OLIVER, TURNBULL, COOPER in Caithness

[Bill Gemmell]

My GGrandfather John OLIVER b. Caithness 1834, left Thurso district as a young man and founded a successful building company near Edinburgh, where he lived comfortably, raised a large family, and eventually died in 1924.
John's parents were William OLIVER and Elizabeth (Betty) TURNBULL of Caithness, and their surviving children were Jane, Agnes, James, Elizabeth, Andrew, Margaret, John, Robert, Cecelia, Alison and George.
In 1867 John married Louisa COOPER we understand from "up north" (Moray?), and Robert (I discovered recently) was a highland military man who eventually died in 1920 in Castlemaine Australia.
However, I have no news of any other siblings. What happened to them all? Can anyone help? Are there still any connected Olivers or Turnbulls or Coopers left in the region?

I will reply gratefully to all correspondence...

[Graham Oliver]

Bill,
My GGrandfather was John Oliver (Builder in Edinburgh) and grandfather was the second youngest son Robert Andrew.
I have some information on the Oliver family all gleaned from Scotlandspeople web site. There should be alot of descendants in Caithness, John's brother James b.1838 married Eliza Logie and appears to have remained in Caithness or gone to the Orkneys and had children. He is listed as a shepherd. Cecilia married Alex Sinclair from Newcastle upon Tyne in Edinburgh in 1871. I haven't yet explored John's other siblings.

Our GGGrandfather William as you know married Elizabeth Turnbull on the 29/11/1822 in Cranshaws , a village in the Lammermuir hills close to the English border. William was born in Yester, near Haddington in 1798, I think his wife came from Northumberland. They seemed to have gone to Caithness around 1840, James was born in Cranshaws but Cecilia and John at Latheron.

More available, so please contact direct if interested

Graham Oliver, Cardiff

[lynn prow]

Hi Bill

When I read your message had to reply.

I am not related to this family. But mine are from Latheron so do lots of research for Latheron descendants. I also have lived in Castlemaine and do research for husbands Australian line in Castlemaine.

Do you have easy access to Australian records on cd if you want me to do look ups happy to do so. Are you near Castlemaine?

I have done research at the Castlemaine Historical Society records excellent. I don't live in Victoria but when ever I visit Castlemaine do research there worth a visit.

cheers

Lynn

[jimag]

Hi Bill/Graham

There is an Alexander Logie Oliver b:1862 d:1941 buried in Latheron cemetry. See graven-images.org.uk. I think he has two daughters still living in Caithness as well as other relations.

[Graham Oliver]

Thanks jimag,
I believe this is Alexander son of James (1838-1904) & Eliza Logie (1841-1880 from Rousay) and brother of my GGrandfather, John. Alexander married Christina Sutherland in 1920 and I believe she died in 1949, again in Latheron. Given the time period I cannot trace any children.
I know that Alexander had brothers William (b. Latheron, 1866), James (b. Canisbay, 1874), John (b. Canisbay, 1876) and Robert (b. Canisbay, 1879) and sisters Elizabeth Turnbull (b. Rousay, 1860), Eliza Logie (b. Wick, 1869), Margaret (b. Rousay, 1864) and Cecilia (b.Canisbay, 1872).
If anyone is part of this family I'd like to hear from them.
Graham

[Morag Miller]

My grandfather was John Oliver - a butcher and farmer in Caithness.
The family register informs me that his father was James ( 1837-1904) - one of a family of 11 children born to William Oliver and Elizabeth Turner.
My mother's name was Eliza Logie Oliver, called after her grandmother from Rousey in Orkney.
Unfortunately the family register has not been kept up after the death of James Oliver in 1904.
I would love to hear any futher information.
Regards to all Olivers
Morag Miller

[Graham Oliver]

Hello Morag, It looks as if our great grandfathers were brothers and sons of William. I am a bit surprised that there appears to be only a few Olivers in Caithness given the size of the families of both William and his sons and daughters. My Great grandfather left Caithness and was a successful builder in Edinburgh although his fortune was lost by a wayward son. Perhaps a number of Olivers left Caithness for other parts.
I use Scotlandspeople web site to do most of the research, shall I keep you informed of progress with research into Williams other descendants? Send a private message if you want to contact me directly.

Graham

[SAMITCHELL7]

Hello there, i have been following the Oliver Family tree for a wee while now, There were a few Olivers in Caithness/Sutherland they came from Northumberland, (Ellsdon) do you think there might be a connection there for you, i have a fair bit o info if same family.I come from a small village called Dunbeath there is still 2 Olivers living in the village they are sisters.

[Mactabby]

Hi all - absolutely thrilled to have found this. I'm also descended from James Oliver and Eliza Logie, this time through their daughter Elizabeth Turnbull Oliver, her daughter Eliza Logie Oliver Swanson and her daughter Elizabeth Oliver Cameron (my grandmother), so you see the Oliver name stuck with us. My great grandmother had always claimed that her cousins had built part of Edinburgh near where she lived (Marchmont crescent), but I'd never been able to confirm this - it seems likely this was John and his descendants.

William and Elizabeth's sons George and Robert appear to have emigrated to Australia, and details of their descendants can be found on the Turnbull Clan website: www.turnbullclan.com, along with details of Andrew and Elizabeth, who stayed in Caithness. I have no details for the other five daughters, nor for John.

James and Eliza moved back from Rousay to Caithness around 1865, first in Latheron, then in Thurso. their daughter Elizabeth then moved South with her husband in th 1880s, ending up in Edinburgh. I've not traced the other children of James and Eliza (apart from Alexander who stayed in Caithness), mainly due to the expense of using the Scotlandspeople website (oh for a subscription option!), but I have traced the family back to William's parents Andrew Oliver and Jane (or Jean) Lockie. Andrew was indeed from Elsdon as someone mentions, and Jane was from Merton in Berwickshire. There are quite a few Oliver records in Elsdon going back to the early 1700s, but I've not been able to match them to Andrew.

Would love to see details of your trees if possible, and if the family register which was mentioned is copyable, that would be a real bonus. My tree can be found on Rootsweb if you search for the database 'mactabby'.

Cheers
Mac

[SAMITCHELL7]

Mactabby, my family tree can be found in Genes Reunited please feel free to get in touch. Most of the connections are from Ellsdon with them traveling north to Caithess and Sutherland. With some of the family going to Canada and New Zealand.