General Notes

[Anderson,Richard.FTW]
[Anderson.FTW]
The Reverend Charles Anderson, was born in 1670.  This date is recorded
on his tombstone at Westopher plantation. The book 'Scottish Ancestors'
says that the magazine 'Aberdeen Notes and Queeries' states that he was
born in Scotland.  I wish I could claim him as one of the sons of Thomas
Anderson, and am keeping open the possibility that he was born in
Virginia and went back to Aberdeen to be educated.  This is something to
be investigated.      No contemporary record of the Rev. Charles Anderson
confirms directly the identity of his father.  No contemporary record of
his birth is known by the preparer other than the epitaph upon his
tombstone.      On 12/25/1739 all of the children of the Rev. Charles
Anderson were present at the Westover Plantation Manor House for dinner
with William Byrd,II.  The list of children is believed to be complete,
however as Charles did not list all of his children in his will it is
possible that some have escaped notice.      He had one son who died as
an infant.  This is recorded in the secret diary of William Byrd,II. His
son Charles Anderson, also mentioned in the later diaries of Byrd, had
left Charles City county, possibly, as a result of debts incurred to Byrd
and others.      The family of Reverand Charles Anderson resided in the
Parish Glebe at Westopher Plantation, North of the James.  It is also
possible that he held lands upriver from Westopher.  His widow may have
resided at or near the ferry crossing owned by her.  This ferry operated
from Jordan Point (Old Jordan's Journey) to the 'point' on the north bank
of the James. The Benjamin Harrison bridge now spans this gap.
'Aberdeen Notes and Queeries' states that he graduated from King's
College in Aberdeen, Scotland in 1693.      Mr. Charles Anderson is
mentioned as buyer in the estate sale of John Burge on 05/09/1693.
He was the Minister of Westopher Parish from 1692 to his death in 1718.
During this period, he was a staunch supporter of James Blair in his
conlicts with then Governor of Virginia Andros and Nicholson.  It is
likely that he owed his appointment as Westopher Parish Minister to his
possible relationship to Edward Hill and the sponsorship of James Blair,
also a 'Scotsman'.      Upon James Blair's return from his 1698 trip to
England he called a conference of ministers at Bruton Church in
Williamsburg.  During his trip to England he had sabotaged the
governorship of Andros, (with the help of warring Spanish ships which had
intercepted Governor Andros replies) with charges of mismanagement and
misconduct.  Charles is recorded as being one of the six Virginia
ministers which remained in Bruton Church when 23 others walked out in
protest of James Blair's conduct.      The Rev. Charles Anderson, his
wife and children feature prominently in the secret diaries of William
Byrd,II.  Both men had an interest in and practiced the medical cures of
the early eighteenth century, often consulting each other.      He was a
frequent dinner partner of William Byrd,II.  Byrd commonly stopped at
Charles Anderson's home whenever traveling west along the north bank of
the James River.      Charles Anderson, was an occasional guest preacher
at other Virginia churches and is recorded in Byrd's diary as preaching
at Bruton Church in Williamsburg, Virginia on one occasion before
Governor Spotswood, who according to Byrd, was favorably impressed.
When the Virginia Council heard the dispute between the French Huguenot
settlers of Henrico petitioning for the removal of their church minister,
Charles Anderson was present before the council and is recorded as having
preached a sermon of reconciliation.  The Fountaine family were members
of this congregation. James Robertson followed Charles Anderson as
minister at Westopher, but was removed for slurs against the governor in
1720.  Peter Fountaine followed as Westopher Minister until 1757 and is
noted for havi