He was born at Ludgvan, Cornwall, and baptised on 27 August 1695, described as the son of John Oliver the owner of the Trevarno Estate.
His family, originally seated at Trevarnoe in Sithney, resided afterwards in Ludgvan, and the estate of Treneere in Madron, which belonged to him, was sold in 1768 after his death.
When he decided to erect a monument in Sithney churchyard to the memory of his parents, Alexander Pope wrote the epitaph and drew the design of the pillar.
He was admitted a pensioner of Pembroke College, Cambridge on 17 September 1714, graduated M.B. in 1720, and M.D. in 1725, and to complete his medical training, entered at Leiden University on 15 November 1720.
On 8 July 1756 he was incorporated at Oxford, and he was
elected a Fellow of the Royal Society on 22 January 1729–30
After qualification he practised for a time at Plymouth, where he introduced inoculation for smallpox.
In about 1725 he settled in Bath and remained there for the rest of his life, obtaining in a very short time the leading practice of the city.
He came to Bath with his cousin Rev. Walter Borlase
This was perhaps due to his friendship with Ralph Allen (a fellow Cornishman, who introduced him to Pope, Warburton, and members of the Prior Park set), and with Dr. William Borlase, his ‘friend and relation,’
Dr Oliver was one of the founders of the Royal Mineral Water Hospital.
When completed in 1734, the west side of Queen Square (below) consisted of three separate houses, with Dr Oliver occupying the centre one. In 1830 the house was demolished to be replaced by the building that now bears the plaque -
In 1755 he leased the site for a new house, No. 17 Gay Street."
He did not write a great deal about his medical cases,
though he published an essay on gout in 1751, which ran to three editions. In
1753 he published a “pastoral” called Myra and he was the anonymous author of A
faint sketch of the life, manner and character of the late Mr. Nash which was
praised by Goldsmith as “written with much good sense and still more good
nature.” Oliver’s “compassionate and benevolent nature” motivated his interest
in founding the Bath General Hospital (now Royal National Hospital for
Rheumatic Diseases) with Ralph Allen, John Wood and Richard (Beau) Nash
He was elected physician to the Hospital on 1st May, 1740,
and retired on 1st May, 1761, dying three years later in 1764. He is buried in
the churchyard of All Saints, Weston (where he owned the Manor House with
members of his family). He is said to have bequeathed to his coachman Atkins
the recipe for the famous Bath Oliver biscuit, together with a sack of flour
and a sum of money. Atkins set up in business at 13 Green Street and became
rich by making the biscuit
Later the business passed to a man named Norris who sold out
to a baker called Carter. At length, after two further changes of ownership and
a period of 120 years, the Oliver biscuit recipe passed to James Fortt. In 1952
the Fortt family business was still baking 80,000 biscuits a day in Bath.
"I was forced hither & to Bristol on account of a Complaint I formerly mentiond to you. I believe the Bristol waters at the Hot Well would be serviceable, could I stay long enough, for they are apparently softer & as warm as New Milk, there, & known to be excellent in all Inflammatory Cases.
But the Rigor of the Season & the Want of all Conveniencies to guard against it, of Coaches, chairs, & even warm Lodging, is too great to bear without hazard of Colds &c., which would do me, ev’n inthis Complaint, more harm than I could expect benefit. I have therfore after a Fortnights tryal returnd to Bath where Dr Oliver & Cheyne advise me to mix Bristol water with a small quantity of Bath at thePump, & with some other Medicines, which Dr Mead prescribd me to add".
Excerpt from The Correspondence of Alexander Pope, ed. G.Sherburn. 5v. (Oxford, 1956)), v.4, p.206, Pope to Hugh Bethel, Bath, 27 Nov 1739.
The Memorial to William Oliver (the Elder)d 14 April 1716 in Bath Abbey.
In Memory of/WILLIAM OLIVER , M.D. F.R.S./He was descended
from the/Family of TREVARNOE, in the County of Cornwall./While he was
prosecuting the Study of Physic in Foreign Universities./The Miseries of his
Country called aloud for a Deliverer./He was ambitious of contributing his Mite
to so great a Work;/He came into England an Officer in King Williams Army in
1688;/He was appointed Physician to the Fleet in 1693,/And continued in that
Station till the Year 1702./He was appointed Physician to the Hospital for/Sick
and Wounded Seamen at Chatham 1709;/And in the year 1714,/He had the Pleasure
to have his Old Fellow Sailors committed to his Care/He being then appointed
Physician to the Royal Hospital at Greenwich/In which honourable Employment he
died a Bachelor,/April 4th: 1716:/His Love to this City, where he practised
Physic many Years/Appears in his Writings./
