What a lovely photo. Thanks so much for sharing that with us. You are very lucky to have a photo of your great grandmother Mary Ann. As far as I know no one has yet found a photo of Lydia (Edward's wife). It's so nice to see direct descendants of Charles in Harriet, Victor and Grace. I didn't find out until Shane started this website that I was (distantly) related to half the children I went to school with! Stonesfield is indeed full of Olivers.
Hi Barb, I can't say for certain what my mother Grace new. She died in 1975 when she was 60. She had a stroke when she was 46 and again two years later. She still managed at first to write to her cousin Ruth in Andover. We knew there were relatives in Stonesfield but not names. When my father died in 1990 I started looking at my family history. Previously I had taken Dad and my younger sister to Stonesfield and we had looked around the village and I asked someone if there were any Oliver families living there?He looked at me a bit and then said the place is full of them! My mothers sister Joan knew her Grandfather Charles had a brother Jesse but not really much more. I have a photo taken at Claverdon about 1932. Seated right is Charles Oliver's wife Mary Ann. seated beside her was Harriet Alice Maud, her third eldest child. Behind Auntie Maud as she was called is my mothers brother Victor born 1919. Then Maud' husband Charles Varney and then my mother Grace born 1915. The photo was probably taken by my gran Lilian.
So your grandmother Lilian, my grandmother May Oliver and Shane's great grandfather Frank Oliver, were all cousins. I wonder if they ever met one another. There are photos of May and Frank in the Gallery which Shane has set up on this website. May had twin sons, Henry and Bernard, both of whom are in the photo with her (and her husband Tom Harris). Bernard is my father. I think this photo was taken around 1932/33 when the twins would have been about 12 or 13 years old.
Hello Jane, Yes the 1891 census is the last time that I have been able to find a mention of her in the records. I take the story of her eloping with a pinch of salt. There could have been many reasons why she left home and many reasons why her mother who was a very forceful person didn't want to have anything to do with her. She might have gone abroad or married died or changed her name. It would be interesting to find out.
I'm not an Oliver descendant myself, but have been following the exploits of Charles' brother, 'naughty Edward' Oliver, with interest for some years now. I suppose Charles' early lessons in poaching must have been good training for his later career, in what was a classic case of 'poacher turned gamekeeper'.
How intriguing that his daughter Ada just disappeared. I hope you find her, or she finds you, eventually. Is that 1891 census the last sighting you have of her?
1881 census Wolverton Warwickshire The Cottage Wolverton
Charles Oliver head 27 gamekeeper born Stonesfield Oxfordshire
Mary Ann Oliver wife 24 born Wolverton Warwickshire
Ada E Oliver 10 months born Wolverton Warwickshire
Harriet Mouzer mother widow 65 born Cratfield Suffolk
1891 census Newport Shropshire Station Terrace, Station Road, Church Aston
Charles Oliver head 36 Gamekeeper born Stonesfield Oxfordshire
Mary A Oliver wife 33 married born Wolverton Warwickshire
Ada E Oliver daughter 10 scholar born Wolverton Warwickshire
Albert J Oliver son 9 scholar born Wolverton Warwickshire
Harriet A M daughter 8 born Wolverton Warwickshire
Harold V C son 2 born Westwood Heath Warwickshire
Lilian S daughter 8 months born Westwood Heath Warwickshire
1901 Census Birchwood Storridge Cradley Bromyard Herefordshire
Charles Oliver head 44 gamekeeper born Stonefield Oxfordshire
Mary A Oliver wife 42 born Wolverton Warwickshire
Albert Oliver son 19 Shop assistant born Wolverton Warwickshire
Victor Oliver son 12 born Westwood Heath Warwickshire
Lilian Oliver dau 10 born Westwood Heath Warwickshire
Ruth Oliver dau 8 born Blakedown Worcestershire
Dora Oliver dau 4 born Normanton Leicestershire
In 1901 Charles Oliver was a Gamekeeper for Squire Henry B Little. He was a friend of Edward Elgar who rented the estate house next door to the Olivers. Family stories say that Elgar thought that Harold Victor was a clever young lad and offered to sponser him, but his parents were not interested. Ada the eldest child is not to be found in the census. Another story is that Ada eloped with the son of one of the big houses that her father worked for. Her mother was ashamed of her and wouldn't have anything more to do with her daughter. I have spent years trying to find out what happened to Ada.
1911 census Old Grove Farm Hockley Heath near Birmingham
Charles Oliver head 54 gamekeeper born Stonesfield Oxfordshire
Mary A Oliver wife 53 married 32 years born Wolverton Warwickshire
Victor Oliver son 22 single gamekeeper born Westwood Heath Warwickshire
Dora Oliver dau 14 born Thurleston Fosters Hore Leicestershire
1911 census Ringhills Coven Wolverhampton
Albert Oliver head married 29 gamekeeper born Norton Lindsey Warwickshire
Florence Oliver wife 28 married 3 years born Willenhall Warwickshire
Ruth Oliver dau 2 born Brewood Staffordshire
Albert Ernest Victor son 3 months born Brewood staffordshire
This last family is the eldest son Albert son of Charles Oliver his son Albert Ernest Victor was the author of Kriegie and a very brave man.
Hello Barb, yes this is the same family. My Gran Lilian Sarah Oliver married albert Kenneth Clayton who died in 1920. Lilian died in 1959 at Claverdon near Henley in Arden.
You say "Charles used to skip school to go after the pheasants with his two older brothers Jessey and Edward.....). This sounds familiar. Could this be our branch of the tree, Shane? If it is then this Edward is my great grandfather and Shane's great, great grandfather. I'm looking forward to hearing more about your family tree, Garett.
Hello to all. My grandmother Lilian Sarah Oliver, was the daughter of Charles and Mary Ann Oliver she was born in Westwood Heath Stoneleigh Warwickshire on the 14th of August 1890. Her father was a gamekeeper for Lord Leigh of Stoneleigh Abbey. He had met and married his wife Mary Ann Mouser/mouzer at Wolverton and they had married at nearby Norton Lindsey. Their first child Ada E. 11/1/1880. Then there was Albert James 30/8/1881. Harriet Alice Maud 6/1/1883 at Wolverton. Harold Victor Charles 1886 and my gran were born at Westwood Heath Stoneleigh. Ruth Mercy and Mary Olive twins followed 7/11/1892 at Blackdown Kidderminster. Then Dora (Doll) born Normanton Leicestershire. Charles Oliver was born on the 29th May 1854 at Stonesfield the youngest son of Joseph And Mary Oliver. My Aunt told me that Charles used to skip school to go after the pheasants with his two elder brothers Jessey and Edward. but by the 1881 census he is living at the cottage Wolverton where he is a gamekeeper for a Captain Forsyth at Gannaway Woods. He continued his game keeping all through his life. he died at Cherrington near Shipston on Stour in 1925.
