George Anderson

 

George Anderson was born c.1806 in Bath County, Virginia. William Madison Peyton owned other members of the Anderson family who were sold in 1858 when he sold “Elmwood,” now Elmwood Park, in Roanoke, Virginia. Peyton moved to New York and returned to Virginia, purchasing “Alta Vista” in Albemarle County, Virginia in 1862. George Anderson’s wife, Laura, was born enslaved in Mecklenburg County, Virginia. They lived in Roanoke County, Virginia and later lived in Botetourt County, Virginia, where he worked as a farm laborer. They registered their marriage with the Freedmen’s Bureau in Roanoke County Virginia. Laura’s last name before her marriage was Reekes, but was later given as Oliver. (Laura Anderson was last owned by Matilda Oliver.) Joseph and Laura Anderson lived next to their son, Joseph Anderson, in Botetourt County. After her husband’s death, Laura Anderson lived with her son Joseph and his wife. George and Laura Anderson had at least 6 children:

• Lucy J. Anderson, born c. 1831, married Moses Johnson, born c. 1830 in Halifax County, Virginia. They lived next to her sister, Rachel (Anderson) Bruce and brother-in-law, Marshall Bruce, in Roanoke County. Moses Johnson was a arm laborer.
• Joseph Anderson, born c. 1835, married Ellen Allen, born c. 1843, a daughter of Edwin and Julia Allen. Joseph Anderson was a farm laborer in Botetourt County, Virginia. Joseph Anderson died in 1912 and Ellen Anderson died in 1915. They were buried in First Baptist Church Cemetery. Joseph and Ellen Anderson had 12 known children:

1.  John Anderson, born c. 1862
2.  Ed. Anderson, born c. 1864
3.  Moses Anderson, born c. 1866
4.  Joseph Anderson, born c. 1869, died 1869
5.  Julia Anderson, born c. 1870
6.  Rosa Anderson, born c. 1871
7.  Henry Anderson, born c. 1875
8.  Lucy J. Anderson, born c. 1878, married John H. Bond, a son of Mac Bond (1842-1892) and Sidney Bond. John Bond worked as a wagon driver and coal dealer. They lived in Roanoke, Virginia. They had no known children but raised her nieces (the daughters of Marion (Anderson) Craig after their mother’s death.
9. Marion B. Anderson, born c. 1883, called Mamie and Mary, married Walter Craig, born c. 1879 in Botetourt County, Virginia. Walter Craig was a laborer on a fruit farm in Botetourt County, Virginia. They had four known children: Ethel M. Craig, born c. 1910 and died young, Matilda L. “Mattie” Craig, born c. 1913, Marion W. Craig, born c. 1915, and Catherine Craig, born c. 1916. Marion (Anderson) Craig died in 1917 and was buried in First Baptist Church Cemetery. Her daughters were raised by their aunt and uncle, Lucy (Anderson) Bond and John H. Bond in Roanoke, Virginia
10. Matilda L. “Mattie” Anderson, born c. 1886, died 1972 and was buried in First Baptist Church Cemetery.
11. Charles Lewis Anderson, born in Botetourt County c. 1891, married Sally Ashwell, a daughter of Robert and Emma Ashwell. The Ashwell family lived next to Walter and Marion (Anderson) Craig. Robert Ashwell and Walter Craig were both laborers on a fruit farm.
12.  Joseph Anderson, born c. 1894 in Botetourt County, Virginia, died in 1894.

• Henrietta Anderson, born c. 1840, married Spencer Jones, born c. 1838 in Lunenburg County, Virginia. They registered their marriage with the Roanoke County, Virginia Freedmen’s Bureau. Spencer Jones worked as a farm laborer in Roanoke County and Lunenburg County, Virginia. They had at least nine children:

1.  Laura Jones, born c. 1861
2.  Elizabeth “Lizzie” Jones, born c. 1862
3.  George Jones, born c. 1865, died in Petersburg, Virginia. George Jones worked as a plasterer.
4.  Edward Jones, born c. 1870, was married.
5.  Robert Jones, born c. 1873
6.  Julius Jones, born c. 1874, died young.
7.  Blanche Jones, born c. 1877, worked as a teacher and married Joseph Nickens, born in Lancaster, Virginia. They later lived in Philadelphia and had one surviving child, a son, Joseph Nickens. Blanche Nickens was buried in Petersburg. Her son, Joseph Nickens, was buried in Fairview Cemetery in Pennsylvania.
8.  Spencer Jones, born c. 1880
9.  Mary Jones, married Brown and later lived with her sister, Blanche (Jones) Nickens in Philadelphia.

• Rachel Anderson, born c. 1844, married Marshall Bruce, born c.1843 in Henrico County, Virginia, a son of Billy Bruce. They registered their marriage with the Freedmen’s Bureau in Roanoke County, Virginia. Marshall Bruce worked as a laborer in Roanoke County, Virginia. They lived next to her sister, Lucy (Anderson) Johnson in Roanoke County, Virginia. Marshall Bruce had siblings living nearby. After the death of his wife, Marshall Bruce lived with his daughter, Laura. Marshall Bruce and Rachel (Anderson) Bruce had at least seven children:

1.  Carter Bruce, born c. 1863
2.  Mary Bruce, born c. 1867
3.  William Bruce, born c. 1870, later married.
4.  Laura Bruce, born c. 1872, later worked as a laundress in Roanoke, Virginia. She had two daughters, Bernice R. and Kate.
5.  Kate Bruce, born c. 1877

At least two additional sons did not survive infancy.

• Catherine Matilda Anderson, born c. 1848 in Roanoke County, Virginia, married in 1875 James Henry Follis, born c. 1846 in Botetourt County, Virginia, a son of Benjamin Follis and Jane Black. They lived in Botetourt County, Virginia where their parents also lived and where many o their children were born. Her father, George Anderson, her husband, and her father-in-law all worked as farm laborers in Botetourt County. Benjamin Follis moved to Wooster, Ohio and were later joined there by James Henry Follis and Catherine (Anderson) Follis. He worked as a farm laborer in Ohio and she worked as a laundress. James Henry Follis died in Ohio in 1910 and Catherine (Anderson) Follis died there in 1922. They were buried in Wooster Cemetery.

Their children were:

1. Lelia M. Anderson, born c. 1874 in Botetourt County, Virginia
2. Cora Belle, born 1876 in Botetourt County, Virginia
3. Laura Alice, born c. 1878 in Botetourt County, Virginia
4. Charles W. Follis, born 1879 in Botetourt County, Virginia, attended Wooster College and was known as “The Black Cyclone of Wooster” during his football career with the Shelby Athletic Club (later the Shelby Blues). Charles Follis was the first African-American paid to play professional football. He later played baseball. Follis died in 1910 and is buried in Wooster Cemetery with other members of his family.
5. Allen Follis, born 1881 in Botetourt County, Virginia, died young
6. Curtis W. Follis, born 1884 in Botetourt County, Virginia (His family moved to Ohio shortly after his birth), died 1903
7. Joseph Walter Follis, born c.1888 in Wooster, Ohio. He lived in Wooster with his wife, Dorothy, and their children.
8. Lucy Jane Follis, born 1890 in Wooster, Ohio

• George Anderson, born c. 1849