The name of Anderson
The name of Anderson Is Scandinavian in origin. The remote ancestor of this family went to Scotland with the Danes, who, for a time, held the Eastern Coasts of Scotland, and England, from the Penland Firth to the Humber. The Anderson’s lived in the most northern part of Scotland; historical records mention members of the family as far back as 1350. These may be found in the Visitations, that is, in the inspections made by the Garter King at Arms to settle contentions as to titles and estates. Among these are the Anderson’s of Newcastle on Tyne. About 1575 Josey Anderson flourished as a merchant in Paisley Scotland. He was prominent in religious circles, being an officer in John Knox’s church. His descendants are said to have come to America and settled in Minnesota. Other branches of the Anderson family left Scotland during the rebellion and went to Ulster Ireland, where they remained for a short time, then come to America and settled in Augusta County Virginia. This entire story will concern only the Anderson families who settled in Virginia in the early 1700’s.
The Anderson family of America generally spoke of, as "Scotch Irish" were in fact of pure Scottish decent. As proof of this statement the following is quoted from Maxwell History and Genealogy by Houston, pages 20-21: "Emphasis upon the fact that Scotch Irish is purely an American term and does not indicate a mixed Hierno-Scottish descent. It is a distinctive race name applied to descendants in America of early Scotch Presbyterian emigrants from Ireland. These people in 1600 – 1700 settled in Ulster, whence their descendants, having long suffered under civil and religious oppression, sought a more promising home in America.
Quoting further: The Great Plantation of Ulster. Names 1 – Confiscation of Lands. Colonization of the six ensheated counties.
These who acquired grants were bound to live on the land themselves to bring English and Scotch settlers, to build for themselves and tenants homes, fortified places and churches. Native Irish were assigned to the poorer land. English and Scotch allotments kept together the communities SO THEY MIGHT NOT INTERMARRY AND MIX THE IRISH RACE. The purpose was to introduce a Scotch population on North Ireland, instead of an Irish one, as well as to transfer ownership of land. Men who got these grants were of much higher social standing of wider influence then those who first applied."
As a general name, Anderson is synonymous with Scotch Presbyterianism and it is interesting to find the earliest history of the family in America bound up in the early history of the church. Apparently the first American with this name was James Anderson, a Presbyterian Minister, born in Scotland November 17 1678. He arrived in this country April 22 1709 to settle in New Castle Pennsylvania (my note: Delaware) and became one of the founders of the Presbyterian Church in America. About 1738, when the tide of emigration turned toward the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia, the Reverend James Anderson was sent as an emissary of the Philadelphia Synod, and at the home of John Lewis, preached the first sermon delivered in that section. This was probably the incentive that led to the building of Old stone Church near Middle River, in Augusta County, Virginia. It was begun in 1740 and completed in 1747.
At this time, about 1736, four Anderson brothers, John, James, George and William Anderson settled in the Old stone Church neighborhood. As proof that they were brothers the following is quoted from George Christian’s letter in the Lyman C. Draper collection.
Father was married to Margaret Anderson, daughter of George Anderson of Middle River, Augusta County, in 1762 or 3. There were four brothers of the Anderson’s, John, James, George and William. They were among the first settlers of Augusta County. They were from Pennsylvania.
Apparently there is a disagreement among genealogists as to whether the four Anderson brothers were related to the Rev. James Anderson, but it is definitely known that two of the Rev. James Anderson’s children settled in Augusta County, Virginia. They were John Anderson, born January 13,1724, and Susannah Anderson, born September 14,1725. She married Col. John Woods, of Albermarle County, Virginia, son Michael Woods and Lady Campbell of Argylshire, Scotland, John Anderson married 1750, Anna Irvin (Erwin). Their descendants were pioneers in Madison County, Kentucky.
There is a tradition that the children of the Rev. James Anderson claimed a relationship with the families of the four Anderson Brothers. Numerous records show the Anderson Brothers were men of prominence and influence, and always at the front in defense of their country. The History of Orange County by Scott shows William Anderson was an ensign in 1742 under Col. Jas Patton. According to tradition they helped to build the Old stone Church. They with others carried stones and other necessary materials in sacks, caskets and every conceivable container and presumably helped with the actual construction of the building. Some of them became elders and all were staunch supporters of this Church as long as they lived.
Descendants who live in Augusta County say they were buried in the old cemetery across the road from the Church. Many of the early markers of graves were of wood and have long ago disappeared, the writer was told when she visited the old Cemetery in 1940.
Virginia Land office records show that the bros. John, James, George and William Anderson received from King George 11 grants of large tracts of land on Middle River, in Augusta County, Virginia as early as 1738. Descendants of John Anderson have told the writer that he owned 1170 acres at Bowlings Mill, near Staunton, where he, or his son, built a house that has a fine example of Colonial architecture. It contained ornate mantels and expensive paneling and was a showplace of that locality. The last of the Anderson’s who lived there was Willie Anderson, son of Andrew Anderson. He had one son and one daughter. About 1882 the house was bought by Edward Furr and was entirely destroyed by fire about 1925. James Anderson, the scholar of the family, lived on Middle River, near what is now known as Springhill, Virginia. He founded the Anderson School, which is known to have been a flourishing school in 1754. It is said there were only two schools in the Shendanoah Valley at that time. The writer has visited the Wm. Anderson home and made Kodak pictures of the house and outer buildings. Near the house stands the old spring stone house which was built by Wm. Anderson himself, about 1740. It is still in good condition and used by the tenant in 1941. At present, 1940, the residence contains 8 rooms. The four Anderson brothers came from Ulster, Ireland and landed at the Port of Philadelphia about 1732. Margaret Anderson, mother of the four brothers, made a sworn statement in Dec. 1757, that she knew a Mr. Francis in Chester C., Pennsylvania about 1736-38 as proof of the emigration. Wm. Anderson married again about 1745, for his next child, Mary was baptized June 21,1747. His second wife was Elizabeth. William and his second wife had the following children:
They moved to Washington County, Virginia when the country was a wilderness. Their hose was the "Block House", an old fort at the head of Carter’s Valley. Here at the "Block House", they raised a family of four sons and four daughters, as follows:
Their son, Audley Anderson, who married Elizabeth Rhea, went from the Block House to Blountville, Tennessee. He bought property in this town and engaged in the mercantile business until his death in 1818. In a diary kept by John Rhea, a nephew of Elizabeth Anderson flea, he states that Jno. Anderson was appointed by the Legislature of the Territory South of the Ohio River with Geo. Maxwell and Richard Gammon as Commsrs. in the year 1795 to lay of f the court house town of Sullivan County, Tennessee and at the same time they named it Blountville.
The youngest son, Col. Isaac Campbell Anderson, who married Margaret flea, was a prominent officer in the militia of his day and was a magistrate in Scott County, Virginia for more that twenty-five years.
Capt. Jno. Anderson’s youngest son, Col. Isaac Campbell Anderson, explained in a letter why his father held four commissions from four Governors from four different states. It was due to the fact that Jno. Anderson did not know where he belonged until the line between Virginia and North Carolina, later Tennessee, was finally settled. Jno. Anderson’s commissions were as follows: May 18, 1777 appointed Captn. of Washington County Militia by nov. Henry Patrick (Patrick Henry). In 1784 made a Lt. Col. by Gov. Martin of North Carolina August 17, 1785, appointed Judge by Gov. John Sevier of Franklin. October 1790, appointed Justice of the Peace of Sullivan County, Tennessee by Gov. Blount, of the Territory South of the Ohio River.
Jno. Anderson was a member of the first court of Washington County, Virginia. He also was a member of the Convention, which voted that the western country should be free and independent of North Carolina. He saw service as captain in the Revolutionary War. In fact he was an important man of his time. He died at "Block House", now Scott County, Virginia on Oct. 13, 1817 and was buried in the Morrison graveyard about five miles southeast of Gate City, Virginia.
His grandson, Jos Rbea Anderson (son of Co. Isaac C. Anderson) born Oct. 25,1819, was the founder of Bristol, Tennessee-Virginia. Jos. Rhea Anderson purchased one hundred acres of land and laid out the lots in 1857 and named it for the great manufacturing city of Bristol, England. He moved his family there and began business as a merchant also went into the banking business, but abandoned both when the Civil War broke out. After the war he re-engaged in banking, established the First National Bank of Bristol with a paid up capital of $50,000 and later formed the National Bank of Bristol, of which he was president. He was also Mayor of Bristol. He was a railroad director from 1863-1865, having charge of funds of B. Tennessee & Virginia roads, In 1868 he became director again and continued such until 1888. He married Malinda King and had six children.
There are numerous prominent descendants of Captn. Juio. Anderson and Rebecca Maxwell in Bristol and that vicinity. Going back to Captn. 3110.. Anderson, the writer descends through his second son Jno. Anderson, Jr. who was born Oct. 5,1778 and married Elizabeth McNair November 12,1805. They moved to Bledsoe County, Tennessee, soon after their marriage and their first child is said to be the first white child born in Sequatchee Valley. As the war of 1812 was near the end , 3110. Anderson,Jr. enlisted as a Lt. Col., 3rd (Jonhson’s) Regiment, E. Tennessee Militia. He was appointed September 17, 1814, began service September 20.1814 and died of a fever in a fort in Alabama, October 17,1814.
The children of John Anderson,Jr. and Elizabeth McNair were:
All of the above sons, Josiah McNair, James N. and Jno., Anderson, III were outstanding men of their time Several chapters could be devoted to the life of the second child, Josiah McNair Anderson, who was a brilliant lawyer and U.S. Congressman, having been elected to the latter office in 1852, after having held several of public trust in the State of Tennessee. He owned some forty thousand acres of land in Sequatchee Valley and liver the life of a Southern gentleman. It is said that he owned the finest library of English Classics and books in that section of the South. He was also a sportsman and noted as a keeper of fine horses. His descendants are numerous in Tennessee.
John Anderson, III, the youngest son moved in 1825 to Hamilton County, Tennessee near Long Savannah at Anderson Springs, one of the most beautiful spots in Hamilton County. John Anderson, III served as Postmaster at Savannah for forty years, thus establishing a record in the U.S. Postal Department. He was a member of the Tennessee Legislature serving in the House of Representatives in 1885 and 1887. His second wife was Purmily Luttrell, a daughter of the Rev. George Luttrell.
The eldest child of col. John Anderson and Elizabeth McNair Anderson, Louisa Maxwell Anderson was the writer’s great-grandmother. She inherited her mother’s keen intellect and interest in education.
For the story of Betsy McNair Anderson, see the McNair Genealogy by this writer. Louisa Anderson and her husband, Allen Kirkland entertained many distinguished persons who visited Sequatchee valley. Among their close friends was Bishop A. N. McTear who secured the first donation from Cornelius Vanderbuilt to build the Vanderbuilt University in Nashville,
Tennessee and then became the first president of this University. He was a frequent visitor in the Kirkland home and often remarked about the keen mentality of Louisa Anderson Kirkland and reclaimed her a woman who was one hundred years ahead of her time in her thought. The Kirkland home in Sequatchee valley, a rambling two-story house with large rooms and large stone chimneys, still stands as an example of the pioneer homes in Sequatchee valley. Allen Kirkland and his brother, Elisha, were the largest land owners in this valley in the 1840’s. (For the story of their home and family see the McNair Genealogy by this writer).
The children of Louisa Anderson and Allen Kirkland were:
The sons Allen, John and Moses Kirkland died unmarried. However one son, James was married and went west to locate.
The writer descends from Louisa A. Kirkland and Allen Kirkland through their daughter, who married Judge James Marion ‘Stewart. Judge Stewart was a prominent man of Sequatchee valley, holding offices of public trust until about 1893 when he retired from active life, but lived until two months of his ninetieth birthday. He died Dec. 14,1918.