| 1828 | Margaret Oliphant Wilson born in Wallyford, Midlothian. |
| 1838 | Family moves to England. |
| 1845 | Broken engagement. |
| 1849 | Passages in the Life of Margaret Maitland published |
| 1851 | Meets Major Blackwood, an introduction which will lead to her relationship with Blackwoods publishing house |
| 1852 | Margaret Oliphant Wilson marries her cousin, Frank Oliphant. |
| 1853 | Maggie born |
| 1854 | Marjorie born |
| 1855 | Marjorie dies |
| 1856 | Cyril (Tiddy) born |
| 1858 | Stephen born, dies at nine weeks |
| 1859 | Frank dies in Rome, Francis (Cecco) born two months later |
| 1861 | "The Executor," the first Chronicle of Carlingford published |
| 1862 | Salem Chapel published |
| 1863 | The Perpetual Curate published |
| 1864 | Maggie dies in Rome on family vacation |
| 1865 | Miss Marjoribanks published |
| 1868 | Frank Wilson (Oliphant's brother) goes bankrupt |
| 1870 | Frank's wife dies, Wilson family becomes dependent on Oliphant |
| 1875 | Frank Wilson dies |
| 1876 | Phoebe Junior published |
| 1879 | A Beleaguered City published |
| 1883 | Hester published |
| 1885 | Willie Wilson (Oliphant's brother) dies |
| 1889 | Kirsteen published |
| 1890 | Tiddy dies |
| 1894 | Cecco dies |
| 1897 | Oliphant dies, two volumes of Annals of a Publishing House published |
| 1899 | Autobiography published |
Last modified 20 October 2003