John Oliver

Brief Life History of John

John Oliver was born in 1731, in Newbiggin-by-the-Sea, Northumberland, England as the son of Thomas Oliver. He married Eleanor Rippeth on 19 August 1756, in Warden, Northumberland, England, United Kingdom. They were the parents of at least 8 sons and 4 daughters.

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Family Time Line

John Oliver
1731–
Eleanor Rippeth
1739–1798
Marriage: 19 August 1756
Thomas Oliver
1753–
Mary Oliver
1756–
James Oliver
1758–
Thos Oliver
1759–
George Oliver
1760–1801
Kathleen Christian Oliver
1764–1818
Margaret Oliver
1764–
Robert Oliver
1766–1768
Eleanor Oliver
1766–
William Oliver
1767–
John Oliver
1773–
Henry Oliver
1796–

Sources (55)

  • John Olliver, "England Marriages, 1538–1973"
  • John Oliver in entry for William Oliver, "England, Northumberland Non-Conformist Church Records, 1613-1920"
  • John Oliver in entry for Mary Oliver, "England, Northumberland, Parish Registers, 1538-1950"

Spouse and Children

Parents and Siblings

World Events (4)

1752 · Gregorian Calendar is Adopted

Gregorian calendar was adopted in England in 1752. That year, Wednesday, September 2, 1752, was followed by Thursday, September 14th, 1752, which caused the country to skip ahead eleven days.

1754 · Seven Years' War

The Seven Years' War began as a North American conflict then stretched between England and France. England, along with allies, battled France in America, India, and Europe, making it arguably the first global war. The conflict ended with the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1763 and England was victorious. The Seven Years' war ultimately led to discontent in the colonies and the American Revolution.

1770 · Boston Tea Party

Thousands of British troops were sent to Boston to enforce Britain's tax laws. Taxes were repealed on all imports to the American Colonies except tea. Americans, disguised as Native Americans, dumped chests of tea imported by the East India Company into the Boston Harbor in protest. This escalated tensions between the American Colonies and the British government.

Name Meaning

English (northern), southern Scottish, southern French, and German: from the Old French personal name Oliver (modern French Olivier). This became common largely through the influence of the immensely popular narrative poem Chanson de Roland, in which the warrior Oliver is the wise best friend of the doomed hero Roland. The two men were peers at the court of Charlemagne, and the name is probably of ancient Germanic origin. The name ostensibly means ‘olive tree’ (see Oliveira ), but this is almost certainly the result of folk etymology working on an unidentified ancient Germanic personal name, perhaps a cognate of Alvaro . Old Norse Óláf (see Olliff ) and ancient Germanic Alfhari (composed of the elements alf ‘elf’ and hari ‘army’) have also been suggested as sources, but both personal names are difficult to explain phonetically, especially the latter. The Anglo-Norman name has been established in Ireland (Louth) since at least the 14th century, and was reinforced in Ulster and Limerick by migrants from England in the 17th century. The surname is also borne by Jews, apparently as an adoption of the non-Jewish surname.

Catalan: generally a topographic name from oliver ‘olive tree’, but in some instances possibly related to a homonymous personal name (see 1 above).

History: The surname Oliver of French origin (see 1 above) is listed in the register of Huguenot ancestors recognized by the Huguenot Society of South Carolina.

Dictionary of American Family Names © Patrick Hanks 2003, 2006.

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