James M. OLIPHANT

____ - ____

                          __
                         |  
                       __|
                      |  |
                      |  |__
                      |     
 _James OLIPHINT _____|
| (.... - 1849) m 1797|
|                     |   __
|                     |  |  
|                     |__|
|                        |
|                        |__
|                           
|
|--James M. OLIPHANT 
|  
|                         __
|                        |  
|                      __|
|                     |  |
|                     |  |__
|                     |     
|_Polly COMPTON ______|
   m 1797             |
                      |   __
                      |  |  
                      |__|
                         |
                         |__
                            

INDEX

[2023] In the 1850 census, there is a James M. Oliphant in Shelby Co TN that was born in TN in abt 1818. There is also a James M. Olifant in Desoto Co MS that was born in TN in abt 1825. There's a possibility that either of these could be James and Polly's son.

One clue that may rule out the James in Desoto Co MS is that they live next to a family of Matlocks that are also from TN. There are known family relationships between Oliphants and Matlocks in Roane and Loudoun Counties, indicating that this James may be one of the eastern Tennessee Oliphants.

Likewise, there is a strike against the Shelby Co James. In his home in the 1850 census is a Thos Goodin. There are a number of Goodins in District 9 of Greene County, where a large number of the eastern Tennessee Oliphants lived.

The James that is in Shelby County has a son named Thomas, age 8 in the 1850 census, making his birthdate 1842. In Arkansas Biographical History there is a biography of a Thomas Oliphint that sounds like him:

"Thomas J. Oliphint was born near Murfreesboro, middle Tennessee, on the 22d of March, 1842, the son of an itinerant Methodist preacher. In 1844 his parents moved to west Tennessee, near Memphis, and in 1854 to White county, Arkansas..."

The article goes on to describe Thomas' service as a confederate soldier, fighting at Shiloh, the invasion of Missouri, and his capture and imprisonment.

He went on to become a photographer and a lawyer of renown in Little Rock AR.

The 1850 Slave Schedule of the census lists the James M. Oliphant of District 1 of Shelby County as owning four slaves:
Age Sex Race
60 Female Black
25 Male Black
21 Female Black
0 Female Mulatto

[2024] [S38] Estate of James Oliphint

© 2005 John Scott , 305 Murphy Court , Macon , GA 31216 , jsscott@tennesseeheritage.com. Permission is granted to copy portions of this document for personal use only. May not be published in paper form, electronically, or by any other means without permission.