| ![Show Contents]() Rilley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 Ireland The Rilley surname originally appeared in Gaelic as Ó Raghailligh, which means descendant of Raghallach. Early Origins of the Rilley familyThe surname Rilley was first found in County Cavan. They were known as the Princes of East Breffny, descended from Raghallaigh, Prince of Breffny in 981. They maintained their territory during the Anglo/Norman invasion of Strongbow, Earl of Pembroke, in 1172, but Sir John O'Reilly, Prince of Breffny surrendered the principality to Queen Elizabeth I thereby ensuring that his territories remained intact. Early History of the Rilley familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rilley research. Another 95 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1598, 1630, 1640, 1646, 1667, 1669, 1689, 1691, 1695 and 1703 are included under the topic Early Rilley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Rilley Spelling VariationsNames from the Middle Ages demonstrate many spelling variations. This is because the recording scribe or church official often decided as to how a person's name was spelt and in what language. Research into the name Rilley revealed many variations, including O'Reilly, O'Reilley, O'Reily, O'Rielly, O'Riely, O'Riley, O'Rilley, Reel and many more. Early Notables of the Rilley familyNotable amongst the family name at this time was Count John O'Reilly; Edmund O'Reilly (1598-1669), Roman Catholic Archbishop of Armagh; Hugh Reily (Reilly or O’Reilly) (c.1630-1695) Irish Member of Parliament for Cavan Borough in the Patriot Parliament of 1689; Philip Og O’Reilly (Gaelic was Phillip Óg O’Raghallaigh)(c.1640-1703), Irish...
Another 48 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Rilley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
 Rilley migration to Canada | + |
To escape the religious and political discrimination they experienced primarily at the hands of the English, thousands of Irish left their homeland in the 19th century. These migrants typically settled in communities throughout the East Coast of North America, but also joined the wagon trains moving out to the Midwest. Ironically, when the American War of Independence began, many Irish settlers took the side of England, and at the war's conclusion moved north to Canada. These United Empire Loyalists, were granted land along the St. Lawrence River and the Niagara Peninsula. Other Irish immigrants settled in Newfoundland, the Ottawa Valley, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The greatest influx of Irish immigrants, however, came to North America during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. Thousands left Ireland at this time for North America and Australia. Many of those numbers, however, did not live through the long sea passage. These Irish settlers to North America were immediately put to work building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. Irish settlers made an inestimable contribution to the building of the New World. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the Irish name Rilley or a variant listed above, including: Rilley Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century- Michael Rilley, aged 20, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Matilda" from Cork, Ireland
- Timothy Rilley, aged 18, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Matilda" from Cork, Ireland
- Michael Rilley, aged 21, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Matilda" from Cork, Ireland
| Rilley migration to Australia | + |
Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include: Rilley Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century- Mr. Edward Rilley(b. 1807), aged 21, Cornish settler convicted in Cornwall, UK on 25th March 1828, sentenced for life for housebreaking and stealing, transported aboard the ship "Vittoria" on 26th August 1828 to New South Wales, Australia 1
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Rilley migration to Canada 
Rilley migration to Australia 
