WHERE IT ALL BEGAN FOR US -
FIRST GENERATION |
William Oliver was born about 1700,
most likely in Ireland. Many history books, Athol
Past & Present, Three Centuries in the Champlian Valley and
the Claire Smith papers ( a compilation of the Ancestry of
William Oliver) all indicate that the Olivers were of Scotch-Irish
descent, arriving in America directly from northern Ireland (Province
of Ulster) with the William Caldwell family. It is also written
in the above history books that the Olivers were originally from
Argylshire, Scotland and left there seeking peace from religious
persecution. It is well docmented that William Caldwell arrived
in America in 1718 and brought with him a letter from his
minister in Dunboe. "The bearer William Caldwell, his wife
Sarah Morrison with his children being designed to go to New
England in America, these are therefore to testify they leave us
without scandal, lived with us safely and unoffensively and may
be admitted to church privileges, Given at Dunboe, April 19, 1718,
J. Woodside, Minister." There was a large influx of Scotch-Irish
into Barre, MA in 1718, which is laid out in Lincoln's
History of Worcester, pg. 47. The exact
Oliver relationship to the Caldwells in Ireland is not known, but
Isabella Oliver (daughter to William) married James Caldwell (son
of William Caldwell and Sarah Morrison) after their arrival in
America. It is certainly proven that the realtionship between the
Caldwells and the Olivers was intertwined through marriage and
obviously through close friendship. The arrival of Lanslet (Lancelot)
Oliver of Barre, MA to America is listed as 1718, E.S.
Bolton List Vol. 66,
pg 532. Also stated was Lancelot's date of
birth, 1704, Ireland.
Lancelot and William were, in all probability, brothers, arriving
in America at the same time. Lancelot's Will is listed below and
it is obvious that they shared common names of their children.
What this author feels is most important in tying this all
together, are the multiple times that the 4 sons of William (Robert,
James, John and William) are consistently referred to as being of
Scotch-Irish descent, coming directly to America from northern
Ireland. From Athol Massachusetts, Past
& Present by
Lilley Caswell, 1899, "Among the early
settlers of Athol were four brothers, John, Robert, William &
James Oliver, who settled in the town either in the fall of 1735
or the spring of 1736. They were of Scotch-Irish descent, and
came to America directly from the north of Ireland. They are said
to have been healthy, robust, stout men, who had the strength and
will to build for themselves homes among the forests of old Athol."
(this history book is now over 100 years old). Once the Olivers
arrived in America, through Boston, they quickly spread to many
towns in Massachusetts; Pelham, Barre, Colrain, Rutland, etc. ,
where unfortunately they continued to face religious persecution
and some of them once again moved on. When the Olivers reached
Athol and assisted in building and settling that town, a
semblance of peace and religious freedom was finally obtained.
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WILL OF WILLIAM OLIVER, ATHOL, MA 1786 |
In the Name of God Amen. This seventeenth day of July One Thousand seven hundred and eighty six and in the Eleventh Year of the independence of America. I, William Oliver of Athol in the county of Worcester in the State of the Massachsetts Bay in New England. Gentleman, being disordered in my body but of sound mind and calling to mind the mortality of my body knowing that it is appointed to men once to die, do make and ordain this to be my Last Will and Testament, that is to say principally and first of all I give and recommend my soul into the hand of God who gave it and my body I recommend to the earth to be buried in a decent Christian burial at the discretion of my Executor, nothing doubting but at the general resurrection I shall receive the same again by the mighty power of God to bless me in this life, I give, devise and dispose of the same in the following manner and form imprimis my Will is that my funeral charges and just debts be all well and truly paid and discharged by my Executor.
Item . I give and bequeath to my son
Robert and to my daughter the Widow Anna Oliver all my farming
tools to be divided equally between them.
Item. I give and bequeath to my Daughter the Widow Anna Oliver my
house for the use of her family.
Item. I give and bequeath unto my son John Oliver fifteen pounds.
Item. I give and bequeath unto my son James Oliver fifteen pounds.
Item. I give and bequeath unto my son Robert Oliver fifteen
pounds.
Item. I give and bequeath unto my daughter the Widow Anna Oliver
fifteen pounds.
Item. I give and bequeath unto my three grandchildren viz.
William Caldwell, Sarah Caldwell and Submit Caldwell the sum of
five pounds to be divided equally between them in full of their
portion.
Item. I give and bequeath unto my daughter Elizabeth Holland the
sum of ten pounds, twelve shillings in full of her portion.
Item. I give and bequeath unto my daughter Mary Fessenden the sum
of ten pounds, twelve shillings in full of her portion.
Item. I give and bequeath unto my daughter Anna Kendall the sum
of ten pounds, twelve shillings in full of her portion.
Item. I give and bequeath to my granddaughter Anna Oliver the sum
of six pounds.
Item. I give and bequeath unto my son John Oliver, James Oliver,
Robert Oliver and to the heirs of William Oliver, deceased, all
my share or part that is due me from Daniel Lampson's estate to
me to be equally divided between them.
Item. I do hereby make and ordain my son James Oliver sole
executor of this my Last Will and Testament and hereby utterly
disallowing, revoking and making null and void all and every
former Will and Testament bequests and executors by me in any way
before named, willed and bequeathed ratifying and confirming this
and no other to be my Last Will and Testament.
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the at
the same year first mentioned. Signed, sealed, published,
pronounced and declared by the said William Oliver that this is
his Last Will and Testament in the presence of the subscribers.
Signatures: James Humphrey, James Stratton and Royal Humphrey.
Signature with seal : William Oliver
There are several interesting facts
presented in the Last Will and Testmant of Wiliam Oliver. He
refers often to the Widow Anna Oliver and calls her "daughter",
when in actuality she was his daughter-in-law, married to William
Oliver Jr., deceased. He left legacies to Sarah Caldwell (who by
the time the Will was probated married Rev. Josiah. Dana), Submit
Caldwell, and William Caldwell, his grandchildren by his daughter
Isabella and her husband James Caldwell. Isabella had also died
prior to the last Will and Testament of William Oliver. Also
noted, when the Will was probated on April 17, 1787 that son
James had died and Hannah Oliver (daughter-in-law) took over as
Executrix of the Estate and paid legacies to the children and
grandchildren of William Oliver. The children of James and Hannah
are also mentioned in the legacies as follows: Forbes (an adult),
William (an adult), Anna (a minor) and James (a minor). Mr.
Thomas Stratton was guardian to James and Anna after the death of
James, Sr. The wife of William Oliver, Ann, is not mentioned in
the Will, and is assumed to have died previously. This researcher
would like to know who Daniel Lampson was and why he left his
estate to William Oliver???
Death records for William Oliver, Sr. have not been located in
the town records of Athol, but we must assume that he was buried
in Athol, since he died there. In an address made on July 4, 1859
by Rev. John F. Morton, he states that Wiliam and Robert Oliver
were buried in the Old Burying Ground on Hapgood Street in Athol.
He says "In 1741 eight acres of ground, including the plot
upon which we are now assembled was set apart by the proprietors
of Pequoig (now Athol) -- 'To Lyee in comon, for a Burying Place
and a meetinghouse Place, if the Proprietors shall think Proper
to put them to. Who was first buried here, we know not, but
probably all who died between 1735 and 1741. Only 40 graves can
now be distinctly traced but the probability is that more than
this number have been obliterated by the ploughshare and the
harrow."
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WILL OF LANCELOT (Lanslet) OLIVER, Worcester, MA 1781 |
In the name of God Amen. I,
Lancelot Oliver of Barre in the County of Worcester and
Commonwealth of Massachusetts, husbandman, being weak in Body but
of perfect mind and memory, thanks be to God for it, calling to
mind the mortality of my body and knowing that it is appointed to
all men once to die. I do make and ordain this my last Will and
Testament that is to say principally and first of all I give and
recommend my soul into the Hands of the Almighty God that gave it
and my Body I recommend unto the Earth to be buried in decent
Christian burial, in blessed hope that I shall receive it again
at the general resurrection, to a blessed and glorious
immortality, through him who is the Resurrection and the Life.
And as touching such worldly estate wherewith it has pleased God
to bless me in this Life, I give, demise and dispose of the Same
in the following Manner and Form:
First, I give and bequeath to my beloved Wife, Mary Oliver, all
my indoor Moveables and household furniture and an Annuity of
Twenty Spanish milled Dollars, or an equivalent thereunto in such
money as Shall be the then circulating medium, the above sum to
be paid to her the said Mary, annually During her natural life.
Item. I give to my son William Oliver five shillings, to be paid
him within one year after my decease -- which together with what
he has received is his full share of my estate.
Item. I give to my Daughter Margaret Galloway five shillings
which together with what she has received is her full proportion
of my Estate.
Item. I give to my son David Oliver five shillings which together
with what I have given him by Deed is his full proportion of my
Estate.
Item. I give and bequeath to my son Robert Oliver and to my son
Alexander Oliver and to my daughter Katherine Kimpland the whole
and every part of the remainder of the real and personal estate
of which I shall die seized and possessed to be divided equally
among them.
The above named Robert Oliver and Alexander I also make and
ordain the sole executors of this my Last Will and Testament. And
I do hereby disallow, revoke and disannull all and every other
former Testaments, Wills, Legacies, Bequests and Executors by me
in any ways before named, willed, and testified, ratifying and
confirming this and no other to be my Last Will and Testament. In
witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal, this third
day of January in the year of our Lord one Thousand, Seven
hundred and Eight one.
(Signed)
Lanslet Oliver
Signed, sealed, published, pronounced and declared by said
Lanselot Oliver as his last Will and Testament in the presence of
us who in his presence and in the presence of each other have
hereunto subscribed our names.
Thomas Rice, Peter Fessenden, Josiah Dana, Recorded July 3, 1781.
(Josiah Dana was married to William Oliver's granddaughter and
Peter Fessenden was married to William Oliver's daughter - again
tying William & Lancelot together).
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From
the Claire Smith papers - a descendant of the early Olivers.
Lancelot Oliver of Barre and Georgetown md. 1st
___________, B. 1704 Ireland
D. June 24, 1781 at Barre, In the 78th
year of his age
Md 2nd.
Mary Walker in 1741
Children in order given in Will:
1) William who married in Rutland, MA April 26, 1755 to Elizabeth
McIntire.
2) Margaret who married at Petersham, MA March 19, 1753 William
Galloway.
3) James who married Margaret Hamilton at Barre, November 6, 1766.
4) David b. 1747 married Elizabeth Boyd, died March 3, 1821 age
74 at Rutland, MA
5) Robert married Mary Walker of Worcester October 13, 1763, at
Worcester, MA.
6) Alexander, who was named Executor of the Will.
7) Katherine married William Kimpland March 8, 1764 Barre, MA
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Time
Line of William Oliver & Ann
1700 Born in Ireland
1718 Arrival In America with parents and Lancelot
17--(?) Married to Ann _____? in Boston, MA
1734 In Hatfield, MA forming company to go to Athol, MA
1735 Son Robert, Sr. born in Athol, MA
1786 Dies in Athol, MA (see Will)
*Some
researchers claim that Ann, William's wife died in 1778 in
Rutland, MA. This statement poses some problems for this
researcher. That would mean that William was in Athol in 1735 (Robert,
Sr. born there) and William died in Athol in 1786. Perhaps if Ann
died in Rutland, they either moved to Rutland in these inbetween
years and William returned to Athol after her death to be with
his sons? I leave the proof of this answer up to others
researching this family..
*Some researchers also claim that Ann's last name was "Durham".
I have not found documentation for this. It is true that Durham
was a very important name to the 4 Oliver brothers, and other
generations that followed them. Repeatedly they used Durham as a
middle name for their children, i.e. Anne Durham Oliver (daughter
to John), James Durham Oliver (son of Loyal) and James Durham
Oliver (son of Robert). Another mystery question?????
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Song: "Watermark" - Enya |