Ancestry of Mary OLIVER

Ancestry of Mary OLIVER

Great Granddaughter-in-Law of Jerome HAM from Bristol

Last month on the HAM Country blog, we found a record of the date that Elizabeth married to Jerome HAM (1599). We can try to gather what is known about Jerome HAM of Bristol by examination of another book, this time published in 1867 on Mary OLIVER.


Following last month's article on the Will of Elizabeth OLYVER, I wanted to pass along a bit more information about the wife of Jerome HAM of Bristol. In the previous NEHGS article, it suggested that we also view the document "Ancestry of Mary OLIVER," by William S. Appleton, privately published by John Wilson and Son in Cambridge in 1867.


Mary OLIVER was born in Massachusetts in 1640 and is listed as the great granddaughter to John OLIVER and wife Elizabeth ROWLAND. This is the Elizabeth OLIVER that married 2nd) Jerome HAM in 1599.
(see the 1867 book, page 45 of this PDF, listed as page 6 of the chapter on "Pedigrees" - about page 30 of the document).


The work was an attempt by William Appleton to track some documentation of the line of his ancestor John OLIVER of Newbury, MA. The document begins in this country with John OLIVER, born in Bristol in 1613. John was apprenticed to his uncle in 1629, when his father James OLIVER died. James OLIVER was the son of John OLIVER and wife Elizabeth ROWLAND. This John OLIVER (b. 1613) of Newbury, MA was the grandson of Elizabeth OLIVER and father to Mary OLIVER born in 1640. Pedigree of Mary OLIVER

[ click on image to enlarge ]

That should mean Mary OLIVER (born 1640) was the great granddaughter-in-law to Jerome HAM of Bristol.

This document also includes other information, such as the pertinent material copied from the Apprentice Book of Bristol and from the Registry of Deeds in Boston (pages 22-23 of the document, or pages 34-35 of the PDF file).

Marriage of Jerome HAM and Elizabeth OLIVER is given on page 7 of the document, or page 19 of the PDF file.

From the chapter entitled "Documents" and subtitled:

"Extracts From Parish Registers of Bristol, England"

it has (OLIVER surname marriages and baptisms) for St. Stephen's Parish: St. Stephen's Parish records

[ click on image to enlarge ]

"1577. John OLIVER and Elizabeth ROWLAND were married the 28th of August."
"1599. Mr. Jerome HAM and Elizabeth OLIVER widow the 18th of February."

births:

1578. Robert sonne to John OLIVER was Ba. the 28th of June.
1579. Margret dtr to John OLIVER was Ba. the 26th of September.
1580-81. Marie dtr to John OLIVER was Ba. the 2nd ("iith") of Marche.
1582. Thomas sonne of John OLIVER was Ba. the 14th of April.
1584. Edward sonne of John OLIVER was Ba. the 24th of October.
1585. John sonne of John OLIVER was Ba. the 11th of November.
1586. James sonne of John OLIVER was Ba. the 3rd of December.
1587-88. Tobie sonne of John OLIVER was Ba. the 26 of January.
1589. William sonne of John OLIVER was Ba. the 5th of April.
1591. William sonne of John OLIVER was Ba. the 3rd of May.
1592. Henry sonne of John OLIVER was Ba. the 23rd of April.
1593. Frauncis sonne of John OLIVER was Ba. the 22nd of August.


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Will of John OLIVER is given on pages 12-15 of the document, or pages 24-27 of the PDF file.

Will of Elizabeth OLIVER is given on pages 15-18 of the document, or pages 27-30 of the PDF file.

Other wills also included are those of Thomas OLIVER, James OLIVER, Francis OLIVER.

When searching for more documentation on Jerome HAM, it might be useful to note the Parishes mentioned here (St. Peter, St. Thomas, St. Stephen, St. Werburgh, and others mentioned in the wills).

If you are doing research in Bristol, it might be useful note that you might want to look for the burial of Jerome HAM in the records of St. Stephen's parish some time after 1628.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Further reading:


The book "Ancestry of Mary OLIVER," by William S. Appleton, privately published by John Wilson and Son in Cambridge in 1867.
(from the State Historical Society of Wisconsin)

on Google Books:

http://books.google.com/books/download/Ancestry_of_Mary_Oliver__who_lived_1640_.pdf?id=j1BBAAAAMAAJ&output=pdf&sig=ACfU3U3h2gUTdDSSN_QvObHtsiWsIsl9lg

The State Historical Society of Wisconsin

The New England Historical and Genealogical Register

The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, 1893 volume XLVII on Google Books:

http://books.google.com/books/pdf/The_New_England_Historical_and_Genealogi.pdf?id=2rkEg7BFm3YC&output=pdf&sig=8zHZpXgm1y6nAMeFKYwYScJl1-s

The HAM Branches by Donna Ham

A Short History of the HAM Surname in Virginia & NC

Share on Facebook

Will of Elizabeth OLYVER

The Will of Elizabeth OLYVER

Wife of Jerome HAM, Bristol

Perhaps no other immigrant captures the imagination of HAM researchers than that of Jerome HAM. For over 40 years, genealogists have written about him in books, posted numerous messages to the internet, and have added Jerome HAM to their genealogy charts for numerous HAM lines.


For over a decade, I have received numerous emails and inquiries regarding Jerome HAM. Some claim that he was born in Bristol, England. Some say he was born in Germany. Some say he was born or married in 1577. Some say he was born in 1580. Others have that he was born in 1650. Many say that he died in York County, Virginia.

Many believe that he was the single immigrant ancestor to all of the HAM lines in Virginia.



Nearly all of the inquiries that I get do not have him listed correctly.

In April, 2008 I posted a Poll about him for genealogists on the HAM Country Blog in April, 2008, just to see how well Jerome HAM was understood. That poll included a quick survey of information from Ancestry.com, Rootsweb WorldConnect, and the FamilySearch web site.




[ click on image to enlarge ]


That survey returned over 700 family trees for Jerome HAM. About 97% of the Jerome HAM family trees on the internet have bad information about Jerome HAM.

This past month I was asked to respond to an Ancestry message board post about him.

The 40 year old myth persists.

Today, I would like to examine the will of Elizabeth OLYVER, wife of Jerome HAM of Bristol. Her will was published in 1893 in the New England Historical and Genealogical Register (NEHGS), volume XLVII. (You will want to examine pages 126, 127, and 128.)




On page 126, the will of John OLYVER, merchant of the City of Bristol is listed. To be buried at St. Stephens parish. The will was proven in London on Feb 6, 1597. Mentions wife Elizabeth and children:

Robert OLYVER, lands in the County of Gloucester, and in the parishes of Wickwarr, Cromholde, and Yate.
Henry OLYVER, the youngest son, 20 pounds yearly.
Thomas OLYER
John OLYVER
James OLYVER
Thoby OLYVER
Mary OLYVER the profits and commodities from his part of the "presage" lease for three years.

Also mentioned is his father Thomas OLYVER and his mother Margaret COXE, widow.

To his wife Elizabeth OLYVER, he gives his land in long Ashton, in the County of Somerset. However, it would appear that wife Elizabeth does not afterwards live in Ashton, as we see in the will of Richard COLE (from NEHGS, vol XLVII, page 127):

Locations mentioned in the will of Richard COLE:

Richard COLE, of Bristol, alderman, files will on Jun 16, 1599 (will proven Jul 17, 1599).

A store house on the Key in Bristol, one “in the late tenure of Elizabeth HAM, late wife of John
OLYVER, merchant, in the parish of St. Stephens; all during her natural life.”

---------------------------

The will of Elizabeth HAM is given in NEHGS vol XLVII, pages 127 and 128:

"Elizabeth HAM, wife of Hierom Ham of the City of Bristol, gentleman, late wife and executrix of John Olyver of the said city merchant."

Elizabeth files her will Dec 24, 1619, and was proven Oct 30, 1628. In it, we find husband Hierom Ham (or Jerom Ham - it is spelled both ways in the will). She mentions her children from her first husband John OLYVER, but no children are mentioned by Jerome HAM.

From the notes on the top of page 127, we find that John OLYVER had married Elizabeth ROWLAND in Aug, 1577. John OLYVER dies in Jan 1597-98 and his widow Elizabeth marries Jerome HAM on Feb 18, 1599-1600. Elizabeth HAM files her will in 1619.





In review, Jerome HAM was merchant and Town Clerk of Bristol from 1581 to 1621. Elizabeth ROWLAND married John OLYVER in 1577. Elizabeth OLYVER marries Jerome HAM in 1599/1600 and is apparently too old to have children after that time.

So, it should be obvious that the HAM Country survey detected a number of errors from the survey for the Poll of April, 2008. For example, if you look at the web page from the Ancestry search, you will find among the genealogies listed is a Jerome HAM being married in 1577. Obviously, not correct when checked against the records.

---

Further reading:

The New England Historical and Genealogical Register


The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, 1893 volume XLVII on Google Books:

http://books.google.com/books/pdf/The_New_England_Historical_and_Genealogi.pdf?id=2rkEg7BFm3YC&output=pdf&sig=8zHZpXgm1y6nAMeFKYwYScJl1-s

The HAM Branches by Donna Ham

A Short History of the HAM Surname in Virginia & NC

Share on Facebook

Faces of America

Faces of America

with
Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

Henry Louis Gates, Jr. is now running the series Faces of America on PBS. The Harvard scholar turns to the latest tools of genealogy and genetics to explore the family histories of 12 renowned Americans. Family histories range from Meryl Streep's eighth great-grandfather, who fought in Metacom's War (an English-American Indian conflict in 1675-76) to today's figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi.

The Promise of America

Feb 10th - Feb 16th


Utilizing genealogical and genetic tools, Henry Louis Gates Jr. unearths the family histories of 12 prominent Americans in this series, beginning with cellist Yo-Yo Ma, director Mike Nichols and figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi.







The first episode is also now available on line:

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/facesofamerica/video/episode-1-our-american-stories/190/

Becoming American

Feb 17th - Feb 23rd

The many pathways to America are explored via the ancestral stories of Stephen Colbert, chef Mario Batali, Jordan's Queen Noor and figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi.

Making America

Wednesday, February 24 — Mar 2nd

The peopling of the New World is recalled via the ancestral stories of Meryl Streep and Eva Longoria. Included: Streep's eighth great-grandfather, who fought in Metacom's War (an English-American Indian conflict in 1675-76).

The Record Within

Mar 3rd - Mar 9th


Combining the documented stories of some of the guests' last known ancestors with DNA evidence, the series travels backward through time to reveal both distant relatives and surprising shared ancestral connections.












PBS website: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/facesofamerica/

Local Listings: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/facesofamerica/schedule/

Share on Facebook