Articles and Documents

This section provides direct access to high resolution scans of newspaper articles and documents.

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Amelia Thompson Passenger Embarkation List 1841 is a copy of the original hand-written Passenger Embarkation List. James (1805-1886) and Ruth Oliver with children are listed on page 2. On page 3, James and Ruth's eldest child Mary, is treated as an adult fare and is listed as a domestic servant. James' brother Samuel Oliver (1819-1873) is also on page 3. Samuel is listed as a Miller, was a single man, meeting his wife, Elizabeth, in New Plymouth. She sailed on the barque 'Blenheim' with her family the following year and they married two years after that.

The Mother of Oliver brothers, (James 1805-1886) and (Samuel Oliver 1819-1873) was thought to have been Grace Brayley. However, revelations from Katia and Tim Oliver in 2021, concluded she was not their mother. In fact, it was a Grace Lane. This, after extensive and thorough research that included going through a myriad of new records that were scanned at the Devon Record Office as recently as 2020.

Estate Duty Office and Will of James Brayley, born 1727 and died 17 November 1814. James Brayley was the father of a Grace Brayley born 1774. However, it turns out this Grace, who also married a John Oliver, is not the Grace who is the mother of our James and Samuel Oliver who who emigrated to New Zealand on board the Amelia Thompson in 1841. Their mother was Grace Lane. We keep this Will of James Brayley, dated 15 November 1814 and the estate settlement is dated 20 June 1840, here as it mentions the children of the other Oliver family in Devon. The source of the Will was found at:
https://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/DEV/Halwill/JamesBrayley1840

Collection of Newspaper Articles Relating to Patrick Scanlan, and may be of interest to Oliver descendants of Ellen (Nellie) Jury who was the granddaughter of Mary Ann Oliver (1826-1908). Patrick Scanlan was Nellie’s father-in-law. The clippings were compiled by Lee Goleby in August 2020 and cover Patrick Scanlan’s life in Australia and New Zealand as decorator and colour merchant. Lee is the great-granddaughter of Margaret Scanlan, Margaret being the sister of Ellen (Nellie) Jury’s husband, James Scanlan.

Carroll/Carrell/Carrel Book: Read a book review here, and find details on how to purchase, this informative, detailed, and interesting book titled, ’John and Talitha Carroll - From Jersey to Wanganui’. Written and published by Anthony Carrell. The Carroll/Carrell/Carrel’s immigrated to Wanganui New Zealand in 1874 from Jersey, Channel Islands. John Carroll was born in Tipperary, Ireland and wife Talitha was born in Somerset, England. They met, married and had children in Jersey.

Boyton Mill, a comprehensive 39-page report commissioned on behalf of owners Mr & Mrs Sims and completed in January 2016 providing a record of Boyton Mill. The report, prepared by Deborah Laing-Trengove of the University of York, York, England, was required as a condition of planning consent to create a residential annexe.

Boyton Mill, a five page paper on the history of Boyton Mill written by John Higgans and completed in May 1985. It was commissioned by Mr R J Hopkins in 1984, owner of Boyton Mill at the time.

Will of John Oliver, born 25 April 1774, and father of James and Samuel who emigrated to New Zealand on board the Amelia Thompson in 1841. The Will is dated 29 October 1842.

Early New Plymouth - Flour Mills: An article by E R Andrews of New Plymouth on two of Taranaki's early flour mills - the Alpha Mill and the Victoria Mill. Reference to Samuel Oliver, born 1820. Publication date unknown.

Open all hours? The tale of the raid on the Union Mill by Taranaki Maori. Publication date unknown. Reference to Samuel Oliver, born 1820.

Settler Recalls Bethlehem Wilderness. An article from the Bay of Plenty Mirror, dated Tuesday 9 October 1973. The photo is thought to be of Charles Oliver (b. 1843 and youngest son of James and Ruth Oliver) and wife Martha, and son Harold (b. 1893).