William Oliver was the son of George Oliver (1727-1786) and Jemima Reagan (1720-1771) of Guilford/Rockingham, NC. He was born about 1766 in Guilford County, prior to it becoming Rockingham County in 1785. We know of his existence based on the 1801 land division of his fathers estate. Early land transactions show he sold the majority of his land holdings in 1795. He appears on many census records between 1790-1850, with the 1850 Census reflecting he was then widowed and living in the County Poor House, located near Wentworth in Rockingham County. Hence, we can have relative certainty he is buried at the County Home Cemetery, herein. His records indicate he had a relatively small family, with at one point having two sons and two daughters, one son seeming to have died at an early age. His surviving son was likely William Oliver Jr, as this William made a point on his 1830 Census of calling himself "William Oliver Sr". Although no substantial or definitive records exist for William, we know he existed and can delineate him from other William Oliver's of the same county based on his age, family structure, and process of elimination from other well known William's. He deserves recognition for living a hard life in some of the most unkind times in the country.
William Oliver was the son of George Oliver (1727-1786) and Jemima Reagan (1720-1771) of Guilford/Rockingham, NC. He was born about 1766 in Guilford County, prior to it becoming Rockingham County in 1785. We know of his existence based on the 1801 land division of his fathers estate. Early land transactions show he sold the majority of his land holdings in 1795. He appears on many census records between 1790-1850, with the 1850 Census reflecting he was then widowed and living in the County Poor House, located near Wentworth in Rockingham County. Hence, we can have relative certainty he is buried at the County Home Cemetery, herein. His records indicate he had a relatively small family, with at one point having two sons and two daughters, one son seeming to have died at an early age. His surviving son was likely William Oliver Jr, as this William made a point on his 1830 Census of calling himself "William Oliver Sr". Although no substantial or definitive records exist for William, we know he existed and can delineate him from other William Oliver's of the same county based on his age, family structure, and process of elimination from other well known William's. He deserves recognition for living a hard life in some of the most unkind times in the country.
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