In our list of Revolutionary War veterans 'from" Bethlehem, we find John and Aaron Oliver.
John (1758-1838) and his wife Antje Redley (aka Anna Radliff, 1766-1836) are remembered at the family plot located just off of Fisher Blvd in the hamlet of Slingerlands.
Nearby (at least as the crow flies) over on Meads Lane is the burial place of Aaron Oliver (1760 - 1800) and his wife Christina Brott (1770-1853).
As far as I can figure out, John and Aaron were brothers, children of John Oliver (1738-1815) and Maritie Sixberry (aka Mary Sixby).
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| John and Mary (Johannis & Maritje)'s marriage record. |
Researching Aaron (also spelled Arent and Aront) was pretty straightforward. He is listed one time in New York and the Revolution with the Third Regiment of the Albany County Militia Land Bounty Rights as Aront Olever.
On that same page (number 224 of Volume One for those of you keeping track,) we also have John and John Jr. I believe this is the two Johns, father and son, listed above. In the same volume, there are two John Olivers in Albany County Militia - Third Regiment as enlisted men. The Fifth Regiment has just one.
The one interesting bit I found was that John Oliver of Bethlehem New York was rejected for a pension because he did not serve six months. This has to be John Jr as the eligibility for those with militia service was not enacted until 1832. I'd be really curious to track down his application which would have detailed his service.*
The Oliver family has deep roots in Bethlehem and New Scotland, and there of plenty of people named John including John M. Oliver who was Bethlehem's town supervisor from 1947 to 1959.
Land records indicate that in 1789 John & Arie Oliver rented 130 acres from the Van Rensselaer's. Nearby in 1800 John Oliver rented 152 acres. Both are in the vicinity of where the two cemeteries listed above are located.
The 1866 maps of Bethlehem and New Scotland indicate the reach of Oliver family farms. Someone with more tech skills than I could stitch together these two maps to show the farms along modern day Meads Lane, Fisher Blvd and Font Grove Road.
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| 1866 maps of New Scotland (left) and Bethlehem. Oliver farms are circled in blue. Match red dots for the modern rail trail with New Scotland Road just below. Match green dots for Delaware Avenue. |
The Oliver family was very involved in the old Jerusalem Reformed Church that was located half way between modern Unionville Reformed and Jerusalem Reformed Churches. Records indicate that between 1798 and 1802 John Oliver and Anna Redley had four children baptized (Antje, Aron, Selie and Elyse).
Then we can get into the weeds of several other John Olivers. John Oliver and Eva Wedeman had five children baptized between 1805-and 1820. This was a nephew of the John married to Anna, son of his brother Evert. Then we have another John Oliver (haven't figured out how he is related) married to Margerit Baumes who had four children baptized between 1819 and 1825. All together too many John Olivers to keep track of.
And just to add another fun entry... on July 1807, Christianna Bratt widow of Aarent Oliver sponsored the baptism of Arent and Maria, children of John Wedeman and Maria Oliver.
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| Historic marker on Fisher Blvd (before it was repainted) noting the burial site of John Oliver and John Sager. |
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| A home related to the Oliver Family still stands today (barely!)on Meads Lane. Photo taken in 2009. |
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| This Oliver family home was located near the modern intersection of Fisher Blvd and Orchard St. It was demolished in the 1980s. |
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| John M. Oliver was supervisor from 1947-1959. Not sure how or even if he was related to our Rev War veterans. |
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* The Park Service has a great website on the pension system. Check it out here:
https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/revolutionary-war-veteran-and-widow-pensions.htm
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