Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1886-02-18
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Kac wants ssig siics Of Rent
s,a...sfx. Unciudinu Milford


County, InciOding Milford
The Philadelphia Press reports that the
descendants of old Joseph Oliver are
getting ready to gobble up the town of
Milford and a goodly strip of the country
round about. Says the Press :.
The story is an Interesting one. Some
time about l765 Joseph Oliver, an
Englishman, who had come to America in
the early part of that century. bought
from the colonial government tract of
will land in 1.-THE three counties" now
Delaware, some eight miles long and by
II wide. II was in the county now bear
ing the name no gave it after his own
Epglish county, Kent. Having laid out
part OF IL in lots MS town, he sold 1t
under the old law of George LII, under
ground rent, to various parties. The
leases were mostly given in the year 1887,
for 80 years, at the end of which they
were s'to revert to the heirs or to be
renewed, at the option of the heirs and
the present owners" A large number Of
of these will expire in May of this year
and others in September. They had
been let and sub-let, Int always under
the proviso TO revert, when the 80 yenrs
ended, to the heirs,
the Oldest male heir, is Henry N. s.
Reyille, who is the agent of the Harrison
estate, with On office OF 527 North Eighth
street. He is hale, white-haired old
gentleman, himself only three generations
away from the testator, Joseph Oliver.
The genealogical line is MS follows;
Joseph Oliver married twice, both his
wives being named Sarah-and this,
strangely enough, is all of their names
| that is known, the family Bible being out
in Ohio somewhere with western heir.
One son, Joseph, was born of the first
marriage; daughter anda son, Elizabeth
and Samuel of the second. Elizabeth
married John Reville, whence were born
four sons, only one of whom is now
living.
Samuel Oliver was sort of Kent
county prodigal. They tell tales down
there to-day OF his using bank note once
for gun wadding. But he was his fathers
favorite. The wealthy, pompous old
'Lord Mayor" rs the country folk in
jocose respect called the owner of North
Milford, left Is ten-acre lots each to
Joseph aud Elizabeth the rest, 20 times
as much, perhaps, went to the scapegrace
Samuel, in entail. There would have
been very little to interest the other heirs
if he had held on to it and passed it
down in regular succession. But, like
gallant prodigal, he spent and squandered,
and finally, by process of law, he had the
entail cut off, and the ground rents were
sold to meet his debts, but only for the
balance of their 80 year term. Joseph
/ and Elizabeth had realized on their lots
likewise long ago. So the heirs of Joseph
Oliver of that and the succeeding genera
| ton thought little of their heritage. They
\ married and raised children, who moved
to this State, Maryland, New Jersey and
Ohio, and probably many of them never
knew they were heirs.
But the Revilles remembered and they
4 felt that they had clear title. One day
| last week Henry Reville wrote to the
\ heirs he knew of, and when they met in
his office he told them it was time to be-
4 Gin enaroafic nroceadinpa He WAS chosen