Descendants of Richard Anderson

 

 

Generation No. 1

 

        1.  Richard3 Anderson  ("York Watershed"2, "Colonial Virginia"1) was born 1585 in Great Britain, and died Aft. 1635.  He married Elizabeth Hawkins December 20, 1611 in London, England, daughter of William Hawkins.  She was born March 21, 1583/84 in All Honey's Lane, London England.

 

Notes for Richard Anderson:

        Richard Anderson is by rumor and "family tradition" alleged to be the ancestor of the ANDERSON families of the York River.  How much of this is family tradition passed down and how much was made up by early researchers looking at ship lists I can't be certain by examining the published literature.  I have not seen a presentation of strong evidence of this association in the sources I have seen.

        This Richard Anderson appears on the passenger list for the Merchant's Hope (owned by William Barker) in 1635 and his age is listed as 50.  I have been able to trace his origin in genealogical circles as coming from Hottens Emigrants by John Camden Hotten.  What happened to him when he got to Virginia is undocumented.  Several writers claim he arrived in Virginia after sending his sons the year before.  How many sons depends upon which writer you read.

        Edward L. Anderson in "The Andersons of Goldmine" expressed the belief that the New Kent County Andersons descended from Richard Anderson and his alleged son Richard Anderson, appearing to take both from John Camden Hotten's works.  The sources below have essentially repeated this allegation appearing to have taken "The Andersons of Goldmine" as their source.

 

"Ye Andersons of Virginia", pages 231-288, Volume 11, Old Northwest Geanealogical Quarterly, Columbus, Ohio, 1908

"Anderson Family Records", by William Pope Anderson, Cincinnatti, Ohio, 1936.

"Historical Southern Families", Vol. XV, p. 201-202, Edited by Mrs John Bennett Boddie, P.O. Box 2775, Honolulu, Hawaii 96803, Genealogical Publishing Co., Baltimore, 1971.

"Burke's American Families With British Ancestry" (Genealogical Pub. Co., Baltimore, 1977) p.2539. Excerpted from "Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry," 16th ed. (London, 1939).

 

        The following article takes the suspicions of these sources and merges them, introducing a John Anderson as son of Richard and brother to Thomas Anderson the alleged ship builder of Gloucester Point.

 

Newspaper article by Bev Winston, in "The Daily Progress", Charlottesville, Va. 02/26/1984. copy on file at the Albemarle County Historical society office,  Charlottesville, Va.

 

        Richard Anderson and his alleged sons Richard, John, and Thomas would have settled into the area of York County, Virginia that was north of the Charles River at that time in the vicinity of Gloucester Point where John and Thomas reputedly set up their ship building business.  The Charles River was later renamed the York River and the area north of the river became Gloucester County.  Unfortunately all of Gloucester County's colonial records burned in an 1820 county courthouse fire and then again were burned in the Civil War at Richmond, Virginia. Without evidence from the Gloucester County Court records to connect them we will probably never be able to document these individuals or establish their relationships.

        None of the above sources gives an in depth discussion of the life and times of Richard Anderson, which would provide us with confidence that he is the progenitor of the attached sons.  I include him here because researchers will find him referenced in most Anderson family literature of the 20th century. I could not produce this genealogy without including a discussion of him. I have found no Virginia record that substantiates or disproves this mythology. The sons listed hereafter have no substantive connectivity with this elder Richard Anderson other than consecutive birth dates and physical presence in the York River in the corrrect era. 

        Since it took special courage to brave the crossing of the Atlantic at the age of 50 in 1635 Richard Anderson deserves his place here until further research displaces or accredits him.  I have added, in 2003, one son Robert Anderson in this genealogy just to show how easily it can be done, reflecting how easily the earlier claims were made; and of course it will perpetuate the myth. The London marriage record was added by another researcher writing in the 1960's but they included no discussion nor has anyone sent me any substance.

 

 

Notes for Elizabeth Hawkins:

        Elizabeth Hawkins is believed to be from the family of Admiral John Hawkins of Spanish Armada defense fame. the marriage record is from London Marriage Book #2, Page #8.   This marriage can be found in several of the files in the Broderbund Corporation World family Tree CD ROMS.  The birth is from a source sent to me but unfortunately separated from its envelope and thus lost.

____________

Another Source:

 

THE GEORGIANS, Genealogies of Pioneer Settlers by Jeannette Holland Austin.

 

        It has an article on the GA Anderson family that originates in Virginia and gives the marriage of Richard Anderson and Elizabeth Hawkins.

 

        Unfortunately my research has shown that the GA book contains serious errors.  There does appear in the records a Richard Anderson born 1585.  His alleged son Richard possibly did have a son Robert whose family has been documented.  However the son of Robert called James in "The Georgians" is not the James who married Rebecca Cooke as is claimed in the GA book.  The James Anderson who married Mary Jordan first and Rebecca Cooke as a second wife, is the son of Thomas Anderson whose family is documented under southside families within this GEDCOM or on the web page located at http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~anderson/virginia.html.

        James Anderson married first Mary Jordan and did have a son John but that John is not the one who married Sarah Carney.  Within the same GEDCOM and web page you can find details of James' son John who married Mary Bell and lived all his life in Virginia.

        John Anderson who married Sarah Carney and went to GA is also documented within this GEDCOM and web page.  I have had contact with several family members and they seem to agree based on the source of the marriage record of John and Sarah placing them in Stafford County, Virginia. This John was from the northern neck of Virginia and likely never met James Anderson of Surry County on the south side.

        I have been struggling for some time to correct the lineage in the Georgia Pioneers book and provide the documentation in the notes of this GEDCOM to help. 

        Currently however I have no reason to challenge the Elizabeth Hawkins marriage to a Richard Anderson and suggest to anyone investigating it to consider the possible relationships around and about London & Plymouth England of the Hawkins ship captains, the Barker ship owners, and the Anderson ship builders in hopes of applying substance to the mythology.

 

       

Children of Richard Anderson and Elizabeth Hawkins are:

        2                 i.    The Immigrant Robert4 Anderson, born 1613 in Great Britain; died Aft. 1666 in New Kent County, Virginia.  He married ? Bartelot; born Abt. 1620; died Aft. 1664 in New Kent County, Virginia.

 

Notes for The Immigrant Robert Anderson:

       Robert Anderson, "the immigrant" was born in Great Britain in 1613. Hottens Emigrants by John Camden Hotten provides us with the fact that Robert Anderson, age 22, embarked in "Ann & Elizabeth" April 27, 1635 for Virginia. In York County Wills & Deeds on 12/3/1657       Robert Andrewson is listed as a juror. In the sources discussed below; Robert Anderson, Sr. of New Kent is credited as being born between 1640 and 1645 and his family is known to use the name Bartelot Anderson. In a 1694 York County deposition Bartelot Anderson and his brother John Anderson testify that they are 36 and 30 years old, thus born in 1658 and 1664. The land of Robert Anderson is listed in the Virginia Patents as adjacent Moyses Davies at Tottopottomoyes Creek in 1666. Robert Anderson, the immigrant then likely had sons Robert Anderson, Sr. of York then New Kent, Bartelot Anderson of York, and John Anderson of York and New Kent County.

_______________

       This family has been researched for genealogical purposes since 1881. A Mr. Brock wrote several newspaper articles in the 1880's.  Edward L. Anderson wrote the earliest book on the Robert Anderson family and published "The Andersons of Goldmine" which can be found in the Library of Congress.  In 1936 William Pope Anderson began a re-work of the Robert Anderson family and documented that Robert Anderson,Sr. of New Kent County arrived in what is now Hanover county between 1670 and 1677 as one of 80 persons transported to Virginia by charter to George Chapman by William Berkeley, Governor.

       In the mid 20th century Nell Marion Nugent published her index of the Virginia Land Patents including volume: Cavaliers and Pioneers, Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents and Grants, 1623-1666, Nell Marion Nugent, Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., Baltimore, Maryland, 1983. My examination in 1980's of Cavaliers and Pioneers revealed that there is a patent record in 1666 that shows Robert Anderson was an adjacent landholder to Moses Davies at Totopotomys Creek in the delta of the Pamunkey River at the head of the York River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. In addition a Robert Anderson appears in York County records as a jurist on December 3, 1657.  It is very likely then that Robert Anderson, Sr. of New Kent County had been a resident of and been born in Virginia. Additional records would be available except that after Gloucester County was formed from York it's records were destroyed in an 1820 fire and the details of land purchases and wills along the north bank of the York River and at the mouth of the Pamunkey have been lost to that fire.  The most significant loss is how Robert Anderson obtained his land at Totopotomys Creek.

       If the family tradition of Edward L. Anderson in "The Andersons of Gold Mine" and repeated in  "Ye Andersons of Virginia", pages 231- 288, Volume 11, Old Northwest Genealogical Quarterly, Columbus, Ohio, 1908; are correct, Robert's father may be the Reverend Richard Anderson, mentioned in 1640's and 1650's York County, Viriginia Court Records.   "Burke's American Families With British Ancestry" (Genealogical Pub. Co., Baltimore, 1977) p.2539; Excerpted from "Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry," 16th ed. (London, 1939) contends that Robert Anderson, Sr. of New Kent probably descended from Richard Anderson who left England for the colonies 4 Jul 1635, being then aged 17, and was followed on 31 Jul of the same year by Richard Anderson, aged 50, who was presumably his father. The presumption is then that Richard Anderson age 17 in 1635 is the same as the Reverend Richard Anderson of York County VA and that he is the father of Robert Anderson, Sr. of New Kent.  The ancestors of Robert Anderson, Sr. of New Kent given in these sources are very speculative, unsubstantiated by record and there are some conflicts between several authors' publications. 

 

York County Wills & Deeds

12/3/1657       Robert Anderson is listed as a Juror

 

       Robert Anderson, Sr. of New Kent County should have been born by 1636 to qualify as a jurist in 1657. Indeed it would have been unusual to have a 21 year old on a jury. It is also unlikely that an established resident of New Kent County would be a juror in York County.

       This 1657 record suggests that there was an earlier generation of Robert Anderson living in York County and only recorded the once in the York County records. Hottens Emigrants by John Camden Hotten provides us with the fact that Robert Anderson, age 22, embarked in "Ann & Elizabeth" April 27, 1635 for Virginia.  With the scarcety of surviving records and the fact that most of those surviving records pertain to land ownership it is entirely possible that Robert Anderson, Sr.'s father was the Robert Anderson (b.1613) of the Ann & Elizabeth and and could be claimed to be the father of Robert, Bartelot and John of York County Records.  Robert Anderson, Sr. of New Kent County may not have been born until as late as 1645-1650.

       By adding this ancestor I am of course creating another vague and unreliable possibility for the parentage of Robert Anderson, Sr. of New Kent County. I am doing so deliberately just to emphasize how easy it is to contrive another lineage. My claim is supported by just 3 records. The published claims that Robert descends from Richard Anderson (b.1585) and his alleged son Reverend Richard Anderson are even more contrived and are unsubstantiated by any Virginia record that I have found as of 2003.

 

From the Virginia land patents

1666       Robert Anderson adjacent Moyses Davies at Tottopottomoyes Creek

1670       Robert Anderson adjacent John Fleming & Thomas Glass

 

       These two records indicate that a Robert Anderson already owned land along Tottopottomoyes Creek before 1666.  Totopotomy's Creek flows into the Pamunkey River from the south in the eastern part of what is now Hanover County Virginia.  While these notations refer to lands significantly upstream along the Pamunkey River it is a reported tradition that Robert Anderson had as his early primary residence properties at West Point near the junction of the Pamunkey, Mattaponi and York Rivers.  The western lands near Totopotomey's Creek were speculative and in the interests of his growning sons.

       The 1666 record is the first that we can soundly connect to Robert Anderson, Sr. of New Kent County, as this land can be traced in his possession. Whether this record is of his ownership, or that of his father we do not know.  Bartlet Anderson of York County was born in 1658 and his brother by record John Anderson of York County was born in 1664. This suggests that this elder Robert Anderson of the 1657 record was still alive at or near the time of the 1666 record.

       By accepting this earlier Robert Anderson (b.1613) of York County as the father of the Robert Anderson, Sr. of New Kent we relax the burden on having Robert Anderson, Sr. of New Kent being born early enough (ca1636) to be the jurist and late enough to be a son of the immigrant Richard Anderson of 1635 (ca 1636) which in fact leaves only that year 1636 in which he could have been born and still be the source of these entries in the Virginia Records. Having this one man be the source of these records would make him older by another 5 years than anyone has claimed to date.

       For this reason I contend as above that Robert Anderson, of York County, "the immigrant" was born in Great Britain in 1613 as found in Hottens Emigrants by John Camden Hotten. Robert Anderson, age 22, embarked in "Ann & Elizabeth" April 27, 1635 for Virginia. Robert Anderson settled in York County, Virginia and as appears in York County Wills & Deeds on 12/3/1657 Robert Andrewson at the age of 44 was a Juror. Robert Anderson had as his early primary residence properties at West Point near the junction of the Pamunkey, Mattaponi and York Rivers.  The western lands in New Kent County he obained by 1666 near Totopotomey's Creek were speculative and in the interests of his growning sons. I attribute to him sons Robert, Bartlet and John from York and New Kent County records, but do not exclude the possible existence of others.

 

 

Notes for ? Bartelot:

       Because of the use of the name Bartelot as a given name in this family, and the common practice in colonial times of naming a son with a given name the same as the surname of the mother consideration should be given that this woman was a Miss Bartelot.

 

        3                ii.    John Anderson (Source: Bev Winston of the Progess Staff, "The Daily Progress," Charlottesville, Virginia 02/26/1984.), born 1614 in Great Britain; died in Gloucester County, Virginia.  He married ?.

 

Notes for John Anderson:

       John Anderson arrived on the "Merchant Bonaventure" having embarked in January 1634/5 for Virginia, his age listed as 20.  He allegedly lived at Gloucester Point on York River according to family tradition in the article below and was a shipwright.  Gloucester Point is on the North Bank of the York River across from current Yorktown.

       However I have found no mention of John Anderson in early York or Goucester County. Because early Colonial Gloucester County records were destroyed in an 1820 fire the records needed to document him may be lost.  There are Andersons of the colonial period of the York and Gloucester County area and it is possible that some of them descend from this man. It is possible that he had several sons and it is important to remember that at this early time his sons may have resettled almost anywhere on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay. The family of Alexander and WIlliam Anderson of York county are of the correct age to be sons of this man and do use the name John for sons, but I have no substance with which to connect them.

_____________________

Subj:  Re:ANDERSON, Robert Colonial V

Date:  96-11-18 11:29:44 EST

From:  [email protected]        

See newspaper article in The Daily Progress, Charlottesville, Va. 02/26/1984. Merchant Hope, ship that brought Richard Anderson to Va. in 1635. His sons John and Thomas were in the shipbuilding business in Gloucester Pt., Va. In 1645, Robert Anderson, John's son became first Anderson born in Va. He was destined to take a 700 acre land grant on south branch of Pamunkey River and turn it into 5000 acre Goldmine plantation. For more, read above article, copy on file at the Albemarle County Historical society office,  Charlottesville, Va.

_______________________

        The article referred to above gives no supporting evidence that this John Anderson is the father of Robert Anderson.  It is just one of many conflicting claims that each of the three brothers John, Thomas and Richard were the father of the New Kent Anderson family.

 

 

 

        4               iii.    Thomas Anderson (Source: B. A. Brock, "The Richmond Virginia Standard," May 28, 1881.), born 1616 in Great Britain; died Aft. 1651 in Gloucester County, Virginia.

 

Notes for Thomas Anderson:

       Thomas Anderson arrived on the ship "Merchant Bonaventure" having embarked in January 1634/5 for Virginia, his age is listed as 18.  He lived at Gloucester Point on York River according to the tradition of Mr. Brock and was a shipwright.  Gloucester Point is on the North Bank of the York River across from current Yorktown.

       King Charles the I, of England, about the year 1635 became disenchanted with the mismanagement of the Virginia Colony by the London Company and revoked their charter and took control of the activities of the colony.  In addition to sending lawyers to set up the government offices in Jamestown, including creating 6 county governments and a land office in Jamestown and organizing the militia, King Charles also solicited volunteers among the shipyards of England to go to Virginia and establish repair yards for ships engaged in the Virginia trade.  There was a great need for those yards to take advantage of the plentiful Virginia timber which was becoming scarce in England and to provide repair facilities for ships engaged in the Virginia trade. The Andersons apparently responded to this call.

       There are Andersons of the colonial period of the Gloucester County area and it is possible that some of them descend from this man. It is possible that he had several sons and it is important to remember that at this early time his sons may have resettled almost anywhere on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay. 

       I have found no supporting evidence that this man had any family at all, however there remain unattributed Andersons of Colonial Virginia born in the 1637-1660 period who may well be his.  Because early Colonial Gloucester County records were destroyed in an 1820 fire the records to connect them may be lost. The following record indicates that a Thomas Anderson survived along the York River until after 1651. 

 

Virginia Patents Book 2, pge 310

William Guinsey 300 acres York County, 3 April 1651 upon southward side of Mattapony River, which tract is about 10 miles up the River. Transport of 6 persons: Wm Guinsey, Geo. Talker, Thomas Anderson, Ben. Dudley. (sic only 4 listed)

 

       The area of William Guinsey's patent is in the same vicinity that Robert Anderson established himself by 1666 and is possibly the reasoning behind the claims that Thomas was the founder of the New Kent Anderson family in the following 1881 newspaper article.  This leaves us with competing claims that the Reverend Richard, John or Thomas may have been the father of the Andersons of New Kent.

 

From the Richmond Virginia Standard, March 12, 1881 by B. A. Brock

Thomas Anderson was the traditional founder of the Anderson family near Gloucester Point where he founded a shipyard in the 17th century. Another representative of the family settled in St. Petersburg, Russia. It is claimed that an emblasoning of Thomas Andersons arms is extant as follows: Vert, three bucks lodged or. Crest--A buck lodged, holding in the mouth an acord leaved, and wounded in the breast by an arrow. Motto--Nit desperaudum, ausplee Dec.

___________________________

From:  [email protected]         

See newspaper article in The Daily Progress, Charlottesville, Va. 02/26/1984. Merchant Hope, ship that brought Richard Anderson to Va. in 1635. His sons John and Thomas were in the shipbuilding business in Gloucester Pt., Va.

 

       William Pope Anderson, as expressed in "Anderson Family Records" believed that Mr. Brock was depending on the memories of a friend who was confused about Naval Architect Thomas Anderson born in 1723 and settled in Hanover County.  However the presence of the 1651 patent lends just enough substance to the 17th century allegation that I continue to report it, although there is no substantive connectivity to the latter Andersons.

 

 

        5               iv.    Reverend Richard Anderson, born 1618 in Great Britain; died Aft. 1657 in Gloucester County, Virginia.  He married ?; born Abt. 1620; died Aft. 1645 in Gloucester County, Virginia.

 

Notes for Reverend Richard Anderson:

       Richard Anderson embarked for Virginia aboard the ship "Transport" in July 1635. The ships manifest says he was 17 therefore he was born in 1618. However Richard Anderson, age 30, embarked for Virginia in the "Truelove de London" in 1635. Richard Anderson, age 50, embarked in "Merchant's Hope" July 31, 1635.  There is no absolute way of proving which is this man.

 

York County Will & Deed Books

1/25/1646/7    Richard Anderson, Clerk mentioned in York County.

2/18/1647/8    Richard Anderson witnesses the will of Nicholas Dale and proves same in court.

 

       The identification of Richard as a Clerk means that he was what we now call a minister.  The church in Colonial Virginia was under the authority, but hardly supervision or control, of the Bishop of London, Church of England.  As minister he would have been considered a sober young man and of good quality to be a witness to wills. This act suggests that he was the youngest of the immigrants since a young person was usually selected as a witness to a will because their longevity would ensure their survival to authenticate the will in future litigation. 

       York County at this time included both the south and north banks of the York River. Nicholas Dale had settled North of the York River in 1638 with Ann his wife near Allens Creek. Reverend Richard Anderson's residence was therefore along the north bank of the York River at Gloucester Point across from current Yorktown, Virginia. This is the same location as the alleged brothers John and Thomas settled. In 1651 the north bank of the York River was taken from York County and formed into Gloucester County.

 

Va Patents

Richard Anderson

1654 imported to James City County East of Chickahominy River

       One was eligible for a headright upon arriving in Virginia if you were above 10 years of age.  The headright qualified you for receipt of 50 acres of land granted by the governor of the Colony of Virginia acting for the King. Headrights were negotiable and it is possible that Richard sold or transfered the headright he had never claimed in 1635; or as was common at the time Virginia gentlemen made one or two trips back to England on merchantile or family affairs and earned an additional headright upon their return to Virginia.

 

York County Will & Deed Books

10/26/1657     Mr. Richard Anderson listed in Estate settlement of Henry Lee

       His continued identification as Mister implies that he was still a Cleric. Henry Lee had arrived in York County in 1649.

 

       Despite the claims of descent from Richard Anderson, no one has written much about Reverend Richard Anderson. Although some of the New Kent Robert Anderson family suggests that they are descended from this man I have found no record of his descendants.  He is, by circumstance found in residual Gloucester County records, likely the father of the Richard Anderson and William Anderson who appear in the 1660-1690's in Gloucester, New Kent and King & Queen Counties sequentially formed northwest of the York River.  It is possible that the Richard and William Anderson of that region are sons of this man but it is unproven.  Both or any one of them may be sons of his alleged brothers or have independently immigrated.

 

Historical Southern Families, Vol. XV, p. 201-202 Edited by Mrs John Bennett Boddie, P.O. Box 2775, Honolulu, Hawaii 96803, Genealogical Publishing Co., Baltimore, 1971.

 

"Burke's American Families With British Ancestry" (Genealogical Pub. Co., Baltimore, 1977) p.2539. Excerpted from "Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry," 16th ed. (London, 1939).

_________________________________

Subj: ANDERSON RACE GROUND 

Date: 11/10/03 3:18:51 PM Eastern Standard Time

From: [email protected]

To: [email protected]

Sent from the Internet (Details)

 

Hello Mr. Anderson:

 

I am a reporter at The Baltimore Sun newspaper and also an author and historian. I am currently working on an article that will run in Smithsonian Magazine next spring. The article is centered around a famous horse race held in colonial Virginia. It was held on December 5, 1752 at something called Anderson's Race Ground, in Gloucester, VA. I came across your Anderson geneology Web site and wondered if you might have information about the race ground, as many top race tracks of the day were named after the large plantations or estates on which they rested, so Anderson's may well have been on Anderson property.

 

Any help with information or sources would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thank you,

John Eisenberg

 

 

Notes for ?:

       There are some allegations that this Richard Anderson married Mary Spencer, however my checking has revealed that Mary Spencer married a Richard Anderson of early Colonial Philadelpia, PA.