtained a license to marry Judy Riley on May 8, 1820 and, thus, was probably Patrick's son-in-law.
In 1828, 1829, and 1830, Patrick paid property taxes on three tracts, all on the waters of the middle fork: the 95 acre tract purchased from John Smith, the 50 acre tract granted with Samuel Johnston, and a 10 acre tract that had been granted to him alone. Including the mill, his total land holdings amounted to some 155 acres. In late 1830, Patrick and his wife, Nancy, conveyed 160 acres to Menitree Pennington for $500. Earlier that same year, Patrick Riley joined his partners, Samuel and James Johnson, in selling their entire interest in the remaining 40 acre portion of the 50 acre mill property to Thomas Johnson for $200. Evidently, Patrick Riley left Clay County soon thereafter, as no further record of him has been found.
vi. Zachariah, born circa 1780. He married Mary Gibson in Clay County on March 6, 1812, just one year after he first appears in the tax lists. He began to pay taxes on a grant of 50 acres on the middle fork in 1823. After paying taxes on that land in 1824, no further record of him has been found.
