Joseph S. Riley

born 1866 · Male

How to read this page

Photos and clippings count items you can view here.
Cited or transcribed records are counted separately.
Story links lead to accounts about the person; “Mentioned in another story” marks a passing reference.
Memorial links open Find a Grave.
A “family recollection” label marks something a relative remembered, not a written record.
A military-service label rates the record of that service, not the whole life.

Sex is as recorded in the family tree. Age at death is worked out from the dates shown and may be a range or an approximation. It is left out when a date is missing or is only a “before”, “after” or “between” date, when the research has found a date Unconfirmed, when the two dates conflict, or when they would mean an age over 110.

Overview

Edward RileyFather

Joseph S. Rileyborn 1866Mary Wagnerborn c. 1872Wife

William H. Riley1905–1947Son Pearl Rileyborn c. 1910Daughter Wilbur Rileyborn c. 1908Son Lester Rileyborn c. 1903Son Edward Rileyborn c. 1898Son Margaret Rileyborn 1892Daughter and 1 more

Explore this person's tree: ancestors Descendants

Stories and biography

About Joseph

Biography of Joseph S. Riley

Mentioned in another story

This story is about someone or something else, and names Joseph S. Riley.

The Rileys and the Weisses of Paterson, 1880 to 1996

Biography

Joseph S. Riley, the son of Irish-born parents, worked in the Harrisburg iron mills before taking his large family to Paterson, New Jersey, in the first years of the twentieth century.

Harrisburg

Joseph was born in Pennsylvania in October 1866, to parents born in Ireland (1900 census). His father's name was Edward Riley. On October 31, 1891, Joseph, 26, a moulder of Harrisburg, took out a license in Dauphin County to marry Mary D. Wagner, 19, a domestic, the daughter of Margaret D. Wagner, and they were married that day in Harrisburg by Alderman A. Brackenridge (marriage license).

**Pennsylvania, U.S., Marriages, 1852-1968**
Source: Ancestry.com

Confirmed About this evidence

The license names his father; the census gives his parents' birthplace.

In June 1900 Joseph and Mary rented a house in Harrisburg's First Ward, where he was a laborer at an iron mill. They had been married eight years and had three living children: Margaret, Joseph and Elwood (1900 census).

**1900 United States Federal Census**
Source: Ancestry.com

Confirmed

Paterson

Within a few years the family had moved to Paterson, New Jersey, where their sons William and Wilbur were born in 1905 and 1908. In April 1910 Joseph, 41, and Mary, 37, lived on Spring Street with seven children; Mary had borne nine, seven of whom were living (1910 census).

**1910 United States Federal Census**
Source: Ancestry.com

Confirmed About this evidence

Where and when Joseph died has not yet been found.

Timeline of the public record (4 entries)

When	What the record shows	How sure
October 1866	Born in Pennsylvania to Irish-born parents. 1900 U.S. census, Harrisburg, Dauphin Co., Pa., ED 42, sheet 4B	Confirmed
31 October 1891	Marries Mary D. Wagner in Harrisburg. Dauphin County, Pa., marriage license no. 405, 31 Oct 1891	Confirmed
1900	Iron-mill laborer, Harrisburg First Ward. 1900 U.S. census, Harrisburg, Dauphin Co., Pa., ED 42, sheet 4B	Confirmed
1910	Head of a family of nine on Spring Street, Paterson. 1910 U.S. census, Paterson Ward 4, Passaic Co., N.J., ED 145, sheet 13A	Confirmed

Family

Parents

Father: Edward Riley
Unconfirmed evidence: show why
Why: From the imported family tree; not yet reviewed.
Review: not yet reviewed.
What the labels mean

Wife: Mary Wagner born c. 1872
Unconfirmed evidence: show why
Why: From the imported family tree; not yet reviewed.
Review: not yet reviewed.
What the labels mean

Son: William H. Riley 1905–1947
Confirmed evidence: show why
Why: The state birth index gives William H. Riley's mother as Mary Wagner; the 1910 Paterson census lists William, 3, as a son of Joseph and Mary Riley; Joseph S. Riley and Mary D. Wagner married at Harrisburg in 1891.
Records:
Review: assessed 10-16-2026; evidence: Image examined.
What the labels mean
Daughter: Pearl Riley born c. 1910
Unconfirmed evidence: show why
Why: From the imported family tree; not yet reviewed.
Review: not yet reviewed.
What the labels mean
Son: Wilbur Riley born c. 1908
Unconfirmed evidence: show why
Why: From the imported family tree; not yet reviewed.
Review: not yet reviewed.
What the labels mean
Son: Lester Riley born c. 1903
Unconfirmed evidence: show why
Why: From the imported family tree; not yet reviewed.
Review: not yet reviewed.
What the labels mean
Son: Edward Riley born c. 1898
Unconfirmed evidence: show why
Why: From the imported family tree; not yet reviewed.
Review: not yet reviewed.
What the labels mean
Daughter: Margaret Riley born 1892
Unconfirmed evidence: show why
Why: From the imported family tree; not yet reviewed.
Review: not yet reviewed.
What the labels mean
Son: Joseph Riley born 1896
Unconfirmed evidence: show why
Why: From the imported family tree; not yet reviewed.
Review: not yet reviewed.
What the labels mean

Life events

Born	OCT 1866, Pennsylvania, USA Unconfirmed evidence: show why Why: From the imported family tree; not yet reviewed. Records attached in the tree: 1900 United States Federal Census Review: not yet reviewed. What the labels mean Image: 1900 United States Federal Census · Image: Pennsylvania, U.S., Marriages, 1852-1968 (the biography above weighs the records for this date)
Died	No death date is recorded here. The site classifies this person as deceased from the dated records; no death record is cited.
Marriage	to Mary D. Wagner; son of Edward Riley; moulder, 31 Oct 1891, Harrisburg, Dauphin, Pennsylvania Confirmed evidence: show why Why: Dauphin County marriage license no. 405. Records: Dauphin County, Pa., marriage license no. 405, 31 Oct 1891: Joseph S. Riley, 26, moulder, son of Edward Riley, and Mary D. Wagner, 19, daughter of Margaret D. Wagner, both of Harrisburg (Pennsylvania, U.S., Marriages, 1852-1968) Review: assessed 10-16-2026; evidence: Image examined. What the labels mean
Marriage	31 OCT 1891, Harrisburg, Dauphin, Pennsylvania, USA, with Mary Wagner born c. 1872
Marriage	1892, with Mary Wagner born c. 1872
Residence	Occupation: Laborer Iron Mill; Marital Status: Married; Relation to Head of House: Head, 1900, Harrisburg Ward 1, Dauphin, Pennsylvania, USA
Residence	laborer at an iron mill, 1900, Harrisburg, Dauphin, Pennsylvania Confirmed evidence: show why Why: 1900 census. Records: 1900 U.S. census, Harrisburg, Dauphin Co., Pa., ED 42, sheet 4B, lines 54-58: Joseph Riley (b. Oct 1866), wife Mary (b. Mar 1872), Margret, Joseph and Elwood Review: assessed 10-16-2026; evidence: Image examined. What the labels mean
Residence	Spring St., 1910, Paterson, Passaic, New Jersey Confirmed evidence: show why Why: 1910 census. Records: 1910 U.S. census, Paterson, Passaic Co., N.J., Ward 4, ED 145, sheet 13A, lines 8-16: Joseph Riley 41, wife Mary 37, Margaret, Joseph, Edward, Lester, William 3, Wilbur 2 and Pearl Review: assessed 10-16-2026; evidence: Image examined. What the labels mean

Record images

2 record images to view here. View them larger, one at a time.

Sources

Pennsylvania, U.S., Marriages, 1852-1968 Birth, marriage and death records Viewable scan Marriage
1900 United States Federal Census Census Viewable scan Birth, Marriage, Residence
Year: 1900; Census Place: Harrisburg Ward 1, Dauphin, Pennsylvania; Roll: 1401; Page: 4; Enumeration Distric…

Research sources

Share a memory of Joseph S. Riley: saved privately, not published (family members can sign in to send one).

Open an evidence label for the sources, assessment and review date. Unreviewed tree entries are Unconfirmed. How sure is each statement?