THE OLIVERS

The Oliver Branch of the Welburn Family

Nancy Jane Welburn was born January 1842 in the Baltimore Hundred of Sussex County, DE and makes her first public records appearance in the 1850 Federal Census. Upon reaching the age when she was able to seek employment outside of home, Nancy worked as a domestic next door for the family of William & Lydia Rickards.

Her father, lacking enough sons to assist him on the farm, hired William E. Oliver as a live-in farmhand. William was born June 1835 in Milton, DE to Thomas & Mary Jane Oliver. As a boy he was bound to white Millsboro farmer Thomas Robinson until the age of 21. After completing his service William Oliver hired himself out and came to work for the Welburns. He was 5' 9" with a brown complexion and long hair of which he was very proud.

A romance developed between Nancy & William. He asked for her hand in marriage, but George Welburn refused until William cut his hair. Her sister Maria deposed, "...He had long hair and was working for my father with whom he was living and Father said that he was unwilling to allow the marriage unless William would have his hair cut and he did it notwithstanding the fact that he was very proud of his long hair. He had his hair braided all the week and on Sundays would have it combed out long."

In March 1858, Nancy & William walked into Blackwater to the home of white minister Lemuel Hall, were married, and then returned home to finish working. The following fall they moved into their own home. There were 12 children born during the marriage. 8 survived to adulthood.

On 3/4/1864 William enlisted at Pennsylvania in Company K of the 32nd US Colored Infantry as a private for a term of 3 years. He was promoted to Corporal 10 months later. On several occasions William spent time in the Regimental Hospital for tonsilitis, neuralgia, dysentery, and malaria. While his Company traveled by steamer to South Carolina he sustained a life-long head injury when struck by guns falling from the midshiphouse. William was mustered out of the Civil War on 8/22/1865.

Despite the effects of his injury, William & Nancy were successful farmers, amassing an estate of 119 acres. In 1884, William sold the farm and focused his life on the religious leadership of the black community. Their sons also became A.M.E. ministers. Nancy and William died 12/22/1918 & 9/8/1912, respectively. Both are buried at Antioch A.M.E. Church Cemetery in Frankford.

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An Outline of Nancy & William's Descendants

I. Mary Ann Oliver-Burton (born 1/11/1859) and her children:

A. Elias Burton (born 2/1880, died ?);

B. Thomas Augustus Burton (born 1/1889, died ?);

C. Mary Elizabeth Burton (born 12/1890, died ?);
D. Ida Burton Foreman (born 2/1893, died ?);

E. Charles Penelton Burton (born 10/1894, died ?);

F. Elisha Burton (born 8/1897, died ?);

G. Elsie Marie Burton-Elias (born 10/1900, died 11/1979);

1. William Heyward Burton (1919-1955)
2. Charlotte Elias-Brown (1921-?)
3. Charles Ferdinand Elias (1923-?)
4. Ida Elias-Conway (1925-
5. Wallace N. Elias (1927-
6. Horace P. Elias (1928-
7. Stephen Godfrey Elias (1929-?)
8. Marianne Elias (1935-
9. Marguerite H. Elias-Rice (1937-

H. Margaret Burton (born 1905, died ?);

and 8 others.

II. Thomas J. Oliver (born 1/1/1861) and his child:

A. Marie Oliver-Laws (born 1893, died ?);
1. Helen Laws (1913- ?)

III. Nancy Jane Oliver (born sometime between 1859 and 1864, died before 1870);

IV. William J. G. Oliver (born 6/15/1866) and his children:

A. Esther Oliver (born 4/1889);

B. William Oliver III (born 8/1890);

C. Rosie (or Roxie) Oliver (born 4/1894);

D. Lena Oliver (born 3/1896);

E. Josephine Oliver (born 1898);

F. Elmer Oliver (born 4/1900);

G. Leroy Oliver (born 1902);

H. Stanley G. Oliver (born 1907);

V. Augustus Silas Oliver (born 3/27/1869) and his children:

A. Elmer Augustus Oliver (born 9/1886, died ?)
1. Clifford H. Oliver (1911-1979)
a. Tammy Oliver
b. _____ Oliver
2. Harley Edward Oliver (1923-1978)
a. Racella Williams-Battson (1942-
b. Sheila Williams-Hall (1946-
c. Freddie Williams

B. Annie M. Oliver-Short (born 3/1894, died ?)
1. Elsie M. Short-Anderson-McCandless (1915-1978)
a. Robert Anderson (19__ -
b. Stanley Anderson (19__ - 2007)
c. Wanda McCandless-Suber
d. Walter McCandless
2. James E. Short Jr. (1917- ?)
a. Bertha E. Short-Roach (1934-2003)
b. Lavenia Short-Beckwith (19__ - ?)
c. Edith M. Short-Williams (1937-2005)
d. Virginia Short-Ayres (19__ -
3. Martha Short-Cannon (1921-?)
a. Alfred Cannon (19__ - ?)
b. James Cannon
c. William Cannon
d. Martin Cannon
e. Agnes Cannon
f. Mary Ann Cannon-Gibbs-King
g. John T. Cannon (1956-2003)
h. Madeline Cannon-Purnell

C. William Harvey Oliver (born 9/1895, died 1954)

D. Charles Henry Oliver Sr. (born 1/1898, died 8/1993)
1. Margaret M. Oliver (1924-
2. Charles Henry Oliver, Jr. (1927- ?)
3. George Augustus Oliver (1929-2003)
a. Robert Oliver (19__ - ?)
b. Wilda Regina Oliver (19__ - ?)
c. Sandra Oliver-Branch

E. Evelyn Oliver-Chapman (born 3/1900, died 1972)
1. Leon Oliver (1921- ?)

F. Nancy J. Oliver (born 3/1902, died 10/1972)
1. Dorothy Oliver-Thomas (1919- ?)
a. Laura Thomas-Williams-Churchill
b. Mabel Thomas-Dargan (1938-1998)
c. Leroy Thomas Jr.

G. John G. Oliver Sr. (born 1/1904, died 1976)
1. Nancy Naomi Oliver-Purnell-Wescott (1939-
a. Pamela Oliver-Smack (1954-
b. Ida V. Oliver-Holland
c. Toshia Oliver-Holland
d. Steve Purnell
e. Timothy Purnell
f. Stacey Purnell
2. John "Johnny Boy" Oliver Jr. (19__ -
a. Javonne Oliver
b. Joy Oliver

H. George Oliver (born 1904, died ?)

I. Edith K. Oliver-Andrews-Woolford (born 1907, died ?)
1. Clifford Andrews Jr. (1923-1994)
a. Bonnie Andrews
b. Stephanie Andrews
2. William Andrews (1926- ?)

J. Augustus Oliver Jr. (born 2/1908, died 1984)
1. Arlene Williams-Morris (19__- ?)
a. James Edward Williams (19__ -?)
b. Theresa Morris (19__ -?)
c. Pedro Morris
d. Curline Morris
2. Etta Oliver-Sturgis-Lehart (1933-2006)
a. Barbara J. Sturgis-Robinson
b. Cynthia Sturgis-Scott-Peterson
3. Jessie E. Oliver-McCray (1935- ?)
a. Paul McCray Sr.
b. Robert McCray Jr.
c. Peggy McCray-Stewart
4. William A. Oliver Sr. (1930-
a. William A. Oliver Jr.
b. Vanessa Oliver
5. James Sample (19__ -
a. Adrian Sample
b. Teresa Sample-Smith
c. Tommy Sample

K. Curtis Oliver (born 1910, died 1935)

L. Elizabeth Oliver-Slaughter (born 5/1916, died 1983)
1. James Oliver (1934-1985)

M. Thomas Oliver Sr. (born 5/1916, died 1990)
1. Albert T. Oliver Sr. (1940-
a. Albert T. Oliver Jr.
2. Thomas Oliver Jr. (1942-
3. Claretta Houston (19__ -
a. Nancy Houston-Dickens
b. Derrick Houston
4. Harvey Lee Jarmon (1954-2007)
a. Tamika Jarmon-Lyles
b. Latoya Jarmon

VI. Lavinia Hettie Oliver-Frame (born 4/3/1871) and her children:

A. Mary Adline Frame-Freeney-Wilson-Hedgeman (born 1890, died after 1930)

B. Stella Hulda Frame-Clark (born 1893, died ?)
1. Alfred E. Frame (1908-1988)
2. Thomas Clark (1913- ?)
3. Marie Clark (1915- ?)
4. George Clark (1916- ?)
5. Helen Clark (1918- ?)
6. Roberta Clark (1918- ?)
7. Sarah Clark (1921-
8. Elizabeth Clark (1922- ?)
9. George Clark (1923- ?)
10. Naomi Clark (1927- ?)
11. Harold Clark (1928-1987)
12. James Clark (1929- ?)

C. Helen E. Frame-Hedgeman (born 1895, died after 1920)
1. Jefferson Hedgeman (1912-2003)
2. Henry E. Hedgeman (1915-1999)
3. Hilda Hedgeman (1917-

D. Sarah Augusta Frame-Ricks (born 1897, died after 1942)
1. Thomas Ricks (1920-
2. Charles Ricks (1925-1993)
3. Sarah Ricks (1927-

E. James Walter Frame (born 1900, died ?)

F. John H. Frame (born c. 1902, died ?)
1. John Frame Jr. (1928-
2. Floyd Frame (1930-

and 4 others

VII. Sarah Catherine "Cassie" Oliver-Weldon (born 4/6/1873) and her children:

A. George Willis Oliver (born 1890, died 1959)
1. Marie Oliver-Evans (19__- ?)
2. George R. Oliver (1916-2006)

B. Martha Weldon-Shippen (born 1892, died 1968)
1. Charles Earl Shippen (1913-1960)
a. Yvonne Shippen-Shoemaker (1935-?)
b. Martha Shippen-Colbert (19__-?)
2. Thomas Shippen (1917-1997)
a. Van L. Shippen
b. Denice Shippen-Williams
3. Helen Shippen (1918- ?)
a. Reginald Shippen
b. Viola White (19__ - ?)
4. Elsie M. Shippen-Moses (1920-2004)
a. Charles Keith (19__ -?)
b. Joseph Keith (19__ - ?)
c. Martha Keith
d. Sally Vanton Thomas Davis
C. Lila J. Weldon-Tunnell (born 1893, died ?)
1. Hulda Weldon/Tunnell (19__- ?)

D. Sallie Emily Weldon-Holland (born 1895, died 1979)
1. Mildred Holland (1912-1988)
a. Michael G. Holland (1949-

b. William Holland
c. Deborah Holland
2. Winchester Holland (1917-?)
3. Theodore Holland (1918-1991)
4. Walter W. Holland Sr. (19__-
a. Walter W. Holland Jr.
b. Brian E. Holland Sr.
c. Theodore M. Holland
d. Beverly S. Holland-Jackson
e. Donna Holland-Knight
f. Seatta Holland-Tessema
g. Duane Lee Holland Sr.
5. Viola Holland (19__- ?)
6. Herbert Holland Sr. (19__ -
a. Herbert Holland Jr.
b. Lee Holland
c. Robert Holland
d. Gary Holland
7. William Holland Sr. (19__- ?)
a. William Holland Jr.
b. Billie Antoinette Holland
8. Mary Holland (1936-
a. Darrell Holland
b. David Holland
c. Sallie Holland
9. Dorothy Holland (19__-
a. Christopher Holland

E. Walter Byron Weldon Jr. (born 1897, died ?)
1. James Weldon (19__- ?)
a. _____ Hatton
2. Hazel Weldon-Hart (19__ - ?)
a. Carolyn M. Hart-Blackson
b. James Hart
c. William Hart
3. Lester Weldon (1924-1982)
a. Robert Weldon
b. Dexter Weldon
c. Jerry Weldon
d. Curtis Weldon
e. Thomas Weldon
f. Michael Weldon
g. Donna Weldon-Dicker
h. Patricia Weldon-Palmer
i. Susan Weldon
j. Deborah Weldon-Anderson
4. Bernice Weldon-Gray (1932-
a. John Gray Jr.
b. Gale Gray
c. Leslie Gray-Highsmith
d. Gaylord B. Gray
e. Sylvia Gray-Newman
f. Joann Gray-Dawkins
g. Linda Gray

F. Oscar T. Weldon (born 1899, died ?)

G. Roxie Weldon-Johnson (born 1901, died ?)

H. Albert Weldon (born 1902, died 1971)
1. Monroe Weldon (19__-

VIII. Rugency M. Oliver (born c. 1878, died 4/1880);

IX. Roxie D. Oliver (born 1/17/1880);

X. Curtis R. Oliver (born 11/4/1883) and his children:

A. Margaret McCray-Baylis (born 1902, died 1989)
1. Mabel McCray (1918-
2. Marie Baylis (19__-

B. Thomas Oliver (born 1906, died ?)

C. Harrison Oliver