OLIVIER
The surname of OLIVIER has had a long and complex history in Louisiana. Several individuals of that name, apparently unrelated, came to the colony during the eighteenth century, some coming directly from France while others came from Canada. The illustrations of the Olivier family are very numerous. In France, she produced an Attorney General in the Counts' chamber in 1454, a chancelor for Louis XII in 1510, a President of the Parliament of Paris in 1511, an Abbot, a Bishop, and a Cardinal in 1532 to 1604, a Lieutenant General of the King's Army in 1650, two Grand Bailiffs of Touraine in 1693 and 1700, Knights of Malta, of the Order of the King, of Saint-Louis and of Saint Michel. The English House of Oliver (in French Olivier), dates its affiliation back on authentic proofs to Nigel Oliver (died in 1060); this is many years before the Great Conquest.
Several individuals by the Olivier surname can be found in Canadian records. For example, Abel Olivier, Jean Olivier, Louis Olivier, Maurice Olivier, Marc Olivier, Francois Olivier, Joseph Olivier, Pierre Francois Olivier de Vezin and Jacques Olivier.
In the early 1770's a Maurice Olivier, of unknown provenence, settled in the Opelousas District with his wife Catherine Lejeune. His only son, Joseph , married around 1802 Marguerite Mayer and remarried in 1809 to Anne Hebert. Joseph founded this line of Oliviers in the Grand Coteau- Arnaudville area, where many of his descendants now live.