John Clemence OLIVER
First Generation
1. John Clemence OLIVER was born 1, 2, 3 on 1 Jul 1806 in Nottoway County, VA. He died 4 on 19 Dec 1870 in Missouri. He was buried in the Christison Cemetery in Blue Mound Township, Livingston County, MO.
John Clemence Oliver was born on 1 Jul 1806 in Nottaway County, Virginia. John married Mary Jane Pulliam on 5 Dec 1827 in Prince Edwards County, Virginia (see marriage note below). The first time John C. Oliver and his family are found in census records is in the 1840 Brunswick County, Virginia census as follows: 1 male 1-4 [Thomas E., age 2], 1 male 5-9 [John B., age 8], 1 male 10-15 [George H., age 11], 1 male 30-39 [John C., age 34], 1 female 5-9 [Sarah Ann Rebecca, age 5], 1 female 30-39 [Mary Jane, age 31]. John is next found in the 1850 census in District 57 of Livingston County, Missouri, where he and his family are listed as follows:
John C. Oliver: age 44, born Virginia.
Jane P. Oliver: age 41, born Virginia.
Geo. H. Oliver: age 21, born Virginia.
John B. Oliver: age 18, born Virginia.
Sarah Oliver: age 15, born Virginia.
Thomas E. Oliver: age 12, born Virginia.
Mary E. Oliver: age 7, born Tennessee.
Margaret P. Oliver: age 5, born Kentucky.
Based on the above census information, John and his family lived in Virginia until at least 1840 when apparently they moved to either Tennessee or Kentucky where two daughters, Mary Elizabeth Jane Oliver and Margaret Parthenia Catherine Oliver, were born in 1843 and in 1846. Per the book “Livingston County History Celebrating 150 Years 1821-1881” published by the Retired Senior Volunteer Program, the family remained in either Tennessee or Kentucky until 1849 when they moved to Blue Mound Township, Livingston County, Missouri where they are found in the 1850 census of District 57 of Livingston County, Missouri. The question is did they ever live in Tennessee? The only record indicating that they lived there is the 1850 census where Mary Elizabeth Jane Oliver’s birthplace is given as Tennessee. But in all other censuses her birthplace is given as Kentucky. Plus a Family Group Record on Family Search gives Mary's birthplace as Centerville, Bourbon County, Kentucky. Also, correspondence with Sue Jones indicates that the “…Elizabeth who married Joe Shields was born in Centerville, Christian Co. KY…” Based on Map Quest, there is no Centerville, Christian County, Kentucky and it should be noted that Bourbon County, Kentucky is next to Montgomery County, Kentucky where, per her death certificate, Elizabeth's sister Margaret Parthenia Catherine Oliver was born. Thus it appears more likely that the family of John C. Oliver never lived in Tennessee, but rather moved directly to Kentucky from Virginia and remained there until they moved to Missouri in 1849. More research needs to be done.
Who John Clemence Oliver’s parents were has not been established, the first thing we find about John C.’s early life is a record posted on Family Search which states that John C. was born in Nottaway County, Virginia in 1806. In the 1810 census in Nottaway County, Virginia, when John C. would have been four years old, there were four Oliver families listed, all having at least one son under the age of ten. The first of these families was the family of Judith Oliver, widow of Isaac Oliver who was the son of James Oliver (born ca 1715) and his wife Elizabeth. Isaac and Judith had twelve children but unfortunately done of them were named John. The second family was the family of Charles Oliver who married Lucy Young Neal. Charles was the son of the above Isaac and Judith Oliver. Charles and Lucy did have a son who was born between 1800 and 1810 but his name was Yelverton and not John. The third family was the family of Richard Oliver and his wife Mary A. Jennings, like the above Isaac, this Richard was also the son of James Oliver (born ca 1715) and his wife Elizabeth. Richard and Mary did have a son named John, but he was born in ca 1792/1793, the son that was born between 1800 and 1810 was named George W. Oliver. As can be noted, all of the above families appear to descend from James Oliver (born ca 1715) and his wife Elizabeth, but no connection has been made between our John Clemence Oliver and this family.
The remaining family that had a son “under the age of ten” in the 1810 Nottaway County, Virginia census was that of a John Oliver, who according to census records, was born sometime between 1781 and 1784, where we are not sure. This John is first found in the 1810 census and was living in Nottoway County, Virginia with the following family: 3 males under 10, 1 male 26-44, 2 females under 10 and 1 female 26-44. In the 1820 census he had moved to Lunenburg County, Virginia and is shown with the following family: 3 males 10-15, 1 male 26-44, 1 female 16-25 and 1 female 26-44. He could not be found in the 1830 census, but in 1840 census, he had returned to Nottoway County, Virginia and it is only him and his wife in the household: 1 male 50-59 and 1 female 50-59. He was not found in any census after 1840. Unfortunately a list of this John’s children’s names has not been found, so we do not know if one of his sons was named John. We are also not sure if this John is related in anyway to the above family of James Oliver (born ca 1715) and his wife Elizabeth. More research needs to be done.
Marriage Note: An IGI Record on Family Search has John Oliver and Mary Jane Pulliam marriage location as Lunenburg County, Virginia rather than Prince Edward County, Virginia. Mary Jane was born in Prince Edward County and her family can be found there in the 1810 and 1820 censuses and thus it would make sense for John C. Oliver and Mary Jane Pulliam to have been married there. However, George W. Pulliam (Mary Jane’s father) cannot be found in the 1830 census in Prince Edward County, but a George W. Pulliam can be found in the 1830 census in Lunenburg County, Virginia. It could be possible that Mary Jane’s parents moved to Lunenburg County before John C. and Mary Jane’s wedding in 1827 and thus the wedding would have taken place in Lunenburg County. Mary Jane’s twin sister (Rebecca Jane Pulliam) was married in Lunenburg County in 1830. Further supporting the possibility that the wedding took place in Lunenburg County is the fact that in the 1820 census there was a John Oliver living in Lunenburg County who moved there from Nottoway County where John C was born, with 3 sons between 10 and 15 (John C. Oliver would have been 14 in 1820). This John Oliver might possibly be the father (although unproven) of John C. Oliver. This would then place both John C. and Mary Jane in Lunenburg County prior to their marriage. A marriage record or license needs to be found for John C. Oliver and Mary Jane Pulliam in either Lunenburg County or Prince Edward County to resolve this contradiction.
John married 1, 2 Mary Jane PULLIAM daughter of George Washington PULLIAM and Nancy Ann PENICK on 5 Dec 1827 in Prince Edwards County, VA. Mary was born 3 on 15 Apr 1809 in Prince Edwards County, VA. She died 4 on 15 Apr 1881 in Missouri. She was buried in the Christison Cemetery in Blue Mound Township, Livingston County, MO.
Twin sister to Rebecca Jane Pulliam wife of Thornton Russell.
1880 Federal Census: "Jane P. Oliver" age 71, Mother-in-law, living with William Henry Winfrey and Parthena C. Winfrey, #34, Blue Mound Township, Livingston County, MO.
They had the following children:
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