Oliver, Thomas (1804-1878)

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Primitive Methodist Magazine 1849

Ministry

A transcription of the obituary published in the Primitive Methodist Magazine by Thomas Southron is attached. It contains many extracts from his journal particularly covering the early years of his ministry and the first mission to Scotland in 1825. The obituary also records the death of his wife two weeks after Thomas died.

Family

Thomas was born on 29 October 1804 at Sunderland, Co. Durham, to parents Joseph Oliver and Elizabeth Hall. He was baptised on 2 July 1805 at Sunderland.

He married Alexandra (Alexa) Nicholas Shaw (abt1809-1878). Census returns identify five children.   

• Joseph (b1830) – a grocer (1851); a time-keeper (1871)
• Elizabeth (b1832) – a dressmaker (1851)          
• Emma (b abt1841) – married Sydney F Whitehead, a PM minister and later C of E clergyman
• Dorothy Jane (b1846) – married Robert Cluny Curtis, a glass cutter, in 1868             
• John Angell (b1848)  – a tea agent (1901)               

Thomas died on 9 May 1878 at Sunderland, Co. Durham.

Circuits

• 1825 Carlisle
• 1826 Sunderland (2yrs 6mths)
• 1828 Winlaton (18mths)
• 1830 Ripon
• 1831 Liverpool
• 1933 Huddersfield
• 1835 Blackburn
• 1836 Manchester
• 1837 Isle of Man
• 1840 Durham
• 1842 Sunderland
• 1844 Edinburgh
• 1846 Whitehaven
• 1848 Barnard Castle
• 1849 Shotley Bridge
• 1851 Brompton
• 1853 Kendal
• 1854 S Shields
• 1856 Newcastle
• 1858 Westgate
• 1860 Motherwell
• 1862 Paisley
• 1863 Eynesbury
• 1864 Gloucester &c
• 1865 Sunderland (S)

References

Primitive Methodist Magazine 1849/449; 1878/627

PM Minutes 1878/13

H B Kendall, Origin and History of the PM Church, vol 2, p206 

J Petty, The History of the Primitive Methodist Connexion, 1880, p244

W Leary, Directory of Primitive Methodist Ministers and their Circuits, 1990

Census Returns and Births, Marriages & Deaths Registers