Richard Oliver

Spelled variously, Richard Oliver lived in Albany during the middle decades of the eighteenth century. Family based resources hold that he was born in 1710 and that he was the son of New York natives Charles and Margarita Schuyler Oliver. Perhaps he was christened "Robert" by those parents at the Albany Dutch church in December 1707. However, Robert not Richard was name among the children claimed in the will filed by Charles in 1719. A younger Richard Oliver was listed on the Albany census in 1800. We seek defining information on his origins and path to Albany.

In October 1734, this subject married the recently widowed Albany native Martha Bennewe at the Albany Dutch church. Just nine months after the wedding, the first of four children was christened at the Albany church.

We seek information on his visible activities (which probably were beyond Albany) during much of his adulthood.

In 1756, his name appeared on a list of Albany householders generated by the British army. At that time, he was identified as a "dramshop" proprietor.

During the late 1750s, Richard and Martha witnessed three baptisms at St. Peter's Anglican church.

However, in September 1763, a Richard Oliver of Albany married one Bata Quackenbush of Kanastagioone at the Dutch church in Schenectady. In 1766, the property of "Dirck Oliver" was assessed modestly within the jurisdiction of Schenectady.

During the 1780s, a younger Richard Oliver (perhaps 1753-1806) applied for land in New York based on his service as a lieutenant in the US Army (referenced as paymaster in "Malcolm's Continental Regiment). That individual retired from service in January 1781.

With a number of possible origins/identities and with essential questions on the life of Albany resident the elder Richard Oliver still unanswered, we move on for now!

Sources: The life of Richard Oliver has no CAP biography number. This sketch is derived chiefly from family and community-based resources.