The Riley Family's MacNeil Scottish Roots
15 Generations Back to 1536, Roderick Og MacNeil (34th Chief of MacNeil Clan)
 MacNeil Tartan |
 The MacNeil Coat of Arms is divided into quarters: Lion Rampant (mimicking the Royal Standard of the King of Scotland); castle in the water (symbolizing Kisimul Castle); 3-masted ship (representing the seafaring nature of the clan); and the Red Hand of Ulster surrounded by nine shackles representing Niall of the Nine Hostages. |
 The MacNeil Seal is a crest badge centered on a rock perched on a chapeau, encircled by a buckled belt bearing the Gaelic motto "Buaidh no Bàs," which translates to "Victory or Death." |
 Annie MacNeil and the Cheverie Family |
How are the Rileys related to the MacLean Clan? My 2nd great-grandmother Anastasia "Annie" MacNeil is our first MacNeil ancestor. She was the mother of my great-grandmother Anastasia "Anna" Cheverie, who was the mother of my grandfather William S. Riley, who is the father of my mother Lynne. See our lineage below going back to the birth of Roderick Og MacNeil (34th Chief of MacNeil Clan), born in 1536.
|
 Annie MacNeil and Stephen Cheverie |
 Kisimul Castle in Castlebay, Barra, Scotland. The "Castle in the Sea" is the only significant medieval castle to survive in all of the Western Isles. |
Here we trace back our lineage to 1500s Barra, an island in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland, which is the second southernmost inhabited island there. The Hebrides are the largest archipelago in the United Kingdom. The history of Clan MacNeil splits into two chapters: their legendary rule from Kisimul Castle and their subsequent migration to North America, where they preserved their heritage. It spans centuries of seafaring dominance, Jacobite rebellion, and a diaspora that ultimately shifted the clan's leadership across the Atlantic. Read more about the deep roots of the MacNeils of Barra. |
Descendants of Roderick Og MacNeil (34th Chief of MacNeil Clan)
| 12th great-grandparent |
Roderick Og MacNeil (34th Chief of MacNeil
Clan) b. 1536 Barra, Inverness-shire, Scotland d. 1570 Barra, Inverness-shire, Scotland m. Mary MacLeod (Of Dunvegan, 10th chief and 1st female chief of Clan MacLeod) 1536–1602 |
| 11th great-grandparent |
Roderick "The Turbulent" MacNeil (35th Chief of MacNeil Clan) b. 1555 Gigha, Argyll, Scotland d. 3 Oct 1594 Battle of Glenlivet, Scotland m. Marion MacDonald 1554–1609 Roderick "The Turbulent" MacNeil earned his colorful nickname due to his notorious acts of piracy and ongoing clashes with the Scottish Crown. Described as the last of the Vikings, he could retreat to the safety of Kisimul Castle after raiding ships. |
| 10th great-grandparent |
Neill Og MacNeil (36th Chief of McNeil Clan) b. 1580 Tirfergus, Argyll, Scotland d. 1662 Gigha, Argyll, Scotland m. Margaret Josephine MacLean (of Ardtornish) 1590–1651 |
| 9th great-grandparent |
Gillionen MacNeil (37th Chief of MacNeil Clan) b. 1640 Barra, Inverness-shire, Scotland d. 1680 Barra, Inverness-shire, Scotland m. Catherine MacDonald of ClanRanald 1635–1680 |
| 8th great-grandparent |
Roderick Dhu (the Black) MacNeil (38th Chief of MacNeil Clan) b. 1670 Barra, Inverness-shire, Scotland d. 1715 Argyll, Barra, Inverness-shire, Scotland m. Isabella (Isobel) MacLeod (of Bernera) 1670–1750 Roderick Dhu (the Black) led his fellow clansman at Killiecrankie fighting staunchly for the Jacobite cause. He rallied the Clan MacNeil to the aid of the "Old Pretender" in the Rising of 1715. |
| 7th great-grandparent |
Roderick Ruairidh "Dove of the West" MacNeil (39th Chief of MacNeil Clan) b. 1693 Barra, Inverness-shire, Scotland d. 7 May 1763 Barra, Inverness-shire, Scotland m. Mairi MacKinnon 1700–1763 Roderick's notably peaceful moniker "Dove of the West" came from his generally mild and diplomatic nature. Roderick led his clan during the tumultuous Jacobite era. In 1746, he was arrested and taken to London. For his Jacobite sympathies, Roderick was consigned to a prison ship and it was not until 1747 that his discharge was ordered and he was free to return home. Luckily for Roderick, his estates were not forfeited. |
| 6th great-grandparent |
Jonathon Eoin MacNeil b. 1762 Barra, Inverness-shire, Scotland d. 14 Feb 1825 Barra, East Lothian, Inverness-shire, Scotland m. Christy Gillis 1762–1853 |
| 5th great-grandparent |
Donald MacNeil b. Abt. 1783 Barra, Inverness-shire, Scotland d. 1871 Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada m. Annie Campbell 1786-1873 |
| 4th great-grandparent |
Hector Eachann "The Mason" MacNeil b. 29 Nov 1814 Barra, Inverness-shire, Scotland d. 1871 Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada m. Mary Annie MacKinnon b. 1818 |
| 3rd great-grandparent |
James "Jim the Mason" McNeil b. 1844 Big Bank, Boularderie, Victoria, Nova Scotia, Canada d. 6 Feb 1911 Sydney Mines, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada m. Anastasia MacIntyre (or McIntire) 1845-1933 |
| 2nd great-grandparent |
Anastasia "Annie" McNeil b. 16 Aug 1872 Howley's Ferry, Boularderie Island, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada d. 9 May 1938 Lynn, Essex, MA m. Stephen Cheverie Jr. 1873-1917 |
| 1st great-grandparent |
Anastasia (Anna) Elizabeth Cheverie b. 13 Feb 1896 Beverly, MA d. 22 Aug 1933 Nashua, NH m. William James Riley 1888-1950 |
| Grandfather: |
William Stephen Riley b. 19 Jul 1921 Beverly, MA d. 2 Sep 2006 San Antonio, TX m. Mildred Ester Kearney 1923-1964 |
| Mother: |
Lynne Marie Riley b. 1946 m. Peter Robert Nelson 1944 |
| Myself and my Riley cousins |
The Deep Roots of the MacNeils of Barra
The Sea Kings of Barra: The MacNeils trace their lineage back to Niall of the Nine Hostages, an ancient High King of Ireland. By 1049, the first chief established the clan on the Isle of Barra in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland.
The Hebridean Pirates: For centuries, the MacNeils operated as fierce seafarers and galley raiders from their stronghold, Kisimul Castle. Chiefs like Ruari the Turbulent regularly raided English shipping vessels during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, earning a reputation as lawless "Viking" lords.
The Jacobite Downfall: The clan staunchly supported the Stuart monarchy. Following the failed Jacobite uprisings of 1715 and 1745, the clan's traditional way of life faced heavy suppression from the British Crown.
The Highland Clearances and North American Diaspora: The 18th and 19th centuries brought devastating economic hardships. This triggered a massive wave of emigration from Barra to North America. Facing poverty, the 21st Chief, General Roderick MacNeil, was forced to sell the entire island of Barra in 1838.
Forced Evictions: The new landlord, Gordon of Cluny, initiated brutal Highland Clearances, forcibly evicting tenant crofters to clear the land for profitable sheep farming. In common with many of the new Anglo-Scottish landlords, most of the islanders were evicted in 1851. These were "some of the most cruel and shameful cases of inhumanity ever seen on the West Coast" with many of the displaced islanders joining the Scottish diaspora in Australia, New Zealand, the United States, and Canada.
Settling the New World: Thousands of MacNeils fled across the Atlantic. Major pockets of Barra emigrants established deep roots in Cape Breton and Pictou, Nova Scotia, Canada, as well as parts of North Carolina and the American Midwest.
The American Chief and Kisimul's Rebirth: Because the direct Scottish line died out, the chiefship of the clan legally passed to a branch of the line that had emigrated to the United States. In 1937, an American architect named Robert Lister MacNeil (the 45th Chief) traveled back to Scotland, repurchased the ruined ancestral estates, and painstakingly restored Kisimul Castle to its former glory. In 2000, his son leased the castle to Historic Environment Scotland for a symbolic annual rent of £1 and a bottle of Scotch whisky, ensuring it remains preserved for visitors today.
Selected sources:
Isle of Barra - Kisimul Castle
Historic Environment Scotland - Kisimul Castle
Great Scottish Clans - MacNeil