The invitation to include a summary of our Lawrence Co., OH DILLEY family in this manuscript on the West Virginia clan is greatly appreciated. Whereas information on some clans is easily gathered and identified, this one was specially frustrating. However, with current technologies, we expect to make great strides in the future; hopefully, the ground work set by many dedicated researchers will facilitate future research. Thelma Reeder, St. George, Utah Sept., 1993 

Johannes Dilli arrived in Maryland on the ship Braithard Gail in 1762; he was naturalized there during the same year. Hundreds of German immigrants settled in this part of America and moved south into the Shenandoah Valley. We have to wonder if he came alone as a young adventurous single man or did he bring a new bride with him? Perhaps he met Catherine Himpin (sp?) among the many German girls in MD who had already settled with their parents previously. 

We soon found records of the christening of two of their children in the Manchester Reformed and Lutheran Church in Carroll Co., MD. These records were found on microfiche in the IGI file of the LDS Church. A daughter Anna Maria was christened in 1764 with parents Johannes Dilly and Ann Marie Herrin. In 1769, a son Christian was christened with parents John and Catherine (Himpin) Dilly listed. The names Heerin and Himpin are similar so probably a transcription error was made. The mother could have been Catherine Ann Marie H . The original source should be examined further. 

In Wayland's appendix of German settlers, the birth of John Dilley in 1774 to John and Catherine Dilly is reported. The Shenandoah Co. land records show John being called Sr. to distinguish him from his son John Jr. 

The early Shenandoah Co. (Dunmore for a few Years before the Revolutionary War) land records show John & Catherine Dilley with about 400 acres acquired in 1773. Three sales of land occurred in 1778 and 1780, but not all the land was sold. There were no further land records for Dilleys in the county. Counties were divided and new boundaries set as populations increased, therefore, families could have lived in the same place but they became citizens of different counties. In Bath Co. VA, four Dilley brothers were married, viz: John Dilley and Elizabeth Ackland on 24 Dec 1794; Christian Dilley to Mary Hevelar on 24 Feb 1796; Martin Dilley and Hannah Moore on 25 Jan 1809; and Henry Dilley to Margaret Sharp on 22 Oct 1810. 

Martin Dilley is reported to have said that four brothers of German background came from Maryland and that he had a brother living in the Cumberland area of Maryland. 

Several histories of Martin and Henry have been found such as in the large collection of Thomas Ray Dille papers at the Library of the Univ. of W. VA. at Morgantown; the Wm. T. Price biographies of the two brothers (1901); and the accounts by George E. Dilley in the book entitled "The Dille Family, 300 years in America." Numerous other searchers have added records such as Marvin O. Hill who has a large compilation of descendants of Martin and Henry Dilley, and J. D. Andrews who compiles sources for materials on Dilleys. 

The brother Christian Dilley is more elusive, and little is known about his large family except for the 1810 census and an 1818 tax record in Kanawha Co., W. VA. Later his descendants lived in Nicholas Co. which was erected from Kanawha Co. We believe that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were his sons, and Christopher a grandson. Abraham seems to have taken possession of Christian's 100 acres on Elk and Otter Creeks, but Christian disappeared by 1820. Perhaps Christian and John were less prosperous than the two younger brothers, because they married at a younger age. Catherine, the presumed widow of John Sr., appeared in the 1810 censuses for Bath Co., VA. 

John Dilley and Elizabeth (Ackland) Dilley were married 24 Dec 1794 in Bath Co., VA. In 1800, he is listed as a taxpayer in Botetourt Co.,(VA Gen. vol 9 pg 107) . Helen Stinson cites in Greenbrier Co., two court records in 1809 and 1810, involving John Elizabeth Dilley and a William Blair, which hint of domestic problems. It is noted that Wm Blair left a large family in Greenbrier Co., to move to Lawrence Co., OH where he appeared alone in the 1820 census, and died soon thereafter. The court records imply a liaison between Wm. Blair and Elizabeth. His will was not probated in Lawrence Co. for at least twenty years (why ?). 

Ed Riggs of Wheelersburg, VA shared information from the family bible on his ancestor, Peninah (Dilley) Golden, b 25 Jul 1802, which indicates that the removal of John to Greenbrier Co. OH occurred when she was six weeks old, and that John's children moved to Gallia Co., OH in 1813 or 1814. Greenbrier Co., OH was erected about 1816 from Gallia Co. We do not know whether John moved with his family to Lawrence Co., OH He did not appear in the 1820 census for either site. John may have died in Greenbrier Co., or an alternative may be that he went to Cumberland Co., MD where his son Joseph Dilley resided. Joseph was well I(known as a prosperous land-owner and business man in MD through Brown's Miscellaneous Writings, Cumberland, MD in 1896.