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Thomas Oliver (abt. 1575 - 1658)

Thomas Oliver
Born about in Englandmap [uncertain]
Son of [father unknown] and [mother unknown]
[sibling(s) unknown]
Husband of — married 27 Oct 1600 in Lilford, Northamptonshire, Englandmap
Husband of — married before 26 Dec 1617 in Englandmap
Husband of — married about 1625 in Englandmap
Husband of — married before 1642 in Boston, Massachusettsmap [uncertain]
Descendants descendants
Father of , , , , , , , , , , and
Died at about age 83 in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusettsmap
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Profile last modified | Created 19 Sep 2010
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The Puritan Great Migration.
Thomas Oliver migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See Great Migration Begins, by R. C. Anderson, Vol. 2, p. 1354)
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Caution: There were at least two men named Thomas Oliver who lived simultaneously. This profile is for the Thomas Oliver who was born about 1575 and migrated to Boston in 1632. Do not mix it with the Thomas Oliver who was born about 1600 and migrated to Salem in 1637.

Contents

Biography

Thomas Oliver was born in about 1575.

Anderson says "about 1580 (estimated ages of children indicate he was born no later than the1580s and age at death given by Hull, probably an exaggeration, would make him born about 1568."[1]

While Anderson, names only two wives, entries for the Oliver family were found in Thorpe Achurch and Lilford, Northamptonshire, and published in 2002 (post Anderson's GreatMigration work), confirming that he had four wives:[2]

  1. Agnes (____) Henson, m October 22, 1600, Lilford; probably widow of Thomas Henson who was buried there 24 Jan 1599/1600. She died between 1608-17
  2. Elizabeth (_____), m before December 26, 1617. She was buried at Thorpe Achurch May 8, 1624
  3. Ann (______) with whom Thomas arrived in New England in 1632. She died 3 May 1635 (Anderson, citing Boston Vital Records, p 3)
  4. Anne (Squire) Purchase, m between 1637 and 1642[3] widow of Aquila Purchase; she died 20 Dec1662 (per Boston VR, p 86)

Thomas and his wife, Ann (_____) arrived in New England on the William and Francis, June 5, 1632.[4][5]

They were listed as Boston church members #132 and #133.[6]

He was made freeman 6 Nov 1632.[7]

He was a chirurgeon (aka surgeon).[8]

As "Mr. Thomas Oliver," he was listed as second of the 58 men disarmed 20 November 1637 for signing a petition in favor of Wheelwright.[9]

Thomas died January 1, 1657/8 in Boston, Massachusetts.[10]

"The date of death of Thomas Oliver is frequently cited as 1 June 1658, which is a very curious error. This apparently derives from an article by W.H. Whitmore, in which he quotes John Hull's diary verbatim, which thed eath on "The 1st of the11th month...," but a sentence earlier Whitman states the death as 1 June 1658 [NEHGR 19:100]. Probably "Jan." was read as "Jun." at some point in the composition process, and has been replicated and amplified ever since."[11]

Unproven Illustrious Ancestry

It is alleged in numerous online sources that this person is the son of John Oliver and Elizabeth Rowland. This provides a purportedly illustrious royal ancestry. However, there is no primary or reputable secondary evidence of this connection and it has been disconnected.

A 2002 article (see below), which found proof of Thomas' marriages and the baptisms of his children, found no record of his birth. The closest Oliver to Thomas was a William "Olyvear" of Denford who died in 1627, but his will says nothing about Thomas and family.

Last Will & Testament

Dated 13 March 1652; codicil 2 May 1656; proved 27 Jan 1657/8:[12]

  • named sons Peter and James and son-in-law James Johnson as executors
  • wife and her children...
  • estate to be divided in five equal parts, two of which to go son John as eldest son
  • children of sons John and Peter
  • daughter Abigail Johnson
  • Hannah Tarne (under 21, unmarried)
  • all my grandchildren "both in old England and here in New England"
  • codicil makes bequest to daughter Woolfull and daughter (illegible); to Richard Woolfull at Muddy River

Children

His children, were born to his first two wives, the first through 4th, born to the first wife, Agnes and baptized at Lilford; the 5th to 7th, uncertain mother, baptisms not located; the 8th-12th born by his 2nd wife, Elizabeth, baptized at Thorpe Achurch:[2]

  1. Elizabeth, bp August 9, 1601. She was not the wife of George Carr. She m. at Thorpe Achurch 15 Nov1625 Thomas Woolfull, clerk. They were probably the parents of Richard Woolfull named in the will of Elizabeth's father.
  2. Thomas, bp September 10, 1603; bur. Lilford 21 Oct 1604
  3. Jonathan, bp February 2, 1605/6; prob. died young (as son John, below, is named eldest son in his father's will).
  4. Anne, bp June 19, 1608
  5. Mary, b ca 1610; m. Lilford 6 Apr 1630 JohnRobbins of Godmanchester, Huntingdownshire.
  6. John, b ca 1613; d. 1646 "not full thirty years of age"; m. by Nov1638 Elizabeth Newgate, daughter of John and Lydia (____) Newgate. NOTE: Anderson points out that Savage incorrectly conflated this man with John Oliver of Newbury.
  7. Peter, b ca 1615; m by 1643 Sarah Newgate, daughter of John and Thomasine (Hayes) Newgate.
  8. James, bp December 26, 1617; m. Mary (Dexter)Friend, daughter of Thomas Dexter and widow of John Friend.
  9. Nathaniel, bp May 2, 1619; d. Boston November 1633. Winthrop tells the story of one of Elder Oliver's sons, about fifteen years old, being killed by a tree which he had felled himself, and dates this event 9 January 1632/3; given the recognized inaccuracies in the Boston vital records, this tale very likely refers to Nathaniel [WJ 1:117].
  10. Abigail, bp December 10, 1620; m.by 1644 James Johnson
  11. Samuel, bp December 16, 1621; drowned27 March 652;m. by 1647 Lydia _____.
  12. Daniel, bp December 25, 1623; d. Boston June 1637. Note: Footnote in death record states it is for Daniel (son of NIcholas and Anne Parker NOT son of Thomas Oliver) [13]

Sources

  1. ↑ Anderson, p.1355
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Leslie Mahler,"The English Origins of Thomas1 Oliver of Boston," in The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1847-; volume 157 (2003):34-36
  3. ↑ Torrey's New England Marriages to 1700, (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008.) Originally published as: New England Marriages Prior to 1700. Boston, Mass.: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2015. Reference Volume 2, page 1111
  4. ↑ Great Migration Newsletter, V.1-20. (Online Database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2015.) Reference Volume 3, page 5
  5. ↑ Hotten, p 149
  6. ↑ Anderson, p 1354, citing Boston Church Records, p 14
  7. ↑ Anderson, p. 1354, citing Massachusetts Bay Colony Records, vol 1, p 367
  8. ↑ Anderson, p 1354, citing Hull, p 182
  9. ↑ Anderson, p. 1356, citing MBCR 1:211]
  10. ↑ Anderson, Robert Charles The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, Volumes I-III. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2010), (Originally Published as: New England Historic Genealogical Society, The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, Volumes I-III, 3 vols., 1995). Reference page 1355, citing Hull, p 182
  11. ↑ Anderson, p 1357
  12. ↑ Anderson, p 1354, citing Sussex Probate Records 1:301; 3:107
  13. ↑ https://hdl.handle.net/2027/uc2.ark:/13960/t0zp3z961?urlappend=%3Bseq=15

See also:

  • The Oliver Family, NEHGR 19:100, The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1847-. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2013.) Reference pages 100-101
  • The Oliver Family in Peace and War, 1632-1860, NEHGR 130:196+, The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1847-. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2013.)
  • Robert Charles Anderson; "The Great Migration Begins", Volume III, page 1354, 1527
  • Great Migration Newsletter, V.1-20.(Online Database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2018.) Vol. 21 - 25, p. 134 "Boston Connection"subscribers
  • Great Migration Newsletter, V.1-20.(Online Database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2018.) "Early Church Records" Vol. 3, p. 5.subscribers$




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DNA Connections
It may be possible to confirm family relationships with Thomas by comparing test results with other carriers of his Y-chromosome or his mother's mitochondrial DNA. Y-chromosome DNA test-takers in his direct paternal line on WikiTree:

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Comments: 19

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Chris Hoyt
When adding and a source to the Oliver's, I noticed several of the children were not PGM so I added that to their profiles as well.

Samuel https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Oliver-699 Daniel https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Oliver-706 James https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Oliver-80 Abigail https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Oliver-549 Nathaniel https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Oliver-717

posted by Chris Hoyt
edited by Chris Hoyt
Reed-28962 Anonymous Reed
Thomas Oliver is one of the main subjects of this presentation by Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration to New England: Conventicles to Companies to Congregations see 32:00 https://youtu.be/kQ0RigFmGKE
posted by Anonymous Reed
Nash-9215 Dennis Nash
Nash-9215 Thomas Oliver is my 10th great Grandfather
posted by Dennis Nash
Philip Oliver
Kenneth I am descended from Wm Oliver patentee of Elizabethtown NJ 1665. I have concluded by a variety of means including a Y-DNA comparison with Milton Oliver, descendant of this Thomas, that William b appx 1625 is not the child of Thomas Oliver Ruling Elder of the First Church.
posted by Philip Oliver
Bailey-6428 Faylene Bailey
Edited- 10-13-2020

There is much confusion with a child born named Daniel born 1623 in Boston died 14 Jun 1637 in Boston (son of Thomas Oliver) and an unnamed child listed under Oliver as "Another", but is actually an unnamed (female?) child of Nicholas and Anne PARKER.. Different sources (or indexes) have the same date of birth for a male child born to Thomas Oliver and unnamed mother (Thomas was married to Anne (Squire) Purchase at the time) and a female(?) child born to Nicholas and Anne Parker which another source identifies as "Another" Oliver who was born and died 14 un 1637. 1. Note: Footnote in this record states it refers to the child of Nicholas and Anne Parker NOT of Thomas Oliver) "Boston. Registry Dept., Boston. Record Commissioners. (1883). A report of the Record Commissioners containing Boston births, baptisms, marriages and deaths, 1630-1699". Boston: Rockwell and Churchill. https://hdl.handle.net/2027/uc2.ark:/13960/t0zp3z961?urlappend=%3Bseq=15. 2.This record shows an unnamed Female(?) child born to Nicholas and Anne Parker 14 Jun 1637 "Massachusetts, Town Clerk...d Town Records, 1626-2001" Suffolk Boston Birth index 1630-1799 vol. 2 Pg. 7 https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-XKGQ-SCF?i=5&cc=2061550. 3. Family search "Massachusetts Births and Christenings" shows an unnamed male child born to Thomas Oliver 14 Jun 1637, but the filmed record is for the similar footnoted record of an Oliver "Another" child with the footnote that it refers to the child of Nicholas and Anne Parker. "A report of the Record Commissioners of the city of Boston v. 9. Boston births, baptisms, marriages, and deaths, 1630-1699" Pg. 5 https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-898Q-HXGJ?i=14.

posted by Faylene Bailey
edited by Faylene Bailey
M Cole
Oliver-82 and Oliver-11431 appear to represent the same person because: Based on death date and spouse, these appear to be intended to be the same people.
posted on Oliver-11431 (merged) by M Cole
Aldrich-908 Cheryl (Aldrich) Skordahl
deleting "Rev" from prefix. If PM thinks it should be there, it can be returned.
posted by Cheryl (Aldrich) Skordahl
Aldrich-908 Cheryl (Aldrich) Skordahl
The children are correct according to Maher p. 36.

https://www.americanancestors.org/databases/new-england-historical-and-genealogical-register/image?pageName=36&volumeId=11611&rId=23521474 I'm deleting "needs clean up of children."

After searching, I believe all info in this biography is relating to this particular Thomas Oliver and is NOT confused with any other.

posted by Cheryl (Aldrich) Skordahl
Aldrich-908 Cheryl (Aldrich) Skordahl
I mean no disrespect, but I don't think his prefix should be "Rev." since he wasn't the pastor or teacher (preacher) of the church... he was an Elder. See here following where the pastors are called "Rev." and Thomas Oliver is called "Mr."

https://www.americanancestors.org/databases/great-migration-immigrants-to-new-england-1634-1635-volume-iii-g-h/image?volumeId=7118&pageName=446&rId=235155833

posted by Cheryl (Aldrich) Skordahl
Aldrich-908 Cheryl (Aldrich) Skordahl
In the near future, I'll try to tease the profiles apart and correct (possibly merge) the profiles of the two Thomas Olivers, using the sources found in GM Directory, p. 246 and Abandoning America p. 225
posted by Cheryl (Aldrich) Skordahl
Aldrich-908 Cheryl (Aldrich) Skordahl
Regarding PGM Thomas Oliver -

There seems to have been more than one in New England at the same time and I think their profiles are discombobulated.

See Profiles Oliver-8199 & Oliver 6886. Sources: GM Directory p. 246 and Abandoning America p. 225.

posted by Cheryl (Aldrich) Skordahl
Jim Wiles
In looking over my research I don't see them either
posted by Jim Wiles
Hayward Houghton II
Pope does not include them, either.
posted by Hayward Houghton II
B-404 Anne B
Children David, Liddea and William don't belong according to the Anderson and Mahler
posted by Anne B
Kenneth Kinman
There is probably no David Oliver in this family. Note that he has the same death date as Samuel Oliver. A poorly written word Samuel could have the "el" merging into a "d". Likewise a poorly written "Sa" could look like a "Da". That would just leave "mu" looking somewhat like "vi".
posted by Kenneth Kinman
Kenneth Kinman
I added a profile for Ann Unknown, the 3rd wife, who was almost certainly the mother of William Oliver (b. 1625-1630?), my ancestor. Need to get the two profiles for William merged.

But I now see that the two profiles are an unmerged match. So these profiles should be merged (or the merge rejected).

posted by Kenneth Kinman

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