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 >> Find out about the MacNeil Family's journey from Scotland to America >>

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)

The Deep Roots of the MacNeils of Barra, Scotland

On the inset, the red is the Outer Hebrides off the west coast of Scotland. In the large map, the Isle of Barra is the small island to the south.

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.

The MacNeil Family's Journey from Scotland to America

In the 1850s, most inhabitants of Barra, Scotland were evicted by new landlords after a period of economic hardships throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. Many of the displaced islanders joined the Scottish diaspora to Canada and America.

The Stephen Cheverie Family. Seated are Annie McNeil and Stephen Cheverie. Included are their seven children James, Anastasia, my great-grandmother (standing in back right), Laura, Bernard, Walter, Helen, and Louis.


Annie MacNeil Cheverie later in life.

 
Anastasia (Anna) Elizabeth Riley, née Cheverie, and her son, William Stephen Riley.

Our MacNeil ancestors immigrated due to these reasons. It began with my 4th great-grandfather, Hector Eachann "The Mason" MacNeil, born in 1814 in Barra. We don't know exactly when he immigrated, but we know he was living in Barra in 1841 from the Scottish Census. Then, his son James "Jim the Mason" McNeil was then born in 1844 on Boularderie Island on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada. So we can conclude he must have immigrated to Nova Scotia between 1841 and 1844. Many MacNeil immigrants moved to Cape Breton, a rugged island of 3,981 square miles on the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia.

Then, my 2nd great-grandmother Anastasia "Annie" McNeil was born in 1872, also on Boularderie Island, Cape Breton. However, by the time she died in 1938, she was was living in Lynn, Massachussetts. Her husband, Stephen Cheverie Jr., was also born on Boularderie Island, so I conclude that they must have met there, and then immigrated to Massachussetts together. They were married in Beverly, Massachusetts in 1893, so we can assume they were in America by 1893. They, like many other Scottish immigrants from Nova Scotia, made their way to America in search of work.

In the 1900 US Census, Stephen Cheverie was listed as working as a house painter. In the 1910 census, the family lived in Essex, Mass., on Pond Street. They had seven children: James, 16; Anastasia "Anna" (my great-grandmother), 14; Laura, 11; Bernard, 9; Walter, 6; Helen, 4; and Louis, 2.

In the 1920 Census, Anatasia "Annie" was 49 and a widow, as Stephen had died in 1917. She lived on Westberry Street in Essex, with six of her children: James, 25; Laura, 21; Bernard, 17; Walter, 16; Helen, 14; and Louis, 12. My great-grandmother Anastasia "Anna" Cheverie married William James Riley on Nov. 15 1914, in Beverly, Mass., so she was not in the household anymore. During the 1920 census, they lived on Grant Street in Essex, Mass.

Anastasia "Anna" and William J. Riley had their son, my grandfather William Stephen Riley, in 1921 in Beverly, Mass. William married Mildred Ester Kearney in 1943, and then they had six children, William James, Lee, Lynne, Mark, Laura and Anna.

Selected sources:

Ancestry

My family tree at Ancestry

Clan MacNeil at Wikipedia

Barra at Wikipedia

Clan MacNeil USA

Isle of Barra - Kisimul Castle

Historic Environment Scotland - Kisimul Castle

MacNeil Clan

Great Scottish Clans - MacNeil

Scots Connection - MacNeil