THE FAMILY OF WILLIAM ANDERSON, >>SENIOR >> >> The original copy of this paper was found among the effects of William >>Anderson, 3rd. of Sullivan County, Tenn., and is now in the possession of >>Miss Nannie Anderson of Johnson City, Tenn. A copy was made by Mrs. Will H. >>Fain, of Johnson City, for Rhea Anderson of Blountville, Tenn. He is in >>turn made a copy for James A. Anderson of University, Ala. and he in turn >>makes this copy for J. Fain Anderson of Washington College, Tenn. >> >> "A brief history of the Anderson family given by William Anderson the >>son of John, the son of William the first: To James W. Anderson the son of >>W.T., the son of Thomas, the son of William the first. >> >> William Anderson, (the first) was born in Ireland in 1736. His >>father's name was James: William had one brother and one sister, James and >>Sussanna. James married Sarah Young, James was born in 1730 and had four >>children, William, Samuel, Sarah and Jane. William the first was married in >>Ireland to Jane Bryan, she had brothers and sisters, but none further came >>to America, her father's name was Andrew. William Anderson and Jane came to >>America in 1762. James Anderson their oldest child was born in Maryland, >>John, (the father of this sketch) was born in Cecil County, Maryland. His >>father, William the first then moved to New Jersey near Monmouth Court >>House. Sarah and William were born there. They then, 1770 moved near >>Staunton, Virginia and lived there three years: Sussanna was born there, >>then in 1773 moved to Holston (now Sullivan County) settled on the place now >>William Hancher's , Andrew and Mary were born there: then moved to the old >>place on Island Road in 1775 or 1776 where the other children were born. >> >> William Anderson the first as stated above was born in Ireland in 1736, >>had good common intellect, a quiet well disposed and sober citizen, was five >>feet nine inches high, of fair or sandy complexion, his person rather comely >>with small feet and hands. Jane Bryan his wife was about the same age, they >>were married in Ireland, were thirteen weeks crossing the Atlantic, she (for >>the writer well rembers her) had a well defined face for a strong mind, her >>person was large and bony for a female was surely of a stout family, was a >>pious woman, pockmarked, smoked a pipe, never forgot a friend or forgave an >>enemy. She died in Sullivan County, East Tennessee on the night of the 23rd >>of August 1819. >> >> William and Jane Anderson had twelve children, 6 sons and six >>daughters. >> >> 1st. James Anderson the eldest was born Aug. 18th 1763. He married a >>Cousin or second Cousin, Hester Anderson, at the head of Holstein Virginia. >>They had a large family, five were deaf and dumb, though they had good minds >>and fine personal appearance. James was intemperate, his wife was a good >>and beautiful woman. They lived in Sullivan County until 1808, and removed >>to Middle Tennessee and both died in Bedford County, Tenn. >> >> 2nd. John Anderson was born 19th of Feby. 1765 in Cecil County, >>Maryland, was married to Rachel Roberts in Knox County, Tenn. (handwritten >>in Dec. 28, 1792) had twelve children, eight sons and four daughters, was >>strictly temperate, neither using whiskey or tobbaco, or even cider. He and >>wife died in Sullivan County, East. Tenn. where they had lived for many >>years, and where he had been surveyor of the county. >> >> 3rd. Sarah Anderson was born Jany 23rd 1767, was married to John >>Sharp, had a large family, and both died in Roan(e) County, Tenn. >> >> 4th. William Anderson was born April 23rd 1769, married to Elizabeth >>Yancy, had many children, moved to Know County, Kentucky, where they both >>died. >> >> 5th. Sussanna Anderson was born April 12th 1770, was married to Joshua >>Taylor, and had a large family, both died in Wilson County, Tennessee. >> >> 6th. Andrew Anderson, was born Oct. 21st 1773, was married >>(handwritten in Knox Co. Dec.11, 1797) to Margaret Roberts, they also had a >>large family, she died in Sullivan Co. Tennessee, he in Meigs county, >>Tennessee. >> >> 7th. Mary Anderson was born Oct. 26th 1775 was married first to Isaac >>Cole, then to George Deckard. All dead have three children. >> >> 8th. Margaret Anderson was born April 15th 1777, married to Samuel >>Brittian, large family, both died in Smith County, Tennessee. >> >> 9th. Thomas Anderson was born April 22nd 1779 was married to Mary >>Davis, had a large family, lived in Sullivan County, Tenn. until 1811 then >>removed to Duck River, Bedford County, Tenn. He died in Panola County, >>Miss. She died in McNairy County, Tenn. Oct. 3rd, 1833 >> >> 10th. Samuel Anderson was born Sept. 16th 1781 was married to Sussanna >>Caswell, they had several children, he has been dead for many years, she is >>supposed to be yet living at Shelbyville, Tenn. >> >> 11th. Jane Anderson was born April 16th 1783 married to John Roberts, >>they lived first in Knox County, then in Franklin County, both are dead >>having raised a large family. >> >> 12th. Elizabeth Anderson was born Mar. 30 1785, married to William >>Roberts, they first lived in Knox County, Tenn., then removed to Franklin >>County, Tenn., lived there a few years and returned to Knox County where >>they resided for several years, then removed to Texas where he died, she is >>supposed to be living in Texas (if so) she is the only one left of the >>family of William and Jane first mentioned and is over seventy five years of >>age. >> >> And the six daughters of William and Jane were of medium size, and all >>were one height, of good native intellect, of industrious and ious habits >>and was what was in their day called, Comely. Of the six males, William was >>the taller man, being over six feet high: Thomas the stouter, and Samuel >>the weaker. Though of respectable mental endowments, the writer of this >>sketch will not pretend to draw a distinction between them: either of them, >>though qualified to fill important offices, sought very few, and were >>contented and happy with a mere competence and comfortable living, though >>William had more property than any of his brothers. They were all peacable >>if unassailed, but dangerous if attacked. >> >> Of the family of William and Jane only one daughter is left, and about >>75 grandchildren; about 3 or 4 hundred great grandchildren and more than >>four times that many great-great-grandchildren. In that family the youngest >>must have been near fifty years of age before the dath of either of the >>brothers or sisters, and the medium age of the family was more than seventy >>years. >> >> The ancestors of William and Jane for many generations before their day >>must have lived and died in Ireland, and all of their descendants not now >>alive must have lived an died in the States and Territories of North >>America. Very many of their spirits it is hoped have been home to the >>bright world above, and the scattered dust of their bodies over this wide >>field, will be the hand of Omnipotence on that great day be brought forth >>and form a part of that great throng around the white throne, which we all >>are told will be so numerous that no man can count them: >> >> Sent to Jas. W. Anderson, this 20th of Dec. 1860. >> Copy made by Rhea Anderson of Blountville, Tenn. for Jas. Anderson, of >>University, Ala. Aug 19th, 1916. >> This copy made by Jas. Anderson, for J. Faither Anderson, of Washington >>College, Tenn. this 11day of Nov. 1916. >> >>