Descendants of Robert Jefferson Anderson

 

 

Generation No. 1

 

1.  ROBERT JEFFERSON⁴ ANDERSON  (BENJAMIN³, JOSHUA², ABRAHAM¹)^1,2,3,4 was born Abt. 1830 in Greene County, Alabama⁵, and died Aft. 1857.

 

Notes for ROBERT JEFFERSON ANDERSON:

From information available, Mitchell and Robert are the two Anderson's that went to California during the "Gold Rush".

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Notes of Terry Anderson (Terry.Anderson@aol.com):

 

Robert Jefferson Anderson, b. ca 1828 or 1830 in Greene County, Ala. (age 20 in 1850 Census).; lived in San Augustine, Tex., and California; went to Tuolumne County, Calif; died in California.

 

 

Robert J. Anderson was one of the boys who went to the California Gold Rush with his brothers, A. J, Napoleon, Mitchell, Ben, the two Sims cousins and other friends.

 

He was on the 1850 census in Nacogdoches County with his parents when the census taker came around October 21. He was age 20 and born in Alabama.

 

R.B. Blake's book states that Robert "went to Tuolumne County, Calif., with his two brothers in 1850, and remained there." We don't know if 1850 was an exact or an approximate date. 1853 is the earliest date we have for them in California, when their mining claims were filed.

 

Frankie Pearson's original notes indicate that Robert "lived in San Augustine, Tex., and California; went to Tuolumne County, Calif; died in Calif."

 

In Jane Melton's writings, she repeats basically the same thing, that Robert "went to Tuolumne County, Cal. with his two brothers in 1850 and remained there (Blake). F.P. says he never married, lived in San Augustine - died in California. Robert Jefferson Anderson got his settlement in 1858."

 

Ogreta Huttash says that "He stayed in California according to all my sources. . . Probate Final E, pages 167 and 168, according to my notes, is where you will see Robt Jeff. got his. The estate had a claim against three of the heirs, children of Benjamin Anderson, to wit: Mitchell B., Andrew J., and T. Jefferson Anderson "for an on account of the Boy slave Kinnard, which the said deceased . . . let the said children have to enable them by the sale of said slave to raise money to take to California, upon condition that they should account for the sum received for said slave and said slave was sold by them to William Buford for five hundred and fifty dollars."

 

 Robert Jefferson, or Jeff, is mentioned in letter from Napoleon Bonepart to Thomas Howard July 8, 1855. He was still in California when his father's will was probated in 1858.

 

The 1860 Census of California lists five Robert Andersons, three of them miners, but none of them appears to be ours.

 

 

 

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CENSUS CITATIONS:

 

+ 1835 Texas Census lists: Benjamin Anderson, 70; Jane, 42;  James C., 34; John A., 18; Mary A., 16; Mareah, 14; Michell S., 12; Thomas H., 11; George W., 10; Andrew J., 8; Margaret J., 7; Robert J., 5; Francis, 4; Harriet, 3; Dr., 1; living in Sabine District.

 

+ 1850 Texas Census lists: Benjamin Anderson, 90, S.C., Farmer; Jane, 59, N.C.; Jefferson, 20, Ala.; Harriet, 17, Ala.; Doctor, 16, Ala.; Sophiah Shane (Shaw), 11, Tex.; Mary Anderson, 1, Tex. (daughter of Thomas H.); living in Nacogdoches County. Benjamin only one listed unable to read or write.

 

 

 

SOURCES: Research by Frankie Pearson and Jane Melton; federal censuses as cited; letter from Napoleon Bonepart Anderson to Thomas Howard Anderson in 1855; will of Benjamin Anderson, 1858.

 

 

 

More About ROBERT JEFFERSON ANDERSON:

Census 1: 1850, Pg131 Nacodoches Co., TX

Census 2: 1835, Texas

Occupation: 1850, Farmer

Residence: Aft. 1850, California

 

 

Endnotes

 

1.  Pace, Jackie Ashley (Ashley-Pace@CityScope.net), "Electronic," Shown as Robert J. Anderson born 1830-1832.

2.  1850 Census, Nacogdoches Co., TX, page 63a, Shows Jefferson Anderson, farmer, age 20, born Alabama.

3.  "Family Group Sheet of Frankie Pearson," Went to Toulemne County, California with his brothers during the gold rush. He sayed in California. He married N ____  M [cant read the name that was written by Frankie {TRM}] before going to Calif.

4.  Terry.Anderson@LATimes.com, Joined the California Gold Rush with his rrothers Andrew, Napoleon, Mitchell and Ben, plus the two Sims cousins and some other friends.

5.  1850 Census, Nacogdoches Co., TX, page 63a, Shown as Jefferson Anderson, age 20, born in Alabama..