m. MATILDA SENELLI, daughter of the Thane of Angus

Roger was a witness to Earl Simon de Senlis' charter to the Cluniac Priory of St. Andrew, Northampton between 1093 and 1100.(1)

Issue-

Ref:

(1) Victoria County History for Northampton- Vol. III, p. 227

The Oliphants of Gask- E. Maxton Graham, James Nisbet & Co., Edinburgh, 1910
Scottish Hazard- Beryl Platts, 1985

Roger's successor to the lands of Lilford, Northamptonshire, was a William Olifard who was most likely the father of William, David and Thomas.

The Domesday Book makes no mention of an Olifard, however, Maxton Graham states that: "Nothing is known beyond the fact that about the year 1124 an Olifard [William] was in possession of Lilford, that he had three young sons, William, David and Thomas and that to one of these sons the Scottish king, who had that year succeeded to the crown, stood godfather".

An Osbert Olifard of Mearns died while on the Crusade and was succeeded by his nephew Walter, however, the lands passed through the female line and the hereditary sherriffdom died with Osbert, suggesting that Walter was a caretaker until Osbert's daughter married. Later, Sir William Oliphant had confirmation of charters to the lands in Morehouse, Edinburghshire in exchange for lands in Kincardine and Mearns from Robert the Bruce. Also, in the burial vault of the Glenbervie family is a monument from 1680 containing the armorial bearings of the family of Hassa and Olifart:

" Here lie in the hope of a happy resurrection, the lairds of Glenbervie mentioned below, and classified according to their surnames from the year 730. Hugh Hassa, a native of Germany, who settled in this country, where his eminent merits raised him to distinction, married Germunda Dervies, heiress of Glenbervie, and was the first that slept in this tomb, where his wife and children repose by his side." Their posterity continued until 1004. "Helena was the last of the Hassa family.� �Duncan Oliphant, sheriff of the Mearns (Donald and Walter Hassa, the brothers of the foresaid Helen, having been killed in a famous battle fought in a plain at Barry, against a host of Danish invaders) having married Helen, the heiress of Glenbervie, succeeded to the property, and begat Walter, his heir, and a daughter named Margaret, on whom he bestowed the lands now called Arbuthnott. From her was descended Robert, the second Viscount from the present, and the first of that name. Walter married Matilda Senelli, daughter of the Thane of Angus. Their son, Osbert, married Aegidia Hay, daughter of Errol and being an ardent soldier, went with Godfrey of Bologna to Syria, where he was killed in battle, leaving as his heiress an only daughter who in 1057 [this should probably be 1157] married James Melvil, a Hungarian noble, to whom she bore Hugo, who married Geruarda, daughter of Macpender, Thane of the Mearns. Their posterity continued to the-year 1440." - " Elizabeth Melvil, having married John Affleck of that ilk, bore to him James, father of the heiress of Glenbervie, who married Sir Williain Douglas of Bredwood, second son of Archibald, Earl of Angus, commonly called Bell-the-Cat."

So... given the above, David should be the son of Walter, son of Duncan... or... if we follow the the descent of the manor of Lilford then we have David the son of William, son of Roger. However, given the dates, I suspect that Osbert would have had to have been a brother of the above Roger, and had another brother David. The Crusade began in 1096 so Osbert would have been born at least before 1075. If his daughter did indeed marry in 1057 then she would have been born, say c.1040 and Osbert would have been born, say 1015... an old man for sure to be fighting in the Crusade of 1096... not likely. Most likely the date of marriage of his daughter on the monument (which was erected in 1680 we must remember) is off by a considerable amount. Given that Sir William, a descendant of the below David, was in possession of lands in Mearns and Kincardine at the time of the Bruce... it would seem that there is a connection with Duncan. BUT... should we rely on information given on a monument built 600 years after the fact? Probably not. Isaac de Banevin, testified in the time of Hugo, Bishop of St. Andrews (1178-1188) that Osbert granted him the lands that he had received from the king and these lands he held for six years, partly in the time of Osbert, and partly in the time of Walter Olifard who succeeded him.(1) So, either we are dealing with a different Osbert, or, the author of the monument had Osbert participating in the wrong crusade, or that the Walter Olifard who succeeded Osbert is the son of another brother?

What do we know? We know that David Olifard was the godson of King David, therefore a close relationship must have existed between the families implying that either the Olifards were from Scotland or that King David, during the long time he spent in England developed a close relationship with the Olifard family... or both! The descent of the property shows a much more likely descent from Roger Olifard to William to David. What Roger's relationship to the family in Scotland was is up for grabs. I don't think we can put a lot of confidence in information obtained from a monument built hundreds of years after the fact unless we can find other primary sources that substantiate this information.

Issue-

Ref:

(1) The Oliphants in Scotland- T.L. Oliphant of Gask, Robert Anderson, Glasgow, 1879- pp. iv, v

The Oliphants of Gask- E. Maxton Graham, James Nisbet & Co., Edinburgh, 1910
Scottish Hazard- Beryl Platts, 1985
Glenbervie: The Fatherland of Burns- George Kinnear, John Menzies & Co., Edinburgh, 1910- p.11 ff
See Norman Herring's treatise on the Oliphants at: http://www.clanoliphant.com/normanherring

David was a soldier under King Stephen at the siege of Winchester castle in 1141 but changed sides and rescued his Godfather King David I by concealing him from his pursuers. The story goes that David Olifard saw that his godfather King David was loosing the battle and therefore threw in his lot with the Scottish king. He provided a disguise for King David and they escape across the border. Crawfurd states: "King David was so closely pursu'd that he was in a a very great hazard of being made a prisoner, had it not been for the singular valour of this noble person who had the honour to rescue and bring of the King his sovereign to his immortal honour."(3) David was rewarded with grants of the manors of Smallham and Crailing in Roxburghshire and the office of Justiciary of Lothian. After the death of King David in 1153 David de Olifard granted the monks of Dryburgh a carucate of land in Smallham with the pasturage for 300 sheep, for the remission of his sins. This charter was confirmed by King Malcolm IV.(2) David Olifard was a witness to an undated charter of King Malcolm IV protecting the rights of Scone Abbey over its territories.(1)

Issue-

Ref:

(1) Liber Ecclesie de Scon, Munimenta Vetustiora Monasterii Sancte Trinitatis et Sancti Michaelis de Scon- W. Smythe, Edinburgh, 1843- Vol. 15, p. 12
(2) Chartulary of Dryburgh- Nos. 117, 118, quoted in Caledonia: or, a historical and topographical account of North Britain from the most ancient to the present times, with a dictionary of places, chorographical and philological- George Chalmers, Alexander Gardner, Paisley, 1887- p. 515
(3) Peerage of Scotland- George Crawfurd, George Close, London, 1716- p. 376- quoted on the Clan Oliphant web site at: http://www.clanoliphant.com/normanherring
"The Scottish Nation"- William Anderson, A. Fullarton & Co., Edinburgh 1880- Vol. III, p.262ff

6I. DAVID (DUNCAN 1, WALTER 2, ROGER 3, WILLIAM 4, DAVID 5)

David was Justiciary of Lothian and was a witness to an undated charter by King William the Lion to Scone Abbey(1). David de Olifard granted to the monks of Jedburgh a tenth of the multure of the mill of Crailing which was confirmed by King William the Lion.(2) This David, or his father, gave the house of Soltre a thrave of corn from each plough-land in him manors of Smallham and Crailing.(3)

Issue-

Ref:

(1) Liber Ecclesie de Scon, Munimenta Vetustiora Monasterii Sancte Trinitatis et Sancti Michaelis de Scon- W. Smythe, Edinburgh, 1843- Vol. 19, p.17
(2) Chartulary of Jedburgh, quoted in Caledonia: or, a historical and topographical account of North Britain from the most ancient to the present times, with a dictionary of places, chorographical and philological- George Chalmers, Alexander Gardner, Paisley, 1887- p. 515
(3) Chartulary of Soltre- Nos. 16, 17 quoted in Caledonia: or, a historical and topographical account of North Britain from the most ancient to the present times, with a dictionary of places, chorographical and philological- George Chalmers, Alexander Gardner, Paisley, 1887- p. 515

"The Scottish Nation"- William Anderson, A. Fullarton & Co., Edinburgh 1880

7I. WALTER (DUNCAN 1, WALTER 2, ROGER 3, WILLIAM 4, DAVID 5, DAVID 6)

m. ?CHRISTIAN- d. of the Earl of Strathearn
d. 1242

Walter de Olifard was Justiciary of Lothian for more than twenty years under King Alexander II and was a frequent witness to the King's charters. He was present at the marriage of Alexander with the Princess Joan, sister of King Henry III 18 June 1221. Walter gave the monks of Coldingham the right of taking 2 1/2 marks of silver from the church of Smallham.(4)

Walter and David Olifard witnessed an undated charter from Malise de Strathearn granting Rathangothen to Lindores Abbey for the soul of his wife.(1) Walter also witnessed an undated charter by which Earl David, brother of the king, donated lands to Lindores Abbey.(2)

Chalmers states in his history that Walter's wife was Christian, daughter of the Earl of Strathearn, however, I have been unable to find any primary document to subtantiate this. Her dowry was supposedly the lands of Strageath which were exchanged in 1183 for Aberdalgie which then became the principal seat of the Oliphant family.

Walter died in 1142: "Ob. Dom. Gualterus Olifard Justiciarius Laudonaiae, sy in capitulo de Melros sepelitur honorifice".(3)

Issue-

Ref:

(1) Chartulary of the Abbey of Lindores- J. Dowden, Ed., Publications of the Scottish History Society, Edinburgh, 1903- Vol. XXIX, p. 32
(2) Ibid- Vol. VIII, p. 12
(3) Caledonia: or, a historical and topographical account of North Britain from the most ancient to the present times, with a dictionary of places, chorographical and philological- George Chalmers, Alexander Gardner, Paisley, 1887- p. 515
(4) Chartulary of Coldingham Abbey- No. 18 quoted in Caledonia: or, a historical and topographical account of North Britain from the most ancient to the present times, with a dictionary of places, chorographical and philological- George Chalmers, Alexander Gardner, Paisley, 1887- p. 516

"The Scottish Nation"- William Anderson, A. Fullarton & Co., Edinburgh 1880

8I. DAVID (DUNCAN 1, WALTER 2, ROGER 3, WILLIAM 4, DAVID 5, DAVID 6, WALTER 7)

Issue-

Ref:

"The Scottish Nation"- William Anderson, A. Fullarton & Co., Edinburgh 1880- Vol. III, p. 204