There are many individuals of surname Anderson who were present in Virginia prior to 1700. Many of the 17th century Virginia Andersons were not landed gentry, rather they were the servants and craftsmen whose labor contributed the greatest part toward building the Virginia Colony. However the nature of records surviving from the 17th century pertain mostly to land and taxes, and are woefully inadequate for the purpose of documenting all that were present.
One source of names for early residents is the Virginia Land Patents. Any individual responsible for the transportation of a person above ten years of age to the Virginia Colony was eligible for 50 acres of land as a headright. When filing for land patents before 1715 it was the practice to list the names of the individuals for whose "heads" the rights were being claimed.
It is important to recognize that these claims do not indicate that the individual was indentured or was a servant of the claimant. In fact, head rights were bargained in the seventeenth century in much the same way that mortgages and insurance policies are bartered in the modern economy.
A merchant or craftsman traveling to and from the continent would earn a new headright upon each voyage to the colony from England. He might claim his 50 acres if he cared to turn to farming, but more likely would sell the headright for cash to the already established land owners who were interested in acquiring more land. Before 1715 they were not allowed to purchase land and could only get it through the purchase of headrights or paying for the transport of individuals. Paying for the transport encumbered one with the individual when he arrived, so the purchase of headrights was a preferred and lucrative manner in which to acquire land. The seller of the right received cash which was in itself a valuable commodity to the merchant or craftsman.
Thus a landowner may claim a headright for a person he had not even met, and who never paid to get here, but arrived in Virginia where labor was in high demand to his advantage and possibly with no indenture whatever. He might never see the land that accrued to his headright.
In 1714 William Byrd,II argued before the Colonial Board that the cost of the government in Virginia, which had become a burden on the King, could be defrayed by selling the land outright at 5 shillings for 50 acres. This produced a profound effect on the colony and by 1755 almost all of present Virginia had been claimed, mostly by descendants of the early colonists. Persons arriving in years after that were obligated to purchase land from the conglomerate landholders and speculators at the market rate.
The following records therefore pertain to individuals who we can know little about from the existence of the record, other than that there was an individual in Virginia of that name who arrived before that date.
My source for my list of 17th century Andersons is from the indices of:
Cavaliers and Pioneers, Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents and Grants, 1623-1666, Nell Marion Nugent, Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., Baltimore, Maryland, 1983.
Cavaliers and Pioneers, Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents and Grants, 1666-1695, Nell Marion Nugent. Virginia State Library, Richmond, Virginia, 1977.
Cavaliers and Pioneers, Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents and Grants, 1695-1732, Nell Marion Nugent. Virginia State Library, Richmond, Virginia, 1986.
Alexander Anderson 1653 headright of Edward Dobson Mockjack Bay 1665 headright of Christopher Greenway Gloucester County 1666 headright of Joseph Bridger Nansemond County Alexander Anderson 04/22/1670 300 acres Upper Nanzemond land adjacent James Long and Hugh Sanders. Alexander Anderson 11/02/1705 100 acres King William County In Pamunkey Neck, E John's Creek, 12 poles below Anderson's Landing Place, land adjacent Parker's and Andrew's land. 24 acres sold by indians and imp. of 2 persons.
This is at least two individuals, the first is Alexander Anderson of the south bank of the York River, And the second is Alexander Anderson of the south side of the James River. The third is the son of David Anderson and grandson of Robert Anderson.
Daniel Anderson 1675 headright of Henry Woodhouse to Lower Norfolk Co. David Anderson David Anderson & Richard Coale 10/24/1655 150 acres Westmoreland County 100 acres NWly upon a creek dividing this from land of Hercules Bridges, 50 acres Nly upon said land and land of Henry Brookes. Richard Coale sold to David Anderson 1664 above patent sold to John Washington ancestor of George Washington David Anderson 04/27/1668 800 acres Stafford County W branch of Pasbetancy Creek land adjacent Wm. & John Habeard. 400 acres granted to Thomas Friswell assigned to Abraham Rouse assigned to Gerard Fouke assigned to William Tilt assigned back to Fouke assigned to Anderson. 400 for transport 8 persons transferred from John Ashton's 11/16/1664 patent 1668 land adjacent John Matthews Pasbetansey Creek Stafford County 1669 land adjacent John and William Heabeard Stafford Co.
1657 imported to Lower Norfolk by William Cornix 1668 headright of Joseph Bridger to Isle Of Wight Co. 1673 headright of Henry Batts to Charles City County 1674 headright of James Harrison south of Rappahanock River See Descendants of David Anderson Edward Anderson 1667 headright of John Meders to Rappahanock Co. with Ann Anderson 1667 headright of Thomas Goldman to Rappahanock Co. 1672 headright of Charles Scarburgh to Northampton Co. with Amy Francis Anderson 1647 headright of Elizabeth Barcroft to Isle of Wight 1658 headright of Thomas Harris to Isle of Wight Garret Anderson 1640 land adjacent Christopher Kirke Naswatocks Creek, Accomack County
See Descendants of Garret Anderson father of William Anderson of the eastern shore.
George Anderson 1667 headright of Thomas Colles to Gloucester Co. 1672 headright of Richard Bailey to Gloucester Co. 1673 headright of Guy Knight to Gloucester Co. George Andrewson 10/25/1695 175 acres Isle of Wight Land adjacent George Pearce, John Silleway, William Carver, William Williams, Richard Brassell. Imp. of 4 persons Believed to be a son of Alexander see Descendants of Alexander Anderson Inghumbred Anderson Edward Richards 09/26/1674 1528 acres Charles City County Virginia Land Patent Book 6 Page 529 Below the pond's nigh head of Ward's Creek., land adjacent Thomas Morgan & his own land, down the boggy branch, nigh a small indian field. 750 acres granted John Westrope 08/30/1650, sold to John Graves & Thomas Morgan, 07/29/1653, & by said Morgan sold to said Richards 01/10/1654. 778 acres for transport of 16 persons inc. Inghambred Anderson. See Descendants of Inghumbred Anderson John Anderson 1639 headright of John Graves to Elizabeth City County 1649 headright of Richard Thompson to Northumberland County 1654 headright of John Cheeseman to unknown 1653 headright of Mary Brent to Mathias Point Westmoreland 1655 headright of John Adiston to Parrotts Creek Rappahanock River 1666 headright of Charles Ratcliff to Accomack County Peter Anderson 1677 headright of Thomas Claiborne to New Kent County Phillip Anderson 1673 headright of Henry Vatts to Charles City County Ralph Anderson 1688 headright of James Willson to Lower Norfolk Co. Reynard Anderson 1654 headright of Martin Coale to Northumberland Co. 1682 headright of Thomas Curitton to Charles City Co. Reynard Anderson 04/20/1689 328 acres Charles City County Virginia Patent Book 7 Page 709 Bristol Parish Headwaters of Blackwater Swamp. For the transport of 7 persons. See Descendants of Reynard Anderson Richard Anderson 1654 imported to James City County E of Chickahominy River Richard Anderson 03/18/1662 200 acres Gloucester County N Yorke River from SE a small Creek dividing land from Robert Hubbard and NE on Tancks Creek. granted to Thomas Leechman and John Bennet 1652 who sold to Robert Jones who sold to Anderson 1664 headright of John Jones to Middlesex Co. 1693 headright of Joshua Story to King and Queen County 1693 land adjacent Thomas Vicaries King and Queen County There are at least two Richard Anderson's in these records father and son, see Descendants of Richard Anderson Robert Anderson 1653 headright of George Watts to Northumberland Co. 1664 headright of William Jones to Northhampton Co. 1666 adjacent Moyses Davies New Kent Co. 1670 headright of George Chapman to New Kent Co. 1670 adjacent John Fleming in New Kent County 1680 headright of William Wyatt to New Kent Co. Robert Anderson 04/16/1683 727 acres New Kent Co. North side of Chickahominy Swamp. 1683 adjacent Moses Davies New Kent Co. Robert Anderson, Jr. 10/23/1690 1200 acres New Kent Co. branches of Mathumps Creek. Robert Anderson, Jr. 10/23/1690 727 acres New Kent Co. at a Swamp called Holly Bush branch. 1691 adjacent George Marr in New Kent Co. The two Robert Andersons in these records (father and son) can be found in Descendants of Robert Anderson Roger Anderson 1638 headright of Chistopher Wormley to James City County 1640 headright of William Wigg to James City County Samuel Anderson 1679 headright of John Pleasants to Henrico Co. 1691 headright of Henry Batt to Charles City Co. Thomas Anderson 1643 headright of Edward Murfrey to South side Potomac River 1651 headright of William Ginsey to Yorke Co. 1673 headright of William Peebles to Charles City Co. 1682 headright of Thomas Mandue to Isle of Wight Co. Thomas Anderson 09/20/1683 400 acres Charles City Co. Crossing Cattail main branch. 1695 headright of George Archer to Henrico Co. These are several men possibly father and son, see Descendants of Thomas Anderson William Anderson William Anderson 11/03/1660 600 acres Northhampton Co. Matchotank Creek bounded W by main Bay, S by main branch of said creek, running N toward Anancock assignment by Nicholas Waddilow of 10/12/1652. William Anderson 11/03/1660 600 acres Northampton County At Matchotank Creek, bounded W by main Bay, E by former devdt. on S by a little creek and great Marsh. by assignment from Nicholas Waddilow in 1652. William Anderson 03/26/1676 450 acres Accomack County between lands of Occohonock and Matchepungo, bounded by Dorothy Jordan, Arthur Upshore, John Savage, John Sturges, Edward Smith and Henry Bishop. granted 1664 Cornelius Watkinson, escheated, granted Amb. White 1672, escheated granted Anderson for import of 9 persons. William Anderson 11/03/1686 200 acres Northampton County marsh Pocomoke & Messango is the 2 neerest Humocks to the W. end of St George's Island. granted John Parker 1672 escheated. See Descendants of William Anderson William Anderson (cont.) 1650 headright of George Taylor to N Rappahanock River 1663 headright of William Jones to New Kent County 1664 headright of Edmond Scarburgh to Westmoreland Co. 1665 headright of Henry Watts to Northumberland Co. William Anderson 12/10/1668 437 acres New Kent County Stratton Major Parish, branches of Poropotanke, N of plantation of John Fox, to S of Rappahanock Road. 64 bought of Thomas Hanks remainder for import of 8 persons. William Anderson 03/11/1675/76 60 acres Gloucester Co. in Petsoe Parish, land adjacent his own, Maj. Lewis, Nettle, John Jebell, near the five springs William Anderson 09/22/1682 90 acres New Kent County Begin at his fence to Rappahanock Path, by Rappahanock Road, to William Lines. 1683 land adjacent Henry Fox New Kent & Gloucester Co. at Wm Anderson's fence John Lewis Quarter up to William Lynes 1685 land adjacent Richard Davis at Rappahanock Road William Anderson and Dorothy Dabney his wife 04/25/1701 179.5 acres King & Queen Co. In Pamunkey Neck, St. John's Parish, on Pounce's Swamp, land adjacent Sarah Dabney Two men, the first is found in Descendants of Richard Anderson The latter is a grandson of Robert see Descendants of Robert Anderson
The MIDI file of "The Voices That Are Gone" (lyrics) by Stephen Collins Foster (1826-1864) is used by permission of Benjamin Robert Tubb from his website at Public Domain Music http://www.pdmusic.org.