The Official Oliphant Clan & Family Association

21/09/2026

Oliphant in the News: Laurel, Delaware

Back where the DELMARVA line started...

Delaware's 29th round of agricultural easement selections, announced at the Oliphant Farm outside Laurel, preserved 36 properties totaling more than 2,800 acres at a cost of $14.9 million. The host farm has grown corn and soybeans for five generations, with its oldest building dating to the 1880s.

18/09/2026

Good news for anyone with tickets to attend the sold out NHScot 51st Annual Highland Games at Loon Mountain in New Hampshire. Looks like rain will hold off. Sunny today, only cloudy Saturday & Sunday.

Good morning from the 51st Annual NH Highland Games & Festival! Let the fun begin 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🥁🎉

02/08/2026

The Gathering 2026 is a wrap! But I spy with my little eye...a bunch of Oliphants!

Broomhall House near Dunfermline, Scotland, is home to the Lords El...

31/07/2026

On 20 March 1326 at Scone in Perthshire, King Robert the Bruce gave letters patent granting to Sir William Oliphant of Aberdalgie the lands of 'Uthirtyre' (Auchtertyre) for the feudal service of three archers in the king's army.

The document was witnessed by a who's who of the Bruce's court: William de Lamberton, Bishop of St Andrews; Bernard of Kilwinning, Abbot of Arbroath; Duncan, Earl of Fife; Maol Iosa, Earl of Strathearn; Walter Stewart, High Steward of Scotland; and Sir Gilbert de la Haye, Lord High Constable.

Nearly 700 years later, the document--only 11 lines of script-- was sold by Christie's at auction in London for £5,000, smashing the £1,000-1,500 estimate. One hopes that its purchaser can be found and at some point Clan Oliphant can reacquire this important document.

23/07/2026

Bon Voyage...and Fàilte gu Alba to all those arriving in Scotland this week for the Gathering of Clan Oliphant which begins on July 26th. Take lots of photos!

17/07/2026

Oliphant in the News: California & New Mexico

Two Oliphant icons passed on the same day this week. Monday, July 13th saw California developer, ex-mayor, and philanthropist Richard "Dick" Oliphant and Pat Oliphant, the Pulitzer Prize-winning political cartoonist both bid us farewell, both reaching their 90s. See the first comment links for more info on each ⬇️⬇️⬇️.

Dick Oliphant, originally from Iowa, was of the DELMARVA line, sharing his ancestors William Oliphant & Betsy Gordy with many others here.

Pat Oliphant, born in Adelaide, Australia, was of the Olifent-Smith line from Kent, UK. He was a nephew of the famous nuclear physicist Sir Mark Oliphant.

03/07/2026

As we celebrate 250 years of the United States, it is a good time to post about an important Oliphant artifact. In 1787 Dr. David Olyphant was inducted into the Society of the Cincinnati, a hereditary fraternal society formed in 1783 to commemorate military officers who had served in the American War for Independence. Dr. Olyphant was one such officer, having received his commission as Director-General of the Southern Hospitals on July 4th, 1776, the duties of which he discharged until the surrender of Charleston when he became a prisoner of war.

Today the Society of the Cincinnati is 243 years old and is the oldest patriotic organization in the nation. It was founded by General Henry Knox from Boston who was the nation's first Secretary of War under President George Washington. Washington himself served as the Society's first President while Knox was Secretary. Both are signatories to Dr. Olyphant's induction certificate which Clan Oliphant acquired at auction in 2024.

We like to say that Dr. Olyphant was George Washington's biggest fan. Our evidence? His only surviving son was named David Washington Cincinnatus Olyphant. The doctor was born at Pitheavlis Castle in Perth, Scotland in 1720. He was a Jacobite, supporting Bonnie Prince Charlie's claim, and took an active part in the Battle of Culloden in 1746. Afterwards, his life in danger, he escaped to Charleston, SC.

He moved to Newport, RI in 1785 due to his failing health. In the same year, he married Nancy Ann Vernon (wife #3), a granddaughter of the state's governor. At age 69, he became father to the only son to survive him, the aforementioned David. Dr. Olyphant died in 1805 at 85.

We've been trying to find a temporary but longish-term home for this document until Clan Oliphant has its own museum. We've been turned down by Mount Vernon. But Anderson House, the Washington, DC HQ for the Society of the Cincinnati, has not replied to us. So, that's not a 'no' ?!

Our goal is to create an Oliphant Tour in Washington, DC, taking in important Oliphant items throughout the nation's capital, including at the Smithsonian, the Library of Congress, and other important locations.

Happy 4th!

02/07/2026

Get to know our Oliphant Science Awards Ambassadors!

Yesha has been involved in the Oliphant Science Awards for many years, both as a participant and now as an OSA Ambassador. Her journey highlights how the Awards can help students build confidence, develop new skills and pursue their passion for science.

Learn more about Yesha and her OSA journey 🔗https://bit.ly/4b1OVZs