Person:James Anderson (37)

Rev. James Anderson was one of the Early Settlers of Augusta County, Virginia

Contents 1 Early Land Grant in Augusta County, VA 2 Early Land Acquisition in Augusta County, VA 3 Early Account of Rev. James Anderson		Welcome to Old Augusta Early Settlers Beverley Manor Borden's Grant Register Data Maps Places Library History Index
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Early Land Grant in Augusta County, VA

Rev. James Anderson received an early grant of 1,000 acres in "Beverley Manor", Augusta County, Virginia (some sources claim it was granted from Governor Gooch) in 1738. An early survey was done on the property sometime between September-December, 1738 (shown below). About the same time, in 1738, Rev. Anderson delivered the first sermon ever preached west of the Blue Ridge at the home of John Lewis, a prominent early settler of Augusta County, VA.* Unfortunately, Rev. Anderson died shortly after the land was surveyed, in 1740. It is unclear if any of his children ever took possession of this land (or if it was sold back to William Beverley) because 945 acres of this same land were later granted from William Beverley to Robert Moody (473 acres) and John Frazier (472 acres) on 22 February, 1749.

• * - Source: Genealogies and Sketches of Some Old Families who Have Taken Prominent Part in the Development of Virginia and Kentucky Especially: And Later of Many Other States of this Union, by Benjamin Franklin Van Meter, pg. 7.

Early Land Acquisition in Augusta County, VA

Rev. James Anderson's Survey (Beverley Manor NE, 1,000+ acres) as shown on the map meticulously drawn by J.R. Hildebrand, cartographer. This map is copyrighted©, used by permission of John Hildebrand, son of J.R. Hildebrand, April, 2009.

Early Survey of Land from Chalkley's: (2 surveys for Rev. James Anderson)

• (62) ____ber 5, 1738, survey for ye Reverent James Anderson, beginning at a Red Oak and White Oak by Midow Side ye Midow bearings, S. 50 W. 4, Run; N. 40 W. 164 to 2 Chesnuts, Oaks and 1 White Oak; S. 50 W. 560 to a White Oak and 2 Locus standing on ye side of a hill by a branch, thence S. 40 E. 230 to a branch running to ye right to 2 White Oaks in ye head of a velley; N. 50 E. 280 to 1 small Hiccory, thence S. 40 E. 40 to 1 White Oak; N. 50 E. 288 to a Red Oak and Hiccory, thence--

• (66) ( ), beginning at 2 White Oaks in ye Rev. James Anderson's line 23 poles from where we begun and runneth, thence N. 60 E. 143 to 1 White Oak to George Anderson's N. E. 182, 40 8 ch. Robison's Midow Branch to 1 White Oak and blazed Red Oak Seawright. Survey for Geo. Hutchison, beginning at 1 White Oak and runneth--

Early Account of Rev. James Anderson

From Ulster-Scots in Virginia, From Pennsylvania to Shenandoah, by Richard MacMaster, pg. 7: http://www.ulstervirginia.com/ulsterscotsvirginia.asp

Opequon Church Organized

• Many of the Opequon settlers in Frederick County were Scotch-Irish from the Elk river region at the head of Chesapeake Bay where Rev. Samuel Gelston was minister, among them William Hoge and his family. They erected a meeting house on Hoge's land, and wrote Mr. Gelston to visit them; which he did on a commission issued by Donegal Presbytery, May 26, 1736. He was followed in 1737 by Rev. James Anderson, pastor of Donegal Presbyterian Church, and between them the Opequon congregation was put in church order.

Beverley Manor Settlers Request a Minister

• Nor did the Augusta settlers forget their Presbyterian faith. At the September 1, 1737 meeting of Donegal Presbytery in Pennsylvania "A Supplication from the New Setled People of Beverly Manor in ye back parts of Virginia requesting Supplies" was read. Presbytery directed Rev. James Anderson to write them an encouraging letter, pledging a minister would visit them the next spring.

The Minister and the Governor

• On May 28, 1738 the Presbyterian Synod of Philadelphia wrote to Governor Gooch of Virginia "in behalf of a considerable number of our brethren who are meditating a settlement in the remote parts of your government" to ask his "favour in allowing them the liberty of their consciences" to worship God. Rev. James Anderson of Donegal carried their letter to Williamsburg. On his way Anderson stopped with Scotch-Irish settlers at "O'peKan," "Massenottin," "Beverley Manor," and "Head Springs of Sherrando" and carried similar petitions from each of them to Governor Gooch. The Governor responded favorably to Synod’s letter, that "as I have always been inclined to favour the people who have lately removed from other provinces, to settle on the western side of our great mountains; so you may be assured, that no interruption shall be given to any minister of your profession who may come among them." Anderson stayed two months in Williamsburg, working with the Governor and the House of Burgesses for legislation to create counties west of the Blue Ridge and provide for self-government and religious freedom there. On his way home he preached and organized congregations in the Shenandoah Valley, among them Cooks Creek and Massanutten in Rockingham County.

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~sassytazzy/family/surnames/thompsonjohngennotessogrl.html Miscellaneous note: Rev. James Anderson, "perhaps the most influential minister in synod, a strong friend of Thomson and a protagonist with him for the Adopting Act" was appointed to visit Governor Gooch. While on this visit to VA, Anderson visited Col. John Lewis & preached the first sermon in Augusta Co., VA.

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} One World Tree (sm).

   Online publication - Ancestry.com. OneWorldTree [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc.

2. ↑ U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900.

   Online publication - Yates Publishing. U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2004.Original data - This unique collection of records was extracted from a variety of sources including family group sheets and electronic databases. Originally, the information was derived from an array of materials including pedigree charts, family history articles, querie.