Oliphants in the Southern USA-VA, NC, SC, GA, KY, TN

As the Oliphants spread in Colonial times, there were clusters of them in various parts of the country. Discuss your Oliphants from the southern regions here.

Descendants of Wm. Oliphant of NC: shows libraries holding this book

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Jeanie McCully on September 10, 2009 at 12:11pm

Hey, y'all! My mom's father's mother was Martha Oliphant, born in SE Louisiana in 1833. Her father was James Oliphant, born abt 1782 in South Carolina. He served in the War of 1812 and received land in the Mississippi Territory, where he lived prior to 1840. He lived the rest of his life in Washington Parish and then St. Tammany Parish (which was split off from the former). I have never found a date or place of death for him, nor convincing evidence of his parentage.

James married Temperence Williams, daughter of Robert & Tamar Williams. Tamar is strongly believed to be a member of the Spiller family. Children of James & Temperence Oliphant married into the following families: Cole, Ford, Hughes, Lowery, and possibly Story. Their daughter Martha married my great-grandfather Edwin Andrew Sanders, who fought for the Confederacy in Wingfield's Cavalry. All of their children were born in Louisiana. After Edwin died in 1893, Martha moved to Illinois with several of her children, and this is where she died in 1915. Her body was sent back to Louisiana to be buried next to her husband.

Permalink Reply by Richie C. on September 10, 2009 at 12:28pm

Jeanie, I found a reference on Ancestry that says James Oliphant 1782 was the son of Obediah Oliphant (son of Ephraim Oliphant& Sarah Higgens Stout, grandson of Duncan Oliphant & Marry Garrison/Gerritsen). However, I don't see your James Oliphant 1782 in my tree. That doesn't mean it isn't so, just that I don't have it. This must be the questionable parentage you mentioned?

Permalink Reply by Jeanie McCully on September 10, 2009 at 12:47pm

It sounds right. I know there are some situations where a legitimate child can get "left out" of many genealogies (in fact, I have proof of one), but it does make me cautious when there is little to no evidence. As much as I want to add that connection, I'm still holding out for some kind of "proof" or at least good circumstantial evidence. If anyone knows where I can find it, I'm "all ears (or would that be eyes?)".

Permalink Reply by Richie C. on September 10, 2009 at 12:56pm

The other possibility that occurs to me: There was a David Oliphant--unrelated to Duncan--who settled in North Carolina (I think) in the 1600s. Your James could be a descendant of him.

Permalink Reply by Roddy Oliphant on October 15, 2009 at 5:16pm

Jeanie,

We have been researching the Oliphants (all of them) who came from SC and NC in great depth - some have had DNA tests done and it has nailed their ancestry beyond any doubt. We have extensive DNA tests for Duncan's descendants but there were a lot of Jameses in SC and I am convinced that, for the most part, they were all related.

I am fascinated to see your tree and to know more, as I have a lot of information and I am working with others who have even more than I do and would certainly know about your family.

The simplest way forward would be to find a male Oliphant of your line and get his DNA tested as part of our DNA project.

Have you checked the Samuel Grant Oliphant papers?

Permalink Reply by Jeanie McCully on October 15, 2009 at 5:43pm

Roddy,

No, I had not heard of the papers, but I'll start looking into it. Thank you for the information.

I hope to one day find a male Oliphant to whom I am related, so that if he did submit to the DNA testing, I could learn more. Unfortunately, I've never actually met any of my Oliphant relatives, and I don't know if my mother has. I've tried to get her help from time to time, but she isn't really interested.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this may be the venue that puts me in touch with unknown relatives such as the Oliphants.

Here's what I know (nearly all dates and locations derived from US Federal Census records and US GenWeb transcriptions of marriage licenses and tombstones):

James Oliphant b. ca. 1782 South Carolina, m. Temperance Williams of Georgia

children:

(1) Robert W. Oliphant, b. ca. 1824, Louisiana; m. Elizabeth Lowery, 14 Nov 1843, St. Tammany Parish, LA
(2) Louisa Oliphant, b. ca. 1825, Louisiana
(3) James M. Oliphant, b. ca. 1827, Louisiana; m. Luzina A. Hughes, 23 Dec 1859, St. Tammany Parish, LA
(4) John L. Oliphant, b. Jan 1830, Louisiana; m. Lavinia Cole, 25 Apr 1861, St. Tammany Parrish, LA
(5) William T. Oliphant, b. Feb 1832, Louisiana; m. Elizabeth (Story?)
(6) Martha Oliphant, b. 11 Mar 1833, Louisiana; m. Edwin Andrew Sanders, 25 Jan 1860, St. Tammany Parrish, LA
(7) Naomi Oliphant, b. Aug 1835, Louisiana; m. Joseph Adolph Ford, 1857
(8) Nancy Oliphant, b. ca. 1840, Louisiana

If anyone recognizes any of these names in their tree, please let me know!

Thanks all,
Jeanie

Permalink Reply by Roddy Oliphant on October 15, 2009 at 7:10pm

Jeanie,

There were more:-

1850 census

St Tammany Parish, LA
James Oliphant 1783 SC
Temperance; 1805 GA
Robert W Oliphant 1824 LA
Louisa Olliphant 1825
James N Olliphant 1828
Elizabeth Olliphant 1829
John L Olliphant 1829
William Olliphant 1833
Neoma Olliphant 1834
Martha Olliphant 1837
Nancy Olliphant 1840
Jane Olliphant 1845
Arsene Olliphant 1847
Mary L Olliphant 1850

My e-mail is: rodoliphant@yahoo.co.uk

If you write to me I will give you more information.

Rod.

Permalink Reply by Jeanie McCully on October 20, 2009 at 5:45pm

I will, Rod, thank you.

Regarding the 1850 US Federal Census, it actually lists the last 3 girls (Jane, Arsene, and Mary L) as in the household of Robert W. Olliphant (sic), 26, and Elizabeth, 21, so I've listed them as grandchildren of James & Temperance. I've had more luck finding descendants rather than ancestors of James & Temperance. So far, I've found Robert to 1860, James (middle name Meriman) to his death in 1900, John to 1900, William to his death in 1911, Naomi to her death in 1897, and of course Marth (my great-grandmother) to her death. Nothing on Louisa or Nancy after 1850. I've also found many of the grandchildren, great-grandchildren, etc.

Permalink Reply by Roddy Oliphant on November 13, 2009 at 7:06pm

Hi Jeanie,

I think that I have said in an e-mail, but for the benefit of others, we have the DNA of one of James Oliphant and Temperance Williams's descendants and know that he is part of the Maryland Oliphant DNA group.

The ancestry of James back to the Maryland Oliphants is "work in progress".

Yours aye,

Rod.

Permalink Reply by vandra wen on October 7, 2009 at 12:06pm

my great grandmother, rosa belle oliphant dunne lived in burns, tenn. which is between dickson, tenn. and nashville, tenn. there was a family burial ground in kingston springs. rosa bell oliphant dunne's father was named silas oliphant and may go to duncan oliphant, perth, scotland. there is a book on oliphants in Evansville, Ind. at the willard library that states that there was oliphants in southern, indiana. one oliphant was a preacher that travelled between evansville and bloomington, ind.

Permalink Reply by Roddy Oliphant on October 15, 2009 at 6:14pm

Silas is definitely part of the James Oliphant of Rutherford County Oliphants.

"Silas, son of Presley, says that his father was a carpenter by trade, but later took up farming as his
occupation." from "The Descendants of James Oliphant" by John S.Scott.

Rod.

Permalink Reply by Richie C. on October 15, 2009 at 7:13pm

Roddy,
This is why I'm so glad you've joined this Oliphant group! Leave it to me to mess lines up!