William Oliver RN (abt. 1731 - abt. 1777)

Born about 1731 in Sanfield, Braunton, Devon, Ëngland

Husband of Elizabeth (Cory) Oliver — married 7 Mar 1762 in Braunton, Devon

Descendants

Died about 1777 at about age 46 in Braunton, Devon, England

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Biography

William was born in about 1731.

He was Captain of an East Indiaman ship which was wrecked at Lynton, a small town on the Exmoor coast in Devon, England. He was saved and nursed back to health by the Cory family. When he was well again, he eloped with their daughter Miss Elizabeth Cory.

They travelled to Braunton in Devon and liked the place very much. William and Elizabeth were married on 7 March 1762 in Braunton.^[1]

Marriage at Braunton, Devon:^[2]

No 51 William Oliver of the Parish of Linton

and Elizabeth Cory of the Parish of Braunton

married in the Church by licence this

seventh day of March in the Year One Thousand

Seven Hundred and Sixty Two by me Christopher Lethbridge Curate of Braunton

This marriage solemnized between us William Oliver and Elizabeth Cory.

In the Presence of John Commyns and John Reed.

There subsequently followed the birth of two daughters, Hannah and Elizabeth, and a son William (who died young).

When William's wife Elizabeth inherited her father's Lynton property, she sold it all and bought Fairlynch and a good deal of the marsh land. (Her daughter Hannah, who married W. Dyer, later inherited Fairlynch, and her other daughter Elizabeth, who married Edward Harris, inherited the Marsh Land.)

William's brother was a rich stock broker who died and left all his silver to his brother. This with the exception of a very few pieces, was all stolen on the way down from London.

In 1766 William may have got in trouble with the law as recorded in Parish Hundreds indictable offences to be heard at the County of Devon Quarter Sessions covering a period c.1745 to c.1782^[3] :

John Buckingham of Braunton Yeoman

William Oliver of Braunton Mariner

No173/3 - 9th April 1766 - For assaulting Grace Smith and forcibly entering her Dwelling House at Braunton. Traversed Midsummer 1766. Bill found Easter 1766. Tried Michaelmas 1766 - Buckingham found Not Guilty - Oliver Plea withdrawn and fined 3s-4d.

William Oliver of Braunton Mariner

Robert Courry of Braunton Yeoman

Jane Hurley of Braunton Spinster

No176/5 - 8th April 1766 - For assaulting William Smith and falsely Imprisoning him for 3 days without any legal warrant or authority. Traversed Midsummer 1766. Bill found Easter 1766. Tried Michaelmas 1766 - all found Guilty and fined 1d.

He may have passed away in about 1777. (A Will for a William Oliver, occupation Mariner, was probated in 1778 in Braunton, Devon.)

Sources

1. ↑ "England Marriages, 1538–1973 ." Database. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 23 March 2020. Index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N2VL-MQ5
2. ↑ Marriage Record, Braunton, Devon https://www.findmypast.co.uk/search
3. ↑ https://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/DEV/CourtRecords/QS10-1

• https://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/DEV/DevonWillsProject/DWP-O