Parsons Anderson was born about 1737 to Charles Anderson and his wife Elizabeth in colonial Virginia. Although no record explicitly names him as Charles’ son, the evidence is clear: Charles conveyed land to Parsons, they appear side‑by‑side in levy lists, parish records, processioning returns, and even in minor court fines. Taken together, these records show Parsons operating within the same precinct, land cluster, and civic environment as Charles Anderson, consistent with a father–son relationship. Parsons had at least two siblings: Frances “Fanny” Anderson and Mary Anderson.
Parsons first appears in Prince Edward County in January 1757, witnessing an indenture between Abraham Venable and Nathaniel Venable, and again in June 1757 when Alexander Kean conveyed 400 acres on Little Briery River to Abraham Venable Jr. These early entries show him already trusted to participate in land transactions among prominent county figures. A September 1757 deed identifies Elizabeth Anderson as the wife of Charles Anderson, the same Charles who later conveyed land to Parsons in 1759. Her private dower examination confirms her identity, and because Parsons consistently appears in records as Charles’ adult son, this establishes Elizabeth as Parsons’ mother.
On February 15, 1758, Parsons married Mary Cocke in Cumberland County, Virginia. The marriage bond includes written consent from Charles Anderson, required when a groom was under 21 or otherwise needed parental authorization. Mary was the daughter of Brazure and Frances Cocke, members of the long‑established Cocke family of Henrico County, descendants of Richard Cocke of Bremo. Parsons and Mary had at least three children: Mary, James, and Brazier Cocke Anderson. It was Brazier’s later migration to Greene County, Georgia that ultimately led me to research Parsons and his father Charles.
Soon after his marriage, Parsons appears in local parish and civic records. A Sandy River Parish vestry entry dated October 26, 1758 includes a payment to “James Thackston & Parsons Anderson Chain Carrurs,” documenting his work as a chain carrier. The same vestry record orders payment to Charles Anderson for land sold to the parish for a glebe (parish‑owned land that provided the minister with a home, farm, and income), placing father and son together in parish business.
On February 10, 1759, Charles conveyed 504 acres on the South Fork of Buffalo River to Parsons for 20 pounds sterling, land originally part of the 1749 Thaxton patent mentioned above. The deed, proved at March Court by Nathaniel Venable, Sarah Henderson, and Richard Woodson, represents the strongest direct record linking Charles and Parsons by name. It documents a deliberate land transfer from Charles to Parsons at a token price, a pattern typical of a father establishing an adult son on family land, and no other record places them together in such an intentional, legally significant act. In the county levy for November 1759, Parsons was compensated “for guarding Godpy Titas one day and for nails,” showing him performing routine county service during this period.
In August Court 1760, a deed from James Shelton to Parsons was proved by the oaths of Charles Anderson, Elizabeth Anderson, and Joseph Mullens. The appearance of Charles and Elizabeth together in this transaction, both present to witness a conveyance to Parsons, provides another strong link connecting the three.
Parsons appears frequently in Prince Edward records through the early 1760s. In February 1762, he sold a 200‑acre tract on the east side of Baylies to James Shelton for 97 pounds, 10 shillings, a substantial sum that reflects his standing as an established landholder in Prince Edward County. His wife Mary was privately examined and formally relinquished her dower rights, confirming both his residence and his family structure at this time. In April 1762, a small item of Parsons’ personal property was attached and sold for one penny to satisfy a minor debt action. In May Court 1763, the Prince Edward County grand jury returned presentments against both Parsons and Charles Anderson for profane swearing, showing their shared presence in the same social setting.
In February Court 1765, a Prince Edward County minute entry notes a routine civil matter in which William Cocke petitioned against Parsons. Parsons did not appear, and the case was dismissed. In his will dated September 20, 1766, Brazure Cocke bequeathed enslaved individuals to his daughter Mary, confirming her inheritance and demonstrating that she and Parsons held tangible property from the Cocke estate.
Parsons’ last civilian‑era appearances occur between 1767 and 1772, across three counties: Prince Edward (1767), Brunswick (1767 and 1772), and York (1771). These entries show Parsons still active in Virginia courts into the early 1770s.
Parsons served as a Private in Captain John Morton’s Company of the Fourth Virginia Regiment during the early months of the Revolutionary War. His name first appears on the June–July 1776 pay roll of Morton’s Virginia Regulars, where he is credited with one month’s service for two pounds sterling. The Virginia Regulars were full‑time Continental soldiers enlisted for extended service under General Washington, distinct from the short‑rotation militia who served only briefly near home.
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Compiled Service Record card for Parsons, 4th Virginia Regiment |
A second entry, a 1777–78 pay ledger kept by paymaster Mosher Hunter, records an additional 11 shillings owed to him for service already completed.
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Ledger page listing pay due to deceased officers and soldiers of the 4th Virginia Regiment, including “Parson Anderson 11 ⅔ [shillings]” |
A third ledger page lists pay due to deceased soldiers of the regiment, including “Parson Anderson 11⅔ shillings,” indicating he did not survive the war.
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Pay card for Parsons, 4th Virginia Regiment |
The Fourth Virginia Regiment drew heavily from Prince Edward, Cumberland, Amelia, and neighboring communities—the same region where Parsons lived, held land, and appeared in parish and court records throughout the 1750s–1770s. His enlistment fits neatly within his known timeline: a man in his late 30s or early 40s, established on land conveyed by his father Charles Anderson, and active in the same precincts documented in county records. A separate listing in Virginians in the Revolution records “Anderson, Parsons, Prince Edward Mil.,” confirms that he also served in the county militia, a dual obligation common among Southside men of his generation.
Parsons left no pension application, bounty‑land claim, or postwar affidavit. His Revolutionary War file contains only the two pay records available on Fold3 and a third ledger page on FamilySearch. The absence of later paperwork indicates he died before the pension era. His death is documented instead through county records. A Prince Edward County marriage bond dated February 11, 1801 for his daughter Mary identifies her father as “Parsons Anderson, dec’d.”
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Prince Edward County, Virginia marriage bond dated February 11, 1801, naming Parsons Anderson (deceased) as father of Mary Anderson |
More decisively, an August Court 1784 order states that “Parsons Anderson departed this life while a soldier in the Continental service.” In the same entry, the court certifies that his son “Brazure Cocke Anderson” was the heir of Parsons and the heir‑at‑law of Charles Anderson, late of Amelia County. This establishes the direct lineage Charles > Parsons > Brazure and confirms that both Charles and Parsons were dead by 1784.
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Prince Edward County, Virginia court order, August 1784, certifying that Brazure Cocke Anderson was the eldest son and heir of Parsons Anderson, who died while serving in the Continental Army |
Parsons’ Revolutionary era surroundings are better understood through the community in which he lived. During the mid‑1760s, Parsons and Patrick Henry were residents of Prince Edward County at the same time, each involved in the county’s civic and political life. Henry lived in the county from 1765 to 1768, practicing law and participating in the rising revolutionary movement. In those same years, Parsons was an established landholder, appearing regularly in deed records and court proceedings, including his 1764 land transactions. Their overlapping residency places Parsons within the same community and political environment that helped shape Henry’s early revolutionary leadership. Parsons’ name later appeared in Charles Edward Burrell’s History of Prince Edward County, Virginia (1922), which preserved him among the county’s Revolutionary soldiers.
Much about Parsons remains unknown—his exact birth date, birthplace, the full identity of his mother, and whether he had siblings beyond those I documented. No death record, burial site, or probate entry has been found in Prince Edward, Cumberland, or neighboring counties. For now, the document trail ends with the 1784 court record. I’ll continue monitoring new releases for additional clues.
References
- Brazure Cocke, Virginia, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1652–1900.
- County court Orders 1, 1754-1759, Prince Edward County, Virginia: Prince Edward. Court Records 1754–1758, images 97, 150, and 173, FamilySearch.
- County Court Orders 2, 1759-1765, Prince Edward County, Virginia: Prince Edward. Court Records 1759–1765, images 28, 68, 93, 157 and 196, FamilySearch.
- County Court Orders 3, 1765-1767, Prince Edward County, Virginia: Prince Edward. Court Records 1765–1767, image 25, FamilySearch.
- County Court Orders 4, 1767-1770, Prince Edward County, Virginia: Prince Edward. Court Records 1767–1770, image 43, FamilySearch.
- County Court Orders 7, 1782-1785, Prince Edward County, Virginia: Prince Edward. Court Record Indexes 1782–1785, image 158, FamilySearch.
- Deed Book 1, 1754-1759, Prince Edward County, Virginia: Prince Edward. Deeds 1754–1759 | Prince Edward. Deeds 1754–1759, image 50, FamilySearch.
- Deed Book 2, 1759-1765, Prince Edward County, Virginia: Prince Edward. Deeds 1759–1765 | Prince Edward. Deeds 1759–1765, images 98 and 233, FamilySearch.
- Episcopal church Vestry Book, 1755-1774, Prince Edward County, Virginia: Prince Edward. Vestry Records 1755–1774, image 10, FamilySearch.
- Marriage Bonds, 1754–1850, Prince Edward County, Virginia: Prince Edward. Marriage Bonds 1754–1850, image 221, FamilySearch.
- McAllister, J. T., Virginia Militia in the Revolutionary War: McAllister’s Data, 1913.
- Order Book 11, 1768-1772, Brunswick County, Virginia: Brunswick. Court Orders 1765–1768, images 202 and 255, FamilySearch.
- Order Book 12, 1772-1774, Brunswick County, Virginia: Brunswick. Court Orders 1772–1774, images 108 and 110, FamilySearch.
- Parson Anderson, Virginia, County Marriage Records, 1771–1989, FamilySearch.
- Parson Anderson, Virginia, U.S., Marriage Records, 1700–1850.
- Parson/Parsons Anderson, John Hastings Gwathmey, Historical Register of Virginians in the Revolution, Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, 1775–1783, Richmond [Virginia], Dietz Press, 1938; United States, Muster Rolls 1775–1783, image 29, FamilySearch.
- Parsons Anderson, Ancestor no. A218863, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution.
- Parsons Anderson, US, Revolutionary War Service Records, 1775–1783.
- Parsons Anderson, Virginia, Select Marriages, 1785–1940.
- Pay Roll of Captain John Morton’s Company of Regulars, Fourth Virginia, 1776, Virginia Military Records, Appendix: State-Wide and Miscellaneous Records, p. 678.
- Virginia. Biographies 1935–1937, History Records 1935–1937, Periodicals 1935–1937, Society Records 1935–1937, images 59–70, FamilySearch.
