| Note |
- Excerpt from Pioneer Sketches of Long Point Settlement, E.A. Owen, originally published 1898, reprinted 1972
One of the oldest and best known families of Norfolk is the Anderson family, of Vittoria. Captain Walter Anderson was one of the mudsills in our social foundation, and no name figures more prominently in the annals of old Charlotteville during the first half of the century than that of Anderson.
Walter Anderson was a native of Edinburgh, Scotland. He was born in 1753, and came to America and settled in the colony of New Jersey just before the colonies threw off their allegiance to the English king. He remained loyal during the trouble of the Revolution, but what particular part he played in the drama does not appear. At the close of the war a party of Loyalists took refuge in a New Jersey fort to escape the abuse that was heaped upon them by their victorious fellow-colonists, and Mr. Anderson was one of them. Being sorely pressed in their place of retreat, Mr. Anderson and a comrade managed to escape in the night, and wend their way into Pennsylvania. They were destitute of means, but had good constitutions, and were richly endowed with that native pluck which so signally distinguishes the sons of "Auld Scotia," making them equal to any emergency in every civilized portion of the globe. Mr. Anderson was a strict Presbyterian, and a ready talker withal, and he proposed to his fellow refugee that they travel as missionaries—he as a preacher, and his friend as an elder. The scheme was adopted and proved highly successful. At one place in a back township they remained a whole week, holding meetings in a school-house and receiving material aid. Who but a Scotchman would have thought of this? They were thus enabled to avoid suspicion as to their being Loyalist refugees, and were housed and feted while making their way out of the country. They came to Upper Canada, and, after sending for his family, Mr. Anderson settled in the Niagara District on land which he drew as a U.E. Loyalist.
In 1799 he came up to Long Point settlement with his family. His daughter, Rebecca, possessed a U.E. Loyalist right in her own name, and this she transferred to John McCall in consideration of his relinquishment of Lot 20, 4th concession of Charlotteville. The old Government deed for this Lot and Lot 12, in the 5th concession, has been preserved. It bears date May 17th, 1802, and is signed by Peter Hunter, Esq., "our Lieutenant-Governor of our said Province, and Lieutenant-General commanding our forces in our said Province of Upper Canada." Mr. Anderson was a stonemason by trade, and he was attracted to this lot by the plentiful supply of stone it contained.
During the first session of the first term of the Court of Quarter Sessions, held at the house of James Monroe, on the 8th day of April, 1800, Walter Anderson petitioned for a reduction of his statute labor, and the Court granted the petition, fixing his labor for that year at four days. He was a member of the grand jury at this term of Court, it being the first grand jury in the Court history of old London District.
As before stated, Captain Anderson was a staunch Presbyterian. He was very strict in his home government and very positive in his religious opinions. He donated two acres in the village of Vittoria for Presbyterian church purposes, but he did not live to see a church edifice erected thereon. This stalwart old pioneer died in 1818 from injuries received in falling from a roof while engaged in building a chimney, being in his 66th year. Mary, his wife, died in 1814, in her 57th year.
Captain Walter Anderson had a brother, who settled in New York. William Anderson, a son of this brother was a shoe merchant in New York city, but nothing more is known of this branch of the family.
A number of Captain Anderson's children died in early childhood. Those who grew up were five sons—Walter, John, Joseph, James and Henry; and two daughters—Rebecca and Elizabeth.
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1753 - 1818 (65 years)
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