Vital Information
| Field | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Full Name | Rev. James Anderson | DAR supplemental application 511175 |
| Born | 17 Nov 1678 | DAR supplemental application 511175 |
| Birthplace | Scotland | DAR supplemental application 511175 |
| Died | Jul 1740 | DAR supplemental application 511175 |
| Death Place | Donegal, Pennsylvania | DAR supplemental application 511175 |
| Occupation | Minister (Presbyterian) | DAR supplemental application 511175 |
| Wife (1st) | Sudt (Suit) Garland; m. 5 Dec 1712, Philadelphia | WikiTree Anderson-13257; DAR supplemental application 511175 |
| Wife (2nd) | Rebecca Crawford; m. 27 Dec 1737, Donegal, PA | WikiTree Anderson-13257 |
| Immigration | Sailed 6 Mar 1709 from Scotland; arrived Rappahannock, VA 22 Apr 1710 | Dobson, Directory of Scottish Settlers; Egle, Pennsylvania Genealogies (1896) |
| Children | John Anderson Sr. (b. ca 1734) | DAR supplemental application 511175 |
Biography
Rev. James Anderson was born 17 November 1678 in Scotland. He was educated under Principal Stirling of Glasgow and ordained by Irvine Presbytery on 17 November 1708, with a view to settlement in Virginia. He sailed 6 March 1709 and arrived at the Rappahannock on 22 April 1709.
Anderson was installed as pastor at New Castle in 1713. In 1716, he received a call from the first Presbyterian church in New York City, but his strict Scottish Presbyterianism proved unsuitable. He was called to Donegal on the Susquehanna on 24 September 1726 and installed the last Wednesday in August 1727. Donegal Church had been planted on Schecassalungo Creek in 1714.
He married Suit Garland in 1713 and had 11 children. She died in 1736, probably of smallpox. He married his second wife, Rebecca Crawford of Donegal, in 1737. He died 16 July 1740 and is buried at Donegal Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Mount Joy, Pennsylvania.
His son John Anderson Sr. was the father of DAR Patriot Bailey Anderson (A002346). Rev. James Anderson is the oldest known ancestor in this family tree, the immigrant progenitor of the Anderson line, and one of the founders of the Presbyterian Church in America.
Document Sources
| Document | Type | Status |
|---|---|---|
| DAR supplemental application 511175 | Membership application | Obtained; transcribed |
| Find a Grave #12234831 (Donegal Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Mount Joy, PA) | Cemetery/memorial | Consulted |
| Irvine Presbytery ordination records (17 Nov 1708) | Church records (Scotland) | Referenced in published histories |
| LancasterHistory research collection: "James Anderson, star member of the Donegal Presbytery, 1732-1740" | Archival collection | Not directly consulted |
| Derry Presbyterian Church historical profile: "Reverend James Anderson (1678-1740), Pastor of Derry 1729-1732" (PDF) | Church historical document | Available online |
| Log College Press biography | Published biographical sketch | Available online |