Duncan Oliphant, Man of Mystery

Have you traced your line back to Duncan Oliphant who arrived on Staten Island circa 1695? Here's a place to have fun by sharing and comparing your line with others.

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Richie C. on September 10, 2009 at 12:20pm

Here's mine:
Duncan Oliphant, b. 1682 & Mary Garrison/Gerritsen b. 1686 (NY to NJ)
James Oliphant, b. 1724 & Jennetje Woertman/Janet Workman b. 1722
Andrew Oliphant, b. 1750 & Elizabeth Shannon (NJ to PA)
John Oliphant b. 1797 & Charlotta ,Unknown> b. 1792 (PA)
Andrew Oliphant, b. 1818 & Barbara ?Hunt?, b. 1820 in Germany (PA)
Joseph Oliphant, b. abt 1849 & Mary A. Burns, b. 1856 (PA)
James Henry/Harry Oliphant, b. 1874 & Bertha Delaney, b. 1885 (PA)
Roy James Olyphant, b. 1908 & Dorothy Catherine Berent, b. 1917 (PA)

Permalink Reply by vandra wen on October 7, 2009 at 11:45am

my great grandmother was rosa belle oliphant dunne from burns, tn. her father's name was silas oliphant also from burns, tn or kingston springs. this is west of nashville, east of dickson,tn. I have been told that it is traced back to duncan oliphant from perth, scotland. rosa belle had 4 sisters. no males. mary magdaline oliphant was a sister. she married a walp. both died young of tb. most interested to learn more? please and thank you

Permalink Reply by Richie C. on October 7, 2009 at 12:18pm

Vandra,
Do you know the name of Silas' wife? Assuming I have the right guy, and I'm not mixing things up, it looks like Silas was b. 1859 in LaVerne, Rutherford, TN. Married Allis Hall in Dickson, TN 16 Oct 1879

I only had one son of Presley Ward Oliphant in my software (a Benjamin b. 1856), but I found on Ancestry.com several family trees listing Silas as born 30 June 1859 to the same parents as Benjamin:

Parents of Silas were Presley Ward Oliphant and Mary Leanne Fitzhugh
Parents of Presley were James Oliphant and Jane Rankin
Parents of James were John A. Oliphant and Hannah Amos
Parents of John were Ephraim Oliphant and Sarah Higgins Stout
Parents of Ephraim were Duncan Oliphant and Mary Garrison

Then we get to the centuries-old debate about who and where Duncan came from. Duncan is my 7th great-grandfather.

I can give you more details at a later time.

Permalink Reply by Roddy Oliphant on October 15, 2009 at 4:51pm

Hi Richie,

How are you? Great to see the work which you are doing here.

A few points:

1/. Through DNA we have been able to trace Duncan to the Oliphants of Culteuchar. Duncan was almost certainly a nickname - two probable cousins married men with the surname Duncan.
2/. Olyphants are also close relatives.
3/. There is an Oliphant family in Scotland who are also close relatives - there are more of the same family in Australia.
4/. James Oliphant of Rutherford County TN is not descended from Duncan. His line share the same DNA as the Oliphints of Sabine County, TX (Robert Oliphant and Abigail Davenport). They all come from an area of SC which changed from SC to NC and back again around the Spartanburg area (where the Davenports also lived).

Yours aye,

Roddy.

Permalink Reply by Eric Oliphnat on November 17, 2010 at 12:26pm

Roddy,

I happened upon this post and am decended from the Robert and Abigail of Sabine Co. TX that you reverence. I am interested in any information that you may have on their line as it goes back to the SC Oliphants that you reference. The little bit of internet research that I am not 100% confident in seems to lead Robert's father to be John Oliphant b. Armwell, Huterdon Co., NJ b. 1740 and d. 1783 in Rowan Co. NC. Any assistance you could provide would be mush appreciated.

Regards,
Eric Oliphant
eboliphant@yahoo.com

Permalink Reply by ken middleton on March 17, 2010 at 4:53pm

I have Epraim Oliphant's line thru James and Jane, and John and Hannah. I just have to get it out. Start with specific questions. ken

Permalink Reply by Roddy Oliphant on October 15, 2009 at 4:52pm

Hi Vandra,

I have replied to Richie.

Rod.

Permalink Reply by vandra weinzapfel on November 11, 2010 at 10:53am

i am not from duncan

Permalink Reply by Alexander Marston Oliphant on October 24, 2009 at 2:55pm

I have a Samuel Duncan Oliphant in my history...

Permalink Reply by Roddy Oliphant on November 13, 2009 at 6:47pm

Hi Alex,

Samuel Duncan Oliphant is not related to Duncan Oliphant (as far as we know). He gets the Duncan part of his name from his mother:-

4/. Samuel Duncan Oliphant
b-1 Aug 1824, PA
d-23 Oct 1904, Trenton, New Jersey
married Mary Coulter Campbell
Samuel's parents were
3/. Fidelio Hughes Oliphant and Jane Creigh Duncan.
Fidelio Hughes Oliphant was the son of
2/. John Oliphant and Sarah McGinnis.
John Oliphant was the son of
1/. Andrew Oliphant and Ann Hughes.

Samuel Duncan Oliphant and Mary Campbell had at least
ten sons.
John C.
Hughes
Richard C.
Henry D.
Nelson B.
Alexander C.
Samuel Duncan
Robert N.
James T.
Sidney
in addition they had several daughters.

Is this your family? If so then I would very much like to talk more.

Yours aye,

Rod.

Permalink Reply by Kathy Duncan Cawley on March 24, 2010 at 9:23pm

I may have a DNA donor for the Fidelio Hughes Oliphant line. I am related through his wife Jane Creigh Duncan, Duncan being my maiden name.
I am corresponding now with Stephen Duncan Oliphant of Pittsburgh and he seems to be interested in testing. I will keep you posted.
Sincerely, Kathy Duncan Cawley

Permalink Reply by Kathy Duncan Cawley on February 28, 2010 at 7:11pm

If Samuel Duncan Oliphant was from Fayette Co., PA. > Trenton, NJ, then he would be the son of Jane Creigh Duncan, sister to my great-great grandfather, Samuel Duncan. The Duncan's owned an iron works concern which was sold to Fidelio Hughes Oliphant
I have done quite a bit of research on the Oliphant name and have found more then the above Duncan-Oliphant marriage.

Kathy Duncan Cawley