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]
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.