1. Thomas³ Anderson (Thomas², Richard¹) (Source: Patrick J. Anderson, "Suspected but unproven," Working Papers 2000.) was born Abt. 1635 in Virginia, and died Bef. 1683 in Charles City County, Virginia.

Notes for Thomas Anderson:

Howell Pryse is granted a patent for 4800 acres of land in Charles City County 10/27/1655 for the transport of many individuals, including a Thomas Anderson. This is not filed in the Virginia State Land Patents rather it is filed in Charles City Court Orders 1655-58 on page 82. Howell Pryse was a Charles County sheriff and a resident south of the James River at Flowerdieu Hundred. Howell Pryse later returned to Great Britain at the end of the Cromwellian period.

I have found no further records for this Thomas Anderson in Charles City County, which may not be significant because all the will and deed books were destroyed and only the court orders survive for some years. I have not yet had the opportunity to examine the surviving court orders of the 1670's. I include this Thomas Anderson here because it is reasonable to speculate that he may have been the father of Thomas Anderson (d.1711). There is no mention of his estate in the Surviving Charles City Court orders after 1683, therefore it is likely that he died before then.

It is worth evaluating whether this Thomas Anderson had any relationship with the Thomas Anderson (b.1616) who was a shipwright at Gloucester Point York County Virginia and arrived in 1634 aboard the Bonaventure, and was the son of Richard Anderson (b.1585) who arrived aboard the Merchant's Hope owned by William Barker in 1635. Richard and his sons Richard, John and Thomas were reputed to be shipwrights that were sponsored in early Virginia by the wealthy ship owner William Barker. Since our Thomas Anderson's (d.1711) family was associated with carpentry and Thomas Anderson (d.1711) marries the granddaughter of William Barker as his second wife these relationships are my current avenue of interest in exploring the ancestors of Thomas Anderson (d.1711). Regrettably I have located no records to prove these relationships.

It is of interest that in 1654 the Merchant's Hope Church was built near the "Old Town" lands and south of Merchant's Hope Plantation. The date is derived from the year 1654 carved into one of the roof beams. The church was noted before restoration work in the last century for an acoustic arched wooden roof and suspended walkway from the sacristy to the pulpit which had been built by ships carpenters. It is possible that Charles Anderson, a later minister of this chapel, was a son of the chapel's builder.

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An alternative father for Thomas is suggested by the following patent:

Alexander Anderson 04/22/1670 Nansemond Co.
300a adj James Long & Hugh Sanders
patents 6/311

Nansemond was southeast of Charles City County along the south side of the James River and migration patterns did bring people up along this shore. In addition the association with a Sanders family is worth investigating. However there is no use of the name Alexander in any of the descendants that I have found. I have just begun exploring this path and will need to gather fore information to proof or refute it.

Children of Thomas Anderson are suspected to be: