James Anderson

194 Pages·2008·1.37 MB·English

by  Leisha Cook

Through Different Eyes:
Biographies of
Eighteenth-Century Residents

Department of Education Outreach
Table of Contents

Residents of Eighteenth-Century Williamsburg

James Anderson.............................................................................................................................2
William Ashborne..........................................................................................................................7
Catharine Blaikley.......................................................................................................................10
Lydia Broadnax............................................................................................................................18
Margaret Brodie...........................................................................................................................23
Christiana Campbell.....................................................................................................................26
Frances Tasker Carter..................................................................................................................33
Jane Hunter Charlton...................................................................................................................37
Alexander Craig...........................................................................................................................43
Martha Cripps..............................................................................................................................48
Elkanah Deane.............................................................................................................................52
Dennis..........................................................................................................................................58
Edmund Dickinson.......................................................................................................................64
Eve...............................................................................................................................................70
Gaby.............................................................................................................................................78
John Minson Galt.........................................................................................................................83
James Geddy................................................................................................................................89
John Greenhow............................................................................................................................94
Thomas Gwatkin........................................................................................................................100
Anthony Hay..............................................................................................................................106
Thomas Hobday.........................................................................................................................112
Matthew Hubard........................................................................................................................116
William Hunter..........................................................................................................................121
Richard Joliffe............................................................................................................................128
Judith..........................................................................................................................................132
John Nettles................................................................................................................................136
Gowan Pamphlet .......................................................................................................................139
George Pitt.................................................................................................................................144
Benjamin Powell........................................................................................................................148
Elizabeth Randolph....................................................................................................................154
John Randolph...........................................................................................................................166
Catherine Rathell.......................................................................................................................172
Clementina Rind........................................................................................................................177
John Rollinson...........................................................................................................................185
Adam Waterford........................................................................................................................191

© 2008 The Colonial  Foundation 1
James Anderson
James Anderson

James Anderson was a successful blacksmith. He served as public armourer for the colony of
Virginia and later for the Commonwealth of Virginia (both before and after independence was
declared). He advertised in the Virginia Gazette to gain apprentices, and later offered their wares
for sale. He was married to Hannah Tyler of Essex County and they had 8 children. He died in
1798 and is buried in Bruton Parish churchyard.

Name: James Anderson

Birth Date: January 24, 1739/40

Birth Place: Abingdon Parish, Gloucester, Virginia

Death Date: September 1798

Death Place: Williamsburg, Virginia (Buried in Bruton Parish churchyard)

Parents: William Anderson
Sarah Pate Anderson

Siblings: Anne (born December 26, 1737/8)
Sarah (November 23, 1741–June 1, 1824)
William (b. November 18, 1743)
Matthew (October 6, 1745–November 1803)
Mary (March 5, 1747/8–December 10, 1822)
Rachel (July 9, 1756–December 6, 1825)

Education: Anderson could read and write. He may have been apprenticed to
his uncle, Thomas Pate, a Williamsburg blacksmith.

Spouse(s): Hannah Tyler of Essex County, Virginia
(December 25, 1740–January 12, 1803)
married February 8, 1766, Prince George County, Virginia

Children: William (January 2, 1767–September 1802)
John Tyler (September 7, 1768–January 12, 1803 [or 5])
Leroy (December 6, 1770–November 21, 1837)
Ann (Nancy) (October 24, 1772–d. after 1840)
James (October 8, 1774–June 15, 1805)
Julia (b. March 9, 1777)
Henry (March 29, 1779–d. after 1840)
Robert (October 22, 1781–1859)

Occupation: Blacksmith (1762–1798)
Merchant ? (1770–1773)
© 2008 The Colonial  Foundation 2
James Anderson

Office(s) Held: Public Armourer, colony of Virginia (1765–1776)
Petit Juror, York County, Virginia (1770, 1771, 1772)
Public Armourer, Commonwealth of Virginia (1776–1782)
Captain, Company of Artificers (1780–1782)

Political Affiliation: patriot

Residence(s): Abingdon Parish, Gloucester, Virginia (1740–1762?)
Williamsburg, Virginia (1762–1767)
Williamsburg, Virginia (June 1767–October 1770), southern half
Lot 19
Williamsburg, Virginia (October 1770–1780?) Lot 18
Richmond, Virginia (1780?–1783), Ward 4
Williamsburg, Virginia (1783–1798), Lot 18

Miscellaneous: According to court records and government records, the
households of James Anderson both in Williamsburg and
Richmond included a number of apprentices and slaves.

Sources: Family Record Book of James Anderson
Abingdon Parish, Gloucester County, Virginia
James City County (Virginia) Sheriff Book
Robert Carter account book
Robert Anderson Papers
Virginia Gazette & General Advertiser
York County (Virginia) records

Bibliography: Gill, Harold B. The Blacksmith in Colonial Virginia.
Williamsburg, Virginia: the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation,
1965.

Hole, Donna C. Forge Construction in the Eighteenth and
Nineteenth Centuries. Williamsburg, Virginia: the Colonial
Williamsburg Foundation, 1981.

Stephenson, Mary A. James Anderson Blacksmith Shop Historical
Report. Williamsburg, Virginia: the Colonial Williamsburg
Foundation, 1961.

Watson, Aldren A. The Village Blacksmith. New York: Crowell,
1968.

Weygers, Alexander G. The Making of Tools. New York: Van
Nostrand Reinhold, 1973.

For more information: Blacksmith Shop
© 2008 The Colonial  Foundation 3
James Anderson

Click on an image to view or download a larger version.

James Anderson House James Anderson Blacksmith Shop

The Magazine

© 2008 The Colonial  Foundation 4
James Anderson

LETTER FROM GOVERNOR PATRICK HENRY TO RICHARD HENRY LEE

Saturday the 21st of March 1777.
Mr. James Anderson this day agreed to do Blacksmith’s work for the Commonwealth of
Virginia at his shop in Williamsburg on the following terms for six months, and for a longer time
unless he shall give the Board one month’s notice of his intention to decline the Business, or they
shall give him the same notice of their intention to discontinue him via Mr. Anderson is to be
allowed fifteen shillings per day for his own wages including Sundays, for the rent of his shop,
six setts of Tools and eight Vices for the Gunsmiths Business at the rate of ninety pounds per
annum, he is to be allowed 6 per day for boarding each work man, for his two forges and five
apprentices three pounds per month each, and if he is deprived of either of them by any accident
he is to supply their place with another Hand as good; He is to employ such other workmen as
the public Business requires on the best terms he can, and charge the country with whatever
wages he pays.

HR McIlwaine, ed. Official Letters, Governors of Virginia, Letters of Patrick Henry, Vol. I, Richmond: Virginia
State Library, 1926, p. 127.

VIRGINIA GAZETTE ADVERTISEMENTS

Williamsburg; Sept. 25, 1777.
GREAT wages will be given by the subscriber to journeymen GUNSMITHS, BLACKSMITHS,
and NAILORS, that are good workmen. None others need apply. Six or eight boys are wanting,
as APPRENTICES.
(tf) JAMES ANDERSON

Virginia Gazette (Purdie) October 3, 1777

STRAYED or STOLEN from me when at Williamsburg, about the first of February last, a
mouse-coloured mare with a blaze face, about 13 hands and a half high, about 6 years old, but is
not branded that I remember. Whoever brings her to mr. James Anderson, blacksmith, or to me
in Louisa, shall have 10s. reward.

ELLYSON ARMISTEAD

Virginia Gazette (Purdie) March 29, 1776

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James Anderson
JAMES ANDERSON LEDGER

1771 Mr Henry Morse Dr to James Anderson
Jan 22 To Cleaning 3 guns @ 3/ 0..9..0
March 22 To Cleaning 3 Do @ 3/ 0..9..0
August 28 To plating Chair Shafts ?..?..3
To mendg a spring 0..2..6

1772
May 25 To a New tumbler pr lock 0..2..6
June 3 To Mending Bridle Bitt 0..0..7 1/2
7 To Mending a Chair 0..2..6
July 30 To Altering a Spring 0..3..9
To Do 2 bolts 0..1..3
May 18 To feeding 2 horses
20 days @ 4/ 4..0..0
To laing axletree pr Chair 0.15..0
To 3 Tiar Nails @ 1 1/2d 0..0..4 1/2
To pr Clamps pr Wheels 0..2..6
July 5 To 2 gallons oats 0..1..3
. . .
Decmb 7 To a key pr lock 2/6 mendg
lock 1/3 0..3..9

1774
Jany 18 To a Nutt for Chair 0..0..7 1/2
Augt 22 To 8 Dog Nails 8d Cleang
a Gun 2/6 0..3..2

1775
May 17 To a Key for a lock 0..2..6

Webb-Prentis Papers (Alderman Library, University of Virginia).

Work done for the Capitol by James Anderson
1773
May 24 To Cleaning a Stove 1..0..0
July 26 To 4 Bars prs Statue 2..4..5
Octr 3 To 3 Bars prl Doors @ 2/6 0..7..6
To 4 Do @ 5/. 20 mendg a
hinge 2/6 1..2..6
4 To Eight hooks @ 7 1/2 0..5..0
15 To 2 Keys prs locks @ 3/9 0..7..6
To a Box prs do

1773 Country Dr
Apr 25 To half a Year Salary as Armourer to
the Magazine £10

Anderson Accounts, Brock Collection (Huntington Library).
© 2008 The Colonial  Foundation 6
William Ashborne
William Ashborne

William Ashborne was an indentured servant. Ashborne left London for Virginia in December
1773. As a cutler, he made, sharpened, and sold knives, razors, scissors, and other sharp-edged
tools.

Note: In the third quarter of the eighteenth century, indentured servants were still coming to
Virginia, but they tended to be highly skilled craftspersons rather than unskilled farm laborers, as
had been the case in the seventeenth and earlier eighteenth centuries.

Name: William Ashborne

Birth date: 1753

Birth place: probably England, possibly London

Death date: unknown

Death place: unknown

Parents: unknown

Siblings: unknown

Education: unknown

Spouse: unknown

Children: unknown

Occupation: cutler
indentured servant

Political affiliation: unknown

Residence(s): London, England
Williamsburg, Virginia

Sources: York County records
Virginia Gazette

For more information: Geddy Foundry
Blacksmith Shop
Wigshop
© 2008 The Colonial  Foundation 7
William Ashborne

Click on the image to view or download a larger version.

Blacksmith Shop Foundry

Wigmaker
© 2008 The Colonial  Foundation 8
William Ashborne
WEEKLY EMIGRATION RETURNS

Name: William Ashborne Embarked from Port of London:
11-18, December, 1773

Age: 28 Trade: Cutler Residence: London

Bound for Virginia on the Virginia Captain: Howard Eaton

Indented Servant

VIRGINIA GAZETTE ADVERTISEMENT

WILLIAM ASHBURN,, Cutler from London, has opened Shop near the Capitol in
Williamsburg, and makes and sells all sorts of Knives, Razors, Scissors, Surgeons Instruments,
and Box and Spring Fleams on a new Construction, which are much approved by the most
eminent Farriers in Great Britain; also grinds and repairs all Sorts of Edge Tools in the above
Branch, cleans Fire Arms, and makes Springs and Screws for Do. All such as please to favour
him their Custom may depend on the utmost Punctuality and reasonable Charges, and
Commissions from the Country duly executed. -- Razor Strops made and dressed. --Direct to the
Care of Mr. George Simmons, Peruke Maker.

Virginia Gazette (Purdie & Dixon) April 14, 1774

© 2008 The Colonial  Foundation 9