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Note: John Oliver was one of several early Oliver men in Johnston County that could be possible brothers. William Oliver (wife Patience) in his 1772 will (died 1777) mentions as heirs his "brothers and sisters" implying several living Oliver men in 1772. Along with an earlier reference to A "James Oliver", there are mentions in the record of William and John Oliver as joint witnesses March 5, 1764 to a deed in which land was sold to Henry Rains, also William and John both made Johnston County land purchases in October of 1765, another possible brother, "Henry Oliver" (possible husband of Lucretia), witnessed John's 1765 deed. John Oliver was appointed as constable in 1766 in William Talton's room (in place of), he is mentioned as constable in 1768 as well, Henry Oliver is granted land in 1770 (surveyed for him on Nov. 10, 1769) and served as grand juror in 1772, the same year William Oliver served as a petit juror. John's 1765 acquisition (from Henry Rains) and John's descendents associated with it are the focus here. This 200 acres was the first of over a 1000 acres acquired by John. It was later referred to as "the old tract" and "the plantation whereon I live". John willed this to his youngest son Mitchell (born 1781) and 200 adjacent acres to his son Henry "Jr" (b 1772). Henry sold his in two sections in 1798 and 1804 (the latter to Henry's brother-in-law), after briefly moving a few miles away, Henry returned by 1807 when he purchased part of Mitchell's tract (old tract reference). Mitchell sold the rest to the Peedin family (possible close relatives of Mitchell's widowed mother). The portion sold to Henry was a sale within the immediate family and has been continuously occupied by John Oliver and his descendents from 1765 until the present (the surname later changing to Evans due to a female Oliver descendent marrying Henry Evans ca 1829).
Starting from the beginning with John Oliver's 1765 acquisition, the marriage bond for John and Sarah Edwards definitely dates from 1783 but John was certainly, as evidenced from a deed, married to a "Sarah" well back into the 1770's (John and Sarah Oliver to William Edwards, Sarah examined for consent)
Here is the deed recording John's first land acquisition on which he built his home:
(October 10, 1765) Henry Rains Esq�r
To John Oliver
To Christian People, To whom these presents shall come, I Henry Rains of Johnston County send greeting. Know ye, that I, Henry Rains for � five pounds� paid by John Oliver of the county aforesaid �have granted unto the said John Oliver a certain tract or parcel of land lying and being in Johnston County on the No. side of Moccasin Swamp, Beginning at a White Oak on the side of said swamp near the Wolfpond, running thence No. 50 E 180 poles �Thence So. 40 E 180 poles to a poplar in the Rooty Branch, thence down the said branch So. 50 W 180 poles to an Oak on Moccasin Swamp, thence up the same No. 40 W 180 poles to the first station, containing by estimation 200 acres. � granted to Henry Rains by patent bearing date the 9th November 1764.
the above and below were among the purchases and grants totaling over 1,000 acres involving John of which 900 acres he passed on to his sons. The grant below is important as it was entered as "on both sides of "Wades or Wadds" branch, and though the actual grant fails to mention it, it's placement relative to John's original 200 on the Rooty assures it was indeed on both sides of Wades (sometimes referred to as "Woods") branch (it bordered "said Oliver's line" which was the 1765 land in the above deed). This was passed on to Henry Junior proving which Henry was "son" Henry in John's will:
State of North Carolina �Know YE, That We for .. the sum of fifty shillings for every hundred acres hereby granted, paid unto our Treasury by John Oliver have Given and Granted .. unto the said John Oliver ..One Hundred acres .. in our County of Johnston. Beginning at a pine in Rains line and runs west one hundred and fourteen poles �south ninety four poles to �said Oliver�s line thence South forty degrees east eighty poles �east seventy two poles �north to and with Rain�s line to the beginning.
Witness Alex Martin Esquire, our Governor, Captain-General, and commander in chief�the twenty first day of October in the seventh year of our independence and the in year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Eighty two.
Two items from John's will that will be important for following Henry, his son (and the land handed down through the years):
Will of John Oliver
In the name of God, Amen, the 27th day of May in the year of our Lord one thousand, seven hundred and eighty seven...
Item: I give unto my son Henry Oliver two hundred acres of land lying on the Rooty Branch and Woods Branch the north side of Moccasin Swamp �
Item: I give unto my beloved son Mitchell Oliver the land and plantation whereon I live after his mother�s decease
Map John's Oldest Land and parts of Descendant's holdings relative to it.
http://pictures.aol.com/galleries/robertrmckeel/60e0xH3fOyfYbGPsQ*5VW3h5ffO-IyhpJU6Yv4xQp5Fd3Ig=/large/
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