Portal:Brimberry family history/Ancestry of Mary Andersson

Mary Anderson's Swedish Ancestors
This family history is indebted to Dr. Peter Craig for allowing the narrator to use a research report Dr. Craig wrote in 1992. The report was entitled "Swedish Ancestry of Sarah Anderson, born 7 Dec. 1762, New Castle County, Delaware." Sarah's mother, Susannah Brunberg, was Matthias Brimberry's sister; and Sarah's father, Ericus Anderson, was Mary Anderson Brimberry's half-brother. To the extent that Matthias Brimberry and Mary Anderson were blessed with seven sons but no known daughters, their double niece, Sarah Anderson, must have seemed like a daughter to them as well as a sister to her male Brimberry cousins. The family Bible of Sarah Anderson (1762-1840) and her husband, Thomas Hendricks, shows that she was born on the 7th of December 1762. The baptism records of Holy Trinity (Old Swedes) Church in Wilmington, show that she was baptized at that church on Feburary 1, 1763, and that her parents were Ericus and Susannah Anderson. As a point of information, the Anderson-Hendricks family Bible, was handed down through the generations, until our distant cousin and my dear friend Walter Hendricks donated it to the Virginia Historical Society about 10 years ago. Walter, who recently passed away at age 98, was past president of the Washington County, Virginia Historical Society. One of this nation's first parachutists, an inventor, and avid historian, Walter is missed by all privileged to have known him. With his assistance, I was able to locate the marked graves of his direct ancestors, Sarah Anderson and Thomas Hendricks. Needless to say, he was very proud of his Brimberry and Anderson heritage. This passage is dedicated to his memory.

Thomas Hendricks and Sarah Anderson's home, built in the late 1700's, still stands. It is owned by descendants of legendary Confederate General J.E.B. Stuart's father. The latter acquired the Hendricks property including the mill, rolling pastures and homeplace after Sarah Anderson Hendricks' death. The Stuart family (d/b/a the Stuart Land and Cattle Co.) still occupies the original home, which today, with its magnificent front portico and other additions, can only be described as a stately mansion in an immensely majestic pastoral setting. The following link contains a photograph of the Stuart Mansion originally built by Sarah Anderson and her husband, Thomas Hendricks at Elk Garden.

Of perhaps even greater interest, Sarah's son James Hendricks and her cousin, Peter Brimberry, who were about the same age, jointly purchased merchandise, possibly supplies and tools for Peter's wagon making business, from Thomas Stuart in Old Glade Spring, Virginia in 1789.

At this juncture, though, this writer would like to reach back even farther in time, drawing on the above mentioned report that Dr. Craig shared with me in 1992. To reiterate, this writer's independent research was fragmented and incomplete on some of these same lines; hence Dr. Craig's report is being used with his permission.

Keeping in mind that Dr. Craig is also the official historian for the Swedish Colonial Society (SCG), cross-links are provided, where available, to profiles of Mary Anderson's as well as Matthias Brimberry's Swedish ancestors on the SCG's website. Mary Anderson's immigrant ancestors are likewise shown in boldface as are her husband Matthias' above.
 * 1. Mary Anderson (wife of Matthias Brymberry; 1748->1785)

''Her parents were:
 * 2. Peter Anderson (1705->1787)
 * 3. Catherina Lynam(1719->1787''

''Her grandparents were: ''Her great grandparents were:
 * 4. Eric Anderson (c.1671-1765)
 * 5. Brita Paulson (c.1652-1750)
 * 6. Anders Lynam (1682-1770)
 * 7. Brita (wife of Anders Lynam, 1680-1741)''
 * 8. Anders Jöransson (d.1675)
 * 9. Sophia (widow of Anders Joransson; married 2nd, Broer Sinnickthe Finn; Sophia d. 1717)
 * 10. Olle Paulson (d. c.1696)
 * 11. Kerstin (wife of Olle Paulsson, d. c.1726)
 * 12-15. Unknown''

Discussion of Mary Anderson's Lineage

''To reiterate, in the above list, the names of persons shown in boldface were immigrants. In all cases, they came from Sweden. In the discussion below, excerpted with modifications from Dr. Craig's report, "we begin with Mary Anderson's parents followed by her grandparents and great grandparents.''

Her Parents: Peter Anderson & Catharina Lynam
'' #2-3. Mary Anderson parents, Peter Anderson and Catharina Lynam (Loinan, Linam) were married at Holy Trinty Church on 10 Jan. 1739. His first wife, Kerstin Derrickson, whom he married 5 Oct. 1728, had been buried on 11 Oct. 1738, after bearing him six children, three of whom (Catharina, born 16 Jan. 1732; Elisabeth, born 7 Oct. 1735; Peter, born 27 Sept. 1738) died in infancy. Thus, Catharina Lynam not only married a widower but also became stepmother to three of his children: Jacobus Anderson, born 10 Aug. 1729, who married Mary Lynam, 25 June 1751; Brita Anderson, born 1 Nov. 1733, who married Eric Smidt, 22 Nov. 1753; and Eric Anderson, born 19 March 1737, who married Susanna Brynberg (Matthias Brymberry's sister and the widow of Philip Stalcop), in 1759.''

Peter Anderson and his second wife Catharina Lynam had seven children:

*1. Andreas Anderson, born 7 Jan. 1741 *2. Christina Anderson, born 27 Oct. 1743 *3. Margareta Anderson, born 12 May, 1745 *4. Maria (Mary) Anderson (#1), born 2 April 1748 *5. Peter Anderson, born 25 June 1750 *6. Susannah Anderson, born 7 July 1752 *7. Sarah Anderson, born 22 Dec. 1756

''By 1764 Peter Anderson's household had been reduced to six persons: Peter Anderson, his wife Catharina, and their four youngest children: Maria, age 16; Peter, 14; Susannah, 12; and Sarah, almost 5. The church census for that year listed Peter Anderson as a frarmer; both he and his wife had complete fluency in Swedish and could read from either a Swedish or English Bible. The children could understand Swedish, but their primary language was English.''

''On 18 June 1768, Peter and Catherina Anderson disposed of their lands on Kennett Pike. Seventy eight and one-quarter acres were sold to Peter's eldest son, Jacobus Anderson, who remained on the property for the remainder of his life. Another 51-3/4 acres was sold to James Laird for £178. The family then moved to Orange County, NC. Among those joining them were Peter Anderson's second son, Eric Anderson, with his wife Susannah Brunberg, and Matthias Brunberg/Brymberry, who had married Peter's daughter Maria (Mary)on 11 March 1766.''

''They were also accompanied to NC by their daughter Margareta Anderson who married William Stalcop on 2 March 1762. A Revolutionary War veteran, William Stalcop died in Smith County, TN in 1819; his widow in 1839.''

On 2 August 1768, Peter Anderson acquired 66-1/2 acres of land on Stony Creek in Orange County, NC from John West, Sr. In 1769, Peter Anderson's 17-year-old daughter Susannah married John West's son, Isaac West, and Peter's youngest daughter Sally married a --- King.

''A large number of members of Holy Trinity church joined in the exodus to Orange County, NC. In addition to Peter's son Eric Anderson (husband of Susannah Brunberg), his sons-in-law William Stalcop and Matthias Brymberry, all of William Stalcop's siblings (children of Peter Stalcop and Susannah Paulson), several Garretson (Garrison) families, a Walraven family, etc. Peter and Catherina Anderson remained at this location on Stony Creek until 26 Feb. 1787, when they sold their land to Ellinor Garrison. Presumably, they then followed several of their children to Washington County, Virginia which then included Elk Garden in present Russell County, VA.''

''The date and place of their deaths are unknown. However, it is known that Matthias Brymberry and his wife Mary Anderson moved near Old Glade Spring in Washington County, VA soon after the birth of their seventh son Samuel in 1785. By this date, as already reported, Eric Anderson and Susannah Brunberg's daughter Sarah and her husband Thomas Hendricks were operating a mill near Elk Garden, and several other families of Swedish descent connected to Holy Trinity church had also settled in Washington County, including Peter Stalcop, Tobias Smidt, Ericus Smith, and Andrew Lynam (brother of Richard Linam who was slain by Indians while forting at Elk Garden. (See Lynam family below.)''

''Susannah (Susan) Anderson and her husband Isaac West, however, moved near Kingss Mountain in then Ninety-Six District in SC where Isaac West was struck with a saber by Loyalists in front of his wife Susan and children shortly before the battle of King's Mountain. According to an account written by their daughter, Susan threw herself over him as Isaac lay bleeding profusely to protect him against further blows. The family then moved near present Greenville, SC where they were they were later joined by their nephew, Peter Broomberry and several of his brothers, the progeny of Mary Anderson and Matthias Brymberry. Susan died in 1810 in TN; her husband died while he was visiting his Brimberry relatives in Illionis in 1814.''

Her Paternal Grandparents: Eric Anderson & Brita Paulson
#4-5. ''Mary Anderson's paternal grandparents, Eric Anderson (#4) and Brita Paulson (#5): Born c. 1671, Eric Andersson used the 500 guilders paid by his stepfather, Broer Sinnicksson, to purchase a 300-acre tract on the southwest side of Brandywine Creek on 26 April 1692. Through the middle of this property, located west of Wilmington in Christiana Hundred, the Kennett Pike would later be built. This property was to remain in the family for the next 76 years. It is now DuPont country.''

''It was around this time, in 1692 or early 1693, that Eric Andersson married Brita Paulson. Undoubtedly the wedding was at the Swedes' church at Crane Hook. The church census, taken late in May 1693, showed two persons in the household of "Erick Jöransson," the recorder having chosen the patronymic of Eric's father, Anders Jöransson. After the death of Olle Paulsson, Eric's father-in-law, Eric Anderson released all of his right to the estate of Olle Paulson to Paul Paulson, Brita Paulson's eldest brother.''

''In 1697, with the arrival of Rev. Erick Björk from Sweden and his assignment to the Crane Hook church, the congregation decided to build a new church at Christina. In this community venture, Erric Anderson pledge £1-1/2 and also volunteered two days of work on the church and furnished the lathe for the plastering. When the new Holy Trinity Church (pictured elsewhere) was dedicated 24 June 1699, both Eric Anderson and his wife Brita were assigned pews.''

''Although both Eric and his wife remained members of Holy Trinity Church for the balance of their long lives, their only recorded communion was on 11 May 1714 when the minister recorded that Erick Anderson's wife had taken communion in her illness. They also occasionally appeared as baptismal sponsors for their grandchildren, which has helped to identify their children:''


 * 20 June 1723---Eric and Brita Andersson sponsors at baptism of Jonathan and Mark Kirk's daughter Elisabeth.
 * 12 Oct. 1729---Eric Andersson sponsor at baptism of Olle and Kerstin Anderson's daughter Brita.
 * 10 Oct. 1731: Brita Andersson sponsor at baptism of Olle and Kerstin Anderson's daughter Maria.
 * 9 Jan. 1741: Brita Andersson sponsor at Peter and Catharina Anderson's son Andreas (Mary Anderson Brimberry's brother).

Baptismal records also show that Eric and Brita Andersson had the following children:


 * 1. Olle Anderson, born c.1699, who married Kerstin Cock, by 1729
 * 2. Maria Anderson, born c. 1701, who married Jonathan Kirk, 16 Aug. 1720
 * 3. James Anderson, born c. 1703, who married Catharine (surname unknown) by 1734, and Brita Lynam, 19 Nov. 1735
 * 4. Peter Anderson (#2, Mary's father), born c. 1705, who married (1) Kerstin Derickson, died 1738 and (2) Catharina Lynam in 1739

''Of the three sons, James Anderson settled on White Clay Creek. The home plantation went to Olle and Peter Anderson---Olle being given the land to the east of Kennett Pike and Peter receiving the land west of Kennett Pike.''

'' Both Eric and Brita led long lives. Brita was buried at Holy Trinity Church on 6 March 1750. The church census for 1764 listed Eric as a widower, blind and allegedly about 100 years---an exaggeration based on other records. Eirc died of old age and was buried 25 March 1765 at Holy Trinity Church, where a year later his granddaughter Mary Anderson and Matthias Brymberry were wed.''

Her Maternal Grandparents: Anders and Brita Lynam
#6-7. Mary Anderson's maternal grandparents, Anders Lynam #6) and his wife Brita #7), emigrated to America with an infant daughter about 1715 from the län of Medelpad north of Stockholm on the east coast of Sweden. A list of communicants of Holy Trinity church made by Rev. Lars Girelius, dated 2 Nov. 1768, shows that Anders Lynam at the age of 86 being the oldest of the communicants still taking Swedish (rather than English) communion. This places his birth in 1682. He and his wife Brita appeared frequently as communicants beginning 5 June 1715 when they first appeared in church records, about the same time as Christiern Brunberg suggesting that they arrived in America about the same, although from different parts of Sweden. Anders and his wife, Brita, remained faithful communicatns for the balance of their lives. Their eldest child, Brigitta, was not baptized at Holy Trinity church, further suggesting that she was already born and immigrated to America with her parents from Sweden.''

''On 24 Feb. 1720 Anders Loinan was given permission to use and improve some of the "priestland" (glebe land) for four years on half-shares. This may be the same land as was conveyed to Andrew Lynam by the Church on 4 Nov. 1738, which consisted of slightly over 136 acres. In 1724, Anders Loinan was named sexton of Holy Trinity church, a position he continued to hold to 1748.''

''Anders' wife, Brita, said to be 61 years old, was buried 2 February 1741, at which time she was reported living over the Brandywine. In the succeeding church census of 1753, Anders Loinan, desceribed as a farmer, was reportedly living in Hans Peterson's ward over the Brandywine. He was, however, living in the Newport ward in Christina Hundred at the time of the 1764 church census. He was also a resident of Christiana Hundred when he wrote his will on 31 Dec. 1768. He died before Jan. 1771, when his will was proved.''

Anders and Brita Loinan or Lynam had eight known children:


 * 1. Brita Lynam, born c. 1714, who married James Anderson, 19 Nov. 1735
 * 2. Jöran (George) Lynam, born 19 May 1716, who married (1) Catharina by 1744 and (2) Margaret Stalcop, c.1750. He died c.1763.
 * 3. Maria Lynam, born 29 Nov. 1717; buried 22 Dec. 1717
 * 4. Catharina Lynam (#3, Mary Anderson's mother), born 6 March 1719, who married Peter Anderson (#2, Mary Anderson's father), 10 Jan. 1739
 * 5. Anders (Andrew) Lynam, born 2 Nov. 1720, who married Sarah Hall, 25 June 1751
 * 6. Johan Lynam, born 8 Sept. 1723, who married Catharina Derrickson, 17 April 1745; died Dec. 1768, Christina Hundred
 * 7. ''Maria Lynam, born 18 Oct. 1725, who married Jacob Anderson, 25 June 1751
 * 8. Christina Lynam, died 1753

''The first American log houses were built in Delaware about 1639 by Swedish settlers, and like later frontier log cabins, were intended as make-do shelter until the family could build a frame house. This log house, on display at the National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C., was built by Mary Anderson's uncle George Lynam on Mill Creek around 1740. In the 1763 church census, Matthias Brynberg was shown as a bachelor farmer living in Christiana Hundred adjacent to Margareta (Stalcop), widow of George Lynam, who died the year before in 1763.''  ''The Lynams were also early settlers in southwest Virginia, where Mary's cousin, Richard Lynam, was killed by Indians at Elk Garden in 1778 while serving in the militia. His brother, Andrew Linam (Lynam), also served during the American Revolution and received a pension. Located in present Russell County, Virginia, it is prophetic that several of Richard Linam's kinsmen, including the Andersons, Hendricks, and Brimberrys later settled in the Elk Garden area where Linam was slain. The serene view and Hendricks-Stuart mansion pictured above belie the sacrificies made by Linam and others in securing the area for settlement.''

Her Great Grandparents: Anders and Sophia Jöransson
'' #8-9. Mary Anderson's paternal grandfather's parents. The first English census of the Delaware River valley, dated, 1671, disclosed one "Andrew Urinson" as the head of a household at Christina (present Wilmington), located between "James Mett" (Jöns Andersson, the smith) and "Hans Petersen" (Hans Petersson). On 27 Sept. 1672, Anders purchased part of a plantation known as Deer Point, west of Christina, from a Swedish Finn named Sinnick Broer (who became Sophia's second husband following Anders' death). Another move was planned in June 1675 when Anders Jöransson and an Englishman purchased 540 acres south of the Cohansey River in New Jersey. Before the move was made, however, Anders Jöransson died. His widow Sophia sold his interest in the New Jersey property in February 1675/1676. Two years later, on 8 May 1678, Broer Sinnicksson, Sophia's new husband, was granted Anders Jöransson's land at Deer Point on his promise to pay Ander's five children 500 (Dutch) guilders apiece when each became 21. Broer's subsequent payments identify these five children (all born in America) as:"''


 * 1. Christiern Andersson, born c.1662-1664
 * 2. Jöran Andersson, born c.1666
 * 3. Jöns Andersson, born c.1669
 * 4. Eric Anderson (Mary's grandfather, #4), born c. 1671
 * ''5. Peter Andersson, born c. 1675

''The eldest son, Christiern Andersson, was naturalized by William Penn on 21 Feb. 1682/3, suggesting that he was at least 21 by that time and, therefore, was born by 1662. However, he was not paid his 500 guilders until April 1685, suggesting a birth year of 1664. (The colony of Pennsylvania then included the Three Lower Counties of Essex, Sussex and New Castle, or Delaware.)''

''In the 1693 church census of the Swedes on the Delaware, Christiern Andersson was named by his father's patronymic as Christiern Jöransson (the name he retained for the rest of his life), but he was not included among the 40 males in that census who were born in Sweden. This demonstrates that Anders Jöransson and his wife Sophia immigrated to the Delaware River before the English conquest of the Dutch in 1664.''

''The name of Anders Jöransson is not to be found among the lists of New Sweden settlers, 1638-1656. There was a person named Andrian Jöransen who was skipper on the "Fogel Grip", 1637-39, and the Kalmar Nyckel, 1641-42, but he was from Saardam, the Netherlands, and never remained in America. Dr. Amandus Johnson also lists and "Anders Jöransson" as a constable in New Sweden, 1640-43. (According to Dr. Craig, who is being quoted here), Dr. Johnson's listing is in error (an error repeated by researchers Charles and Ruth Springer and Jerry Brimberry during the 1970s). Instead, ... the constable's named was Anders Anders Jönsson and he returned to Sweden in 1642.''

''By his name, we know that Anders Jöransson was the son of a Jöran, which was the Swedish equivalent to the name George. In modern Swedish the name is Göran. The first letter is silent so that it sounds like "Yeran." There were a number of New Sweden settlers with the name of Jöran, but none stands out as a prospective father for Anders Jöransson. Alternatively, and more likely, he eotjer came to New Sweden as an orphan or a young servant or else was among the Swedes and Finns arriving in 1663 when the Dutch were in control of the Delaware river.''

''Broer Sinnick, Sophia's second husband was a Finn born in Sweden. He served for many years as a warden of the Swedes' church at Crane Hook and, after the new Holy Trinity Church at Christia was dedicated in 1699, at that church also. He died on 30 November 1708 and was buried two days later under his own pew in the church. By her second marriage, Sophia had a sixth son, James Sinnicksson. Sophia died in 1717. Her estate was administered by Mary Anderson, wife of her second son Jöran Anderson. Her fourth son, Eric Anderson #4, was Mary Anderson Brimberry's paternal grandfather.''

Her Great Grandparents: Olle and Kerstin Paulson
#10-11. Olle Paulson and his wife Kerstin,  ''who were Mary Anderson's paternal grandmother's parents, were born in Sweden; however it is uncertain when Olle arrived on the Delaware and whether he was the son of an immigrant named Paul or Päl (its Swedish form) or came by himself as a young adult. The first mention of him in surviving records is a patent dated 13 Feb. 1667/8 which was issued to him and Thomas Jacobsson for "Bread & Cheese Island", located in the Christina River west of Christina. The 1671 census identified him as "Clicker Olla," indicating that he was then the "klorckare" or parish clerk at the Swedes' church at Crane Hook. By 1684, he had moved to a 200-acre tract at Feren Hook on the south side of Christina River closer to Christinga. He died between 1693 and the end of 1696 when widow Paulson was listed as owner of the above property. She was still a communicant at Holy Trinity church as late as 23 May 1726. Six of their children have been identified:''


 * 1. Paul Paulson, married Elisabeth Lemmens, daughter of Hendrick Lemmens
 * 2.  Britia Paulson, married Eric Anderson (Mary Anderson's paternal grandparents,#4-5)
 * 3. Olof Paulson, Jr.
 * 4. Peter Paulson
 * 5. Kerstin Paulson
 * 6. Maria Paulson