John from Virginia

Today we’ll explore some of Dad’s Virginia ancestors. Jack’s mother was Mary Margaret Moore. Her mother was Sarah (Sadie) Elizabeth Ingram. Sarah’s mother was Mary Anderson. Mary is the daughter of John Anderson Sr. and Sarah H. Steger. John Anderson is the man we’re learning about today.

John Anderson, Sr. was born about 1791 in Virginia. I think, but I’m not positive, that his father was George Anderson, Sr. I have no clue to the identity of his mother. He married his first wife, Elizabeth Bledsoe on Mar 1, 1814. Elizabeth died in 1829, cause unknown at this time. In the 1830 Federal Census for Fluvanna County, VA, John Anderson is listed with 3 boys, ages 5-19 and 2 girls, ages 5-14. I believe the children are as follows: William W (1815-1903), Benjamin B (1818-1890), Sarah Elizabeth “Sally” (1820-1907), Frances (1822-1892) and John A. Jr (1824-1891). John Sr. is clearly a widower now. Also listed is one Free Colored Persons-Female: age 55-99. And also, two male slaves, aged 24-35, one female slave, age 24-35, and one female slave, age 36-54. I have no names for any of the slaves or the one free colored female.

On November 15, 1832, John Sr. married Sarah H Steger, who was 24 years younger. At some point after their marriage, they moved to Ohio, where Ann M was born in 1834, Susan in 1835, and Mary (our direct ancestor) in 1837. From their the family spent some time in Illinois, where Calvin was born in 1841. By 1841, they were in Wisconsin, where their youngest daughter, Martha Ellen was born August 26 in Platteville.

The 1850 Federal Census, finds John Sr. and Sarah in Arena, Iowa County, Wisconsin in their own household. In 1860, they are listed with Benjamin, who is 42 and a saloonkeeper, and owns real estate valued at 500 and personal estate is 200. John Sr. is 69, listed as a farmer, but has no real estate or personal estate values listed. Sarah is 46. Martha is 13, Ann is 26 and Calvin is 19. In 1870, there is just John Sr., Sarah and Calvin in the household. Both John and Calvin are listed as farmers, but neither has a real estate value assigned to them. Sarah died May 10, 1872 in Arena, Wisconsin. John Sr. died October 14, 1872, also in Arena.

I would love to know the circumstances that took John from owning slaves in Virginia, then moving halfway across the country to Wisconsin and dying with very little personal property. I’ll keep looking and if I find the answer, I’ll share it in a blogpost. While I know that the practice of owning slaves in Virginia was accepted at that time, it is disturbing to me, nonetheless.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *