 He was a son of Andrew Riker (1699–1762) and Jane (née Berrien) Riker (1703–1775).His great-grandfather Abraham Ryker (1619–1689) was born in the Netherlands and settled in New Netherland.After Riker attended the common schools, he was a member of the Newtown committee of correspondence in 1774, and was supervisor of Suffolk County in 1783.