Robert F. Oliver was born in Tennessee in about 1817. By 1837, he was living in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. That is where he met and married Martha �Mattie� Anders in about 1837. She was born in Alabama about 1822. She was the oldest child of James and Martha Formby Anders. The first two Oliver children were born in Alabama.

In 1839, Mattie�s father migrated to Texas. Her mother and the rest of the family, including the Olivers, moved to Texas in 1841. Robert Oliver received a third class headright grant, which he patented in Montgomery County in 1845. These families are said to have first settled in the vicinity of Old Dacus.

R. F. Oliver became Chief Justice of Montgomery County in 1847, indicating a high level of education for his day and time. In this capacity, he performed marriages in the county of Montgomery.

In 1850, Robert and Martha Oliver became founding members of the Baptist Church of the town of Montgomery. Martha's name was included in a list of "true and earnest sisters" of the church.

In the 1850 census, Robert and Mattie were living in Montgomery County and had seven children. Robert was working as a saddler. His real estate assets were worth $700. In 1860, they were living near the town of Montgomery, Montgomery County, and Robert was farming. His real estate value was $5000 and his personal estate was worth $10, 000. He owned nine slaves.

In 1861, Robert became captain of a group of men assembled from the various companies of the Seventeenth Brigade, Texas State Troops, and marched them to Galveston as volunteers to assist in the fortification of the Texas coast. They became Company I, 9th (Nichols') Texas Infantry Regiment.

Mattie died in 1869, soon after the birth of her youngest child. When the 1870 census was taken in August, Robert was remarried to a lady named Elizabeth J. They were living in Montgomery Precinct and their post office was Danville. His real estate value was $2,000 and personal was $500. The lowered value can be accounted for by the fact that he no longer had slaves.

In 1880, Robert and Elizabeth were living in Willis. He was working as a merchant. Three children were living with them�the two youngest children of Mattie and Robert and an eight year-old daughter born to Elizabeth and Robert.

Robert F. Oliver was Montgomery County Judge from 1884 to 1886, and then served as Justice of the Peace in Precinct One, from 1888-1890.

The children of Mattie and Robert are listed below (birth dates are approximated from censuses):
Rachel Ann 1838 Alabama, married a Dunlap;
Nancy E. �Nannie� 1841 Alabama, married L. E. Dunn in 1867 and died soon afterwards;.
The following were born after the family�s arrival in Texas:
Martha L., 1843, married John L. Ferguson;
Marietta V. 1845, married L. E. Dunn in 1870;
Olivia C. �Levy� 1847, never married;
Susan F. 1850; married Jabez Thomason, Jr., son of Jabez Thomason, Sr.;
Lawtrish L. (male) 1853, married Laura Pitts; married second, Mrs. Mary Ann Fallman
Eudora �Doddie� 1855, married Horrice McKibben;
Ira C. 1858, married Mrs. Maude L. Ballard, died young;
Eva �Evy� 1860, never married.

Children of Robert F. and Elizabeth J. were: Robert, 1869, married Antoinette;
and Edna L.E., born in 1872.

The death dates and whereabouts of the graves of Robert and Mattie are unknown at this time. It is assumed that they were buried in Montgomery County, Texas. More information will be added as it is found.

Sources: 1840 Tuscaloosa Co., AL census, page 224 1850 Montgomery Co., TX census, page 33 1860 Montgomery Co., TX census, page 87 1870 Montgomery Co., TX census, page 412 1880 Montgomery Co., TX census, page 4 Genealogy collection of Mary Ella Long Schoverling, courtesy of her granddaughter, Lynn Schoverling Loucks

© Karen McCann Hett  All Rights Reserved 2007-2014

E-mail me at
Karen McCann Hett