A brother to John and Richard Oliphant. Father was John Oliphant (1771 – 1831) and mother was Ruth Thompson (1770 – 1857). According to the History of Cayuga County: "The Free Press was the next paper issued in Auburn, in 1824, by Richard Oliphant. His brother Henry bought the paper five years later, and published it till its union with the Republican, as stated above, the combined papers taking the name of the Auburn Journal and Advertiser." Possibly mentioned in 18380824BJS_WHS1: "The Agent writes from N.Y. that if he can he will furnish a place for Oliphant." Richard's son, John Henry Oliphant (Henry's nephew), "learned his trade in Auburn, with his uncle Henry, and remained there five years when he returned to Oswego and some time before his father's death he and his brother bought the father's business."