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Robert Anderson (abt. 1663 - abt. 1716)

Capt. Robert Anderson
Born about in New Kent, Virginiamap
Ancestors ancestors
Son of and [mother unknown]
Husband of — married 1690 in St Peters Parish, New Kent County, Colony of Virginiamap
Descendants descendants
Died about at about age 53 in New Kent County, Virginiamap
Profile last modified | Created 21 Mar 2011
This page has been accessed 7,055 times.

Contents

Biography

Birth, Family, Community

Robert Anderson, Jr. was the first born son of Robert Anderson Sr., the original Colony-born Anderson of this line. For an analysis of the birth order and birth years of the eight Anderson siblings, including Robert, see

Image:Andersons of New Kent Hanover Counties Virginia.pdf
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Robert Jr. was a significant businessman and plantation owner in New Kent County, Virginia. The two Roberts distinguished themselves during their overlapping adult years by adding the "Sr." and "Jr." designations. Robert Jr. was also a Captain in the militia and was often identified in the vestry records as Captain Robert Anderson.

Robert Jr. was born about 1663. Robert's birth date of 1663 is estimated and does not appear to be specifically confirmed by any historical record. Some sites list a specific month and date (May 24), but they cite no source to back up that date. W.P. Anderson's 1936 book on the Andersons does not give a birth year but does state, without citation, that Robert died in 1716 "aged about 53 years." If accurate, this statement supports a birth year of 1663. That year is loosely supported by the estimated birth year of Robert's first son Nathaniel (1700), which itself is loosely supported by the known birth year of Nathaniel's son George in 1724 in St. Peter's Parish, New Kent (now Hanover) County, Virginia.Hanover County was formed out of the western ¾ of New Kent County several years after Robert had died.

The Andersons had several tracts of land in western New Kent County north of the Chickahominy River and in between Mechumps and Crumps Creeks. Robert and his brothers (David, Richard, John, William, Matthew, and Thomas) appear in the same or nearby precincts during the early processioning of St Paul's Vestry. Robert was a major landowner in the County. His first two tracts of land, recorded in 1690, were of 1200 acres and 727 acres, respectively, both believed to be north of the Chickahominy.[1] The New Kent Quit Rent Rolls of 1704 indicate that Robert Jr. owned 700 acres in the parish of St. Peter and St. Paul.[2]

Robert was a major trader in tobacco and other goods. He left behind a "Tobacco Letter Book," housed at the University of Virginia Library, that contains over 170 pages of letters and notes reflecting his business transactions with Cuthbert Jones and Samuel Clarke of London and with several Virginia planters and businessmen such as John Page and Richard Lee.[3] Robert also ran a store and was a Captain in the New Kent militia, although there is no record of him serving in action. He also served as Justice of the Peace in 1714 in New Kent County.[4]

In addition to his business activities, Robert was involved early in St. Peter's Parish and later played a major role in the vestry of St. Paul's Parish in New Kent County. When St. Peter's parish was formed out of Blisland Parish in 1679, the Andersons and their neighbors were in the far western, "remote" part of the parish. Those westerners rarely served on the vestry likely due to the travel distances involved. But Robert Sr. is noted several times in the St. Peter's records for land clearing and participating in the committee of five upper county residents who organized St. Paul's Parish in 1704.[5]

The 1698 St. Peter's processioning lists both a "John Andrewson" and a "Robert Andrewson" close together. This is more likely Robert Sr. than Robert Jr., given Robert Jr's young age (25) and Robert Sr's prominent status at age 56. The spelling of the name also points toward Robert Sr., whose name is spelled Andrewson several times in early records, whereas by the time Robert Jr. came along the Anderson name had morphed into its modern form. The first historical reference that we can clearly attribute to Robert Jr. and not his father is probably the 27th of February 1702/03, when "Robert Ju." was ordered to help clear the roads on the "South Side of the Queen's high Road that goeth by Assascuen and so up the South Side Totopotomoys Creeke to Chickahaminy Swamp and down the said Swamp to the north side of Beaverdam Swamp and up the said Swamp to the head of mattadeon Creeke and thence down the said Creeke to m. Lewis's mill." St. Peter's Vestry at 89/127.

Robert then appeared two years later in the 1704 processioning in the new St. Paul's Parish. Robert and his father are both listed in precinct #2, as "Robert Anderson, Sr." and "Captain Robert Anderson." They are in the middle of familiar neighbors in the south of Pamunkey region of the county, e.g., David Crawford, Nicholas Mills Sr., Edward Penix, John Brown, Anthony Winston, John Sanders, and William Winston's widow.[6]

After the formation of St. Paul's Parish, both Robert Anderson Jr. and his father appear regularly as members of the vestry until their deaths (Robert Sr. in 1712, Robert Jr. in 1716).[7] The very first vestry entry, on Sept. 28, 1704, includes "Robt. Anderson, Sen." as a vestryman. His son Robert Jr. joined by the next meeting, January 1704/05, with his father listed as "Mr. Robt. Anderson Sr." and son as "Capt. Robt. Anderson."[8] Robert Jr. also served as Church Warden from 1710 to his death in 1716.[9]

Robert Jr. was heavily involved in the land processioning records of St. Paul's Vestry beginning in 1708/09. He appeared thereafter in each processioning until his death, in the same precinct with his brothers Capt. William Anderson, Thomas, Matthew, David, and John.[10] He also appears in several other precincts, apparently a reflection of his accumulation of land in other areas of the county. In 1711, Robert and his father were ordered to map out four precincts, including the area between "Tottapottomoys Creek and Machumps Creek", indicating their prominent status in the community.[11]

Robert Anderson Jr. thus served as one of the leading figures of New Kent County via his militia captaincy, justice of the peace role, land ownership, vestry activities, and factor and trader for local tobacco growers. His Letterbook is a major addition to our understanding of early New Kent County economics and traders.[12] His line continued to provide leaders for young America, including Robert's son Richard Clough Anderson, a Colonel in the Revolutionary War, and Robert Clough's son Robert of Ft. Sumter fame.[13]

Marriage and Children

In 1690, in New Kent, Robert married Elizabeth Overton, and together they had the following children:[14]

  1. Richard Anderson
  2. James Anderson (1689-1751)
  3. Garland Anderson
  4. Matthew Anderson
  5. David Anderson
  6. Robert Anderson (1712-1792)
  7. Nathaniel Anderson
  8. Charles Anderson (1713-1756)
  9. John Anderson

Death

Robert Anderson likely died sometime around February or early March 1716. He last appeared in the St. Paul Vestry records on October 15, 1715, and his last letter in the letter book is dated late 1715. The Vestry book notes on April 3, 1716 that Robert was "deceased," although he was still identified by name in the processioning records (probably because the succession to his land had not been effected yet). His widow Mary took over his business letters on March 23, 1715/16, in which she requests payment of their debts to her deceased husband. Thus, it appears he died somewhat close to the March 23 date, given the need of the widow and executors to wrap us his estate and collect in debts.

Research Notes

  1. See Sarah Anderson, 1984 [1938], p. 280.
  2. Des Cognets, 1958, p. 163. See also the article, "Virginia Quit Rent Rolls 1704" (1920).
  3. Tobacco Letterbook kept by Robert Anderson, 1698-1717, located in the Tracy W. McGregor Autograph Collection, ca. 1599-1947, Accession #10547, Special Collections Dept., University of Virginia Library, Charlottesville, VA.
  4. Des Cognets, 1958, p. 26.
  5. Chamberlayne, 1940, p. 94, 104, 107.
  6. Chamberlayne p. 209.
  7. Chamberlayne, 1940, p. 2-74
  8. Chamberlayne, 1940, p. 2-3. Robert Sr. always signed as Sr., and Robert Jr. was called "Capt. Robert Anderson" in the vestry notes. Robert the younger signed with the Jr. designation consistently throughout, and he continued to use that designation in his Letter Book even after Robert Sr. had died.
  9. Chamberlayne, 1950, p 39-74.
  10. Chamberlayne, 1940, p. 209 et seq.
  11. Chamberlayne, 1940, p. 51-52. See also p. 68.
  12. Those letters are signed by Mary the widow, and Robert's brothers David and Matthew, explicitly identified as his brothers by Mary in one of the letters.
  13. For more and fascinating reading on this family, see the excellent book by Professor Harry Stout, American Aristocrats (2017).
  14. Sarah Anderson (1938, p. 281-282) lists only these nine sons.

Sources

  • Anderson, Bob L. The Anderson Tree, and Me, based on information collected by his grand-aunt Mary Jenny Anderson (b. 7-31-1875 d. 2-25-1967). [Unpublished]. The sources of her information included family Bibles, courthouse records and The Andersons of Goldmine by Edward L. Anderson.
  • Anderson, Edward L. The Andersons of Goldmine, Hanover County, Virginia. Cincinnati, OH: privately published, 1913. Available for viewing at FamilySearch Books.
  • Anderson, Sarah Lewis. Lewises, Meriwethers, and Their Kin. Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1984 [originally published Richmond, VA., 1938], p. 280-283.
  • Anderson, Patrick. "Everett Anderson Memorial Collection of Colonial Virginia Anderson Families" (website) > Descendants of Robert Anderson (1613-aft.1666); > Descendants of Robert Anderson Jr (1663-1716).
  • Chamberlayne, C. G. (Ed.). The Vestry Book and Register of St. Peter's Parish 1684 to 1780. Richmond, VA: Virginia State Library Board, 1937.
  • Des Cognets, Louis, Jr. (Compiler). English Duplicates of Lost Virginia Records, Princeton, NJ: Privately published, 1958.
  • Find A Grave: Memorial #110708984 for Robert Penn Anderson Jr. (1663-1716).
  • The Vestry Book of Saint Peter's, New Kent County, Virginia, from 1682 to 1758. (Parish Record Series No. 3). Richmond, VA: The Colonial Dames of America in the State of Virginia, 1905. Available at Archive.org.
  • Virginia State Census records. Land records of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
  • "Virginia Quit Rent Rolls 1704", Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 28, No. 3 (July 1920), p. 207-218.






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Comments: 18

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A fellow WikiTrier recently added a first son Robert Anderson b. 1699 to this profile - I am fairly certain that is an error and have removed him. There is already another Robert Anderson among the sons of Robert Sr., highly unlikely the parents would give two children the same name. None of the major Anderson resources name this Robert Anderson as a son. His wife and family are not part of the Andersons of New Kent. If anyone disagrees, please let me know and we can discuss off line.
posted by William Anderson
The Suggestions area keeps adding this as a potential daughter and she has been connected to his wife Mary. I believe it is because Findagrave supports it but this isn't my focus right now andI wanted to ask here so either me or someone else can approve or say it is a False suggestion.

Link to a Dina Charity Anderson: [1]

Thanks! Becky Elizabeth Simmons-11603

posted by Becky Simmons
Becky, I would not add Dina Charity Hunt to Robert Anderson and Mary Overton Anderson. She is not one of their children. None of the major Anderson family researchers (W.P. Anderson, Edward L. Anderson, the Pat Anderson Rootsweb site) have named her or linked her to the Andersons of New Kent and Hanover Counties. I did some digging, there is very little information on her, several private family sites and Geni and Find-a-Grave that include the link to Robert and Mary Anderson but without any source citation or explanation. Those sites identify her birth county as Lunenberg VA - the Andersons never lived there. I took her out of the Robert Anderson profile the last time I edited it, and would recommend that we leave her out.
posted by William Anderson
Thank you-

I had no intention of adding her unless someone specifically said to but, rather, wanted the "go ahead" to say False Suggestion and to also contact FindaGrave with some data so they might do the same and stop the problem altogether...unless that is overkill? Cheers! Becky

posted by Becky Simmons
Ralph Hunt speculated in land and bought and sold tracts/parcels in Lunenburg County -- perhaps that is where the tree owners derived their Lunenburg association with the Andersons...
posted by Robert Smith
Additionally, Bartlett Anderson, son of Robert Anderson (?), witnessed the deed from Ralph Hunt to William Meriwether in 1733 in Hanover County -- some tenuous association between Hunt and Anderson families there...
posted by Robert Smith
Hi, Robert, thanks for jumping in. Bartelot was an attorney in Hanover and appears on a lot of documents I believe in that capacity, not from a family relationship. Not to say a relationship with the Hunts does not exist, but I think I would need more than Bartelot on a deed. I have a pretty extensive set of names in the Anderson clan in New Kent/Hanover and there are not Hunts in it (so far at least).
posted by William Anderson
Hi all, I am a direct descendant of Robert Anderson I 1642-1712 and am loading up the information I have on this line via extensive research. I need to do some repair work on Robert Anderson II to fix some things and include more detail on his life and children. E.g., Anne Baker just recently advised me of a "tobacco letter book" of Robert II's in the UVA library, tremendous source of information, I spent two days copying the pages last week. Will load some of that as I translate the records. Please stay tuned and review what I do to give me your feedback.
posted by William Anderson
Hello! New to this forum. This is my 9th great-grandfather. Just starting genealogy and just received a hint for him and trying to learn more about him.
posted by Rhonda Sharp
Anderson-1606 and Anderson-4541 appear to represent the same person because: Another merge. They are the same individual. The children are different but neither is the documents of the Anderson family. More work on children needed
posted on Anderson-4541 (merged) by [Living McCurdy]
edited by Lynn (McCurdy) Robinson
Merge completed
posted on Anderson-4541 (merged) by [Living McCurdy]
Don’t MERGE ANDERSON 1604 and 1606. The ANDERSON GENEAOLOGY HAS TWO DIFFERENT GENEALOGIES...BOTH MAY BE CORRECT. THIS IS GOING TO TAKE TIME TO FIGURE OUT.
posted by [Living McCurdy]
Anderson-1606 is a perfect match. It was initially proposed merge by Bob Nichol but nothing has been done??
posted by Suzy Young
Anderson-1606 and Anderson-46124 appear to represent the same person because: Dates, places, spouses match.
posted by Bob Nichol
Anderson-5642 and Anderson-4541 appear to represent the same person because: Duplicate?
posted on Anderson-4541 (merged) by Chris Hoult
Anderson-4533 and Anderson-1606 appear to represent the same person because: save given name, same LNAB, same location, same parents, many of the same siblings
posted by David Douglass
Anderson-9117 and Anderson-1606 appear to represent the same person because: I arrived here from another branch on the tree but I'm certain that these are the same person.
posted by Randy (Limpp) Dayton
Anderson-1606 and Anderson-14295 appear to represent the same person because: Same dates and places, same wife. Please merge. Thanks.
posted by Vic Watt

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