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Amanda Rainwater and husband, Solomon Rainwater Oliphant

Amanda Rainwater and husband, Solomon Rainwater Oliphant
Pastel or charcoal drawing from photograph of Amanda Rainwater and husband, Solomon Rainwater Oliphant
 

Amanda Rainwater was born 1 Apr 1829 in Georgia, the eldest daughter of Solomon Rainwater, Jr. and his wife Nancy Linn Rainwater. Meanwhile, Solomon Rainwater, Jr.’s sister Rebeccah Rainwater had married Aaron Oliphant and produced a son, Solomon Rainwater Oliphant, born 20 Aug 1823, also in Georgia.

On 12 Mar 1846, these first cousins applied for a marriage license in Hancock County, Georgia and were duly married. In 1848, Amanda and Solomon Oliphant moved to Wharton, Texas, in the company of his cousin Addison Rainwater and his family, his brothers Pinkney Oliphant and James Madison Oliphant and their families, his cousin Jesse Bryant, and the Gordon family. According to Frances Gilchrist, they traveled the Alabama and Mississippi Rivers, stopping in New Orleans for a few days, then took a ship to Galveston, Texas.

The Oliphants settled in central Texas – in Washington, Lee, and later Lampasas Counties - and took up farming. They had thirteen children: Andrew Jackson, born 11 or 12 April 1847; Martha Ann, born 30 Sep 1848; Aaron Pinkney, born 17 July 1852 and died in childhood; Lelia Irene, born 30 Jun 1854; Henry Herbert, born 10 Apr 1856 and died in childhood; Mary Emma1, born 8 Apr 1860; Harriet Manning, born 24 Feb 1862; Ella Pinkney, born 24 Mar 1868; Amanda Jackson, born 14 Dec 1869; Edward Bryon, born 8 Feb 1872, and three unnamed daughters who died at birth.

Solomon died in Lampasas County on 13 February 1891; Amanda followed on 8 April 1897.

Additional photographs
Andrew Jackson Oliphant (in Confederate uniform) and father, Solomon Rainwater Oliphant, ca 1862 Texas

Notes
1 Mary Emma was the third wife of Dr. Lucullus Lincecum, whose second wife was Mary’s second cousin Fanny Rainwater, the daughter of Addison Rainwater.

Credits
Photograph and biographical information contributed by William Rainwater. The children’s birthdates are from the family Bible of Andrew J. Oliphant, as transcribed by Helen Madison.


© 2018 Susan Chance-Rainwater
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