Thomas Oliver of Mark Lane

London West India merchant of Mark Lane, reportedly partner with his cousin Michael Lovell (q.v.). Son of Richard Oliver (1694-1763), cousin and brother-in-law of Richard Oliver MP (1735-1784, q.v.) and cousin of Thomas Oliver Lt-Gov. of Massachusetts (q.v).

1. Will of Thomas Oliver [late of Mark Lane in the parish] of Saint Olave Hart Street [made 08/06/1797] proved 05/02/1803. In the will (to which several codicils were attached), he confirmed proposals for a settlement given in to court under which his wife was to receive £800 p.a. from the investment of set but unspecified principal sum: if the income was not adequate, the balance was to come out of the property vested in his [and presumably her] eldest son Richard. The will identified his younger children as Thomas, Jas. Langford, Mary Isabella Hanson and Harriet Brooke Oliver. He gave: his wife £2000; his son Thomas £10,000 over and above what he [Thomas the son] was entitled to under his marriage settlement with Frances Brooke; his son James Langford Oliver £14,000; and his daughter Harriet £6,000 in trust. He had already given his daughter Mary Isabella Hanson £5580 (vested in £7000 nominal consols), and gave her a further £2000 on condition that her husband John Hanson settled £100 p.a. on her; otherwise the £2000 was to go into trust for her benefit. He left £100 each to his clerks, and stated that it was his intention that his sons Thomas and James 'should carry on the business that I pursue, share and share alike' 'but which I recommend they do very cautiously and with only a few of my present correspondents.' He instructed his estate at Layton [sic] be sold. He had, he said, a number of debts owing to him that would not be paid in full and the deficiency would have to come from the property left to his eldest son Richard. He recommended two men of business be appointed to classify the debts he was owed. He left his residuary estate including property in Antigua, Montserrat, Grenada and Great Britain to his son Richard, with instructions that no legacies other than those to his wife and clerks were to be paid before 2 years after his death. In a codicil, he left his son Thomas another £10,000 (in addition to the £10,000 already specified in the original will) above what Thomas was entitled to under his marriage settlement; he gave his son James Langford a further £6000; he gave his daughter Harriet a further £1000; and he left his wife an additional £200 p.a. secured on his rented Antigua estate 'on which the negroes, cattle, copper stills and some of the Buildings' were his property. In a second codicil he slowed the payment of the legacies of £10,000 [over and above the £10,000 to which Thomas was entitled under his marriage settlement] and £14,000 to James Langford Oliver, so that half was to be paid after two years and the other half in three years [he made no reference to the incremental legacies in the first codicil.] In a 'Confirmation' he added that a great part of his wealth, nearly £60,000, was 'vested in Business of which is circulated in various advances for which there is no other security than West India property', and he urged the debt be collected quickly, for otherwise the burden bore disproportionately on his son Richard.

1. PROB 11/1387/58.