Alfred Davenport Oliphint

Notes:

He is included on the List of Slave Owners on the 1850 Sabine County, Texas Census, with 17 slaves. (Schluter & Toole, p I).

First of all, I saw in the 1840 Holmes County, Mississippi index that Robert Oliphint (may be your Robert), Bluford A. Oliphint and Alfred D. Oliphint were on page 259. Also, on this page were Silas S. Cause, Green B. Causey and Solimon Causey. On page 251 were Isaac C. Olipohint and Wilford Oliphant. On the 1850 Holmes County, Mississippi, Lexington census index on page 286 were Robert B. Oliphint and S.R. Olipints on page 288.

I found that on December 18, 1839, Alfred D. Oliphint obtained a conditional certificate for 320 acres of land in Sabine county, "he having brought with him his negroes, but his having not brought with him his white family but in the summer of 1840 said Oliphint returned to U.S. and removed his family to the Republic of Texas and his continued to reside in Sabine..."

He is found on the 1850 Sabine County census with his family and Solomon Causey and then Green B. Causey are living next door. There is also a Robert J. Oliphint living with Louisa Jane Oliphint Noble (daughter of Alfred and Jemima) living several doors from Alfred. A Joseph B. Oliphint and Wilford D. Oliphint (says son of Robert Oliphint & Abigail Davenport) are also living in Sabine County nearby.

Alfred is shown as A. D. on the 1860 Sabine County census. He is also on the 1880 Sabine County census.

I looked at an index to the Sabine County, Texas cemeteries. They had Alford and Martha listed and several other Oliphants but not Robert and Abigail. I wonder if the Robert shown on the 1850 Mississippi is Alfred's father? If Alfred was 41 in 1840, his father was 69 and that seems a little old to be moving, but not unheard of."

Here is the response to my email with some additional information:

"My ggg grandfather, Robert Oliphant, also had a son named Robert Bedford Oliphant who stayed behind in MS and never went to TX with his older brothers and parents. My gg grandfather, Dr. Samuel Rutherford Oliphant, Sr. M.D., was the youngest child, and traveled to MS with his parents and older brothers when they came back to MS to fetch the women and children, etc. and to take them to TX in 1840....Alfred and some of his male family and negroes having gone there in 1839 to secure the land.

I'll never know whether Robert and Abigail went to TX with the intention of returning to Holmes Co or not. I suspect that at their advanced age, they felt they needed to go with their older and more established sons, leaving behind their younger married son, Robert B. whose children may have been too young to make such a trip, as well as 2 daughters that I know of: Mary Oliphant Stigler(w/o Wm Stigler) stayed behind in MS and Eliza Ann Oliphant Wells (w/o Lindsey S. Wells) stayed behind as well. My Samuel returned to MS as a teenager to study medicine and marry his sweetheart back in Holmes Co...Laura Lovisa King.

Since Robert and Abigail owned at least 19 slaves, I am still trying to find their estate sale. I believe they died intestate, but the Holmes Co courthouse had a fire and the records are incomplete, so I may never know. I do know that somewhere I saw a record of one of the sons in law being appointed administrator in Holmes around 1845 or so. (When I sent money for a record, nothing ever was returned, so I shall have to go back in person, I guess. It is frustrating.)Wilford D. Oliphant was married to Martha Ann "Patsy" Stigler and Bluford A. Oliphant was married to Lenora Lehr. There was a younger Wilford who, I believe, was a teenager when they all removed to the Republic of TX in 1840.

Martha Oliphant Wiltshire(w/o Benj. Wiltshire) also went to TX with her family at some point, and I am thinking that it was her husband who was appointed administrator of the senior Oliphant's estate."

Connie in Texas clperdue@swbell.net

Alfred married Jemima Allen about 1821. Jemima was born before 1803; died before 1836. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Louisa Jane Oliphint was born about 1821 in Mississippi; and died.
2. Beuly F. Oliphint was born about 1823; and died.
3. Mahala Ann Oliphint was born about 1825; and died.
4. Sarah M. Oliphint was born about 1826; and died.
5. Robert J. Oliphint was born about 1826; and died.
6. Joseph B. Oliphint was born about 1829; and died.
7. Alfred David Oliphint was born about 1833; and died.

Alfred married Martha Ann Causey on 20 Oct 1836. Martha was born on 12 Dec 1817 in Mississippi; died on 3 Jul 1897 in Sabine County, Texas; was buried in Noble-Scurlock-Oliphint Cemetery, Sabine County, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Abigail Oliphint was born in 1837; and died.
2. Frances Virginia Oliphint was born about 1842 in Texas; and died.
3. Mary E Oliphint was born in 1843; and died.
4. Alfred Jackson Oliphint was born about 1845; and died.
5. Emily E.K. Oliphint was born about 1847; and died.
6. Sam Houston Oliphint was born about 1858; and died.

Robert married Abigail Davenport. Abigail was born on 1 Jul 1783 in South Carolina; died on 12 Jul 1841 in San Augustine, San Augustine County, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]