William Anderson (1762December 16, 1829) was an American politician who served as a Democratic-Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives for Pennsylvania's 1st congressional district from 1809 to 1815 and from 1817 to 1819. Major William Anderson Grave

Early life and military service

William Anderson was born in Accomack County, Virginia, Accomack County in the Colony of Virginia in 1762. During the American Revolutionary War, Revolutionary War, he joined the Continental Army at the age of fifteen and served until the end of the war. He was a major on the staff of General Gilbert du Motier, marquis de La Fayette, Lafayette and distinguished himself at Battle of Germantown, Germantown and Siege of Yorktown, Yorktown. He was married to Elizabeth Dixon. In 1796, Anderson became engaged in the hotel business through the purchase of the Columbia House in Chester, Pennsylvania.

Political career

He served as Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Delaware County auditor in 1804 and county director of the poor in 1805. He was a Jeffersonian democrat and held many public offices. Anderson was elected as a Democratic-Republican to the 11th United States Congress, Eleventh, 12th United States Congress, Twelfth, and 13th United States Congress, Thirteenth Congresses. He was elected to the 15th United States Congress, Fifteenth Congress. He was appointed an associate judge of the county court on January 5, 1826, and resigned in 1828 to become an inspector of customs in Philadelphia. He served until his death in Chester, Pennsylvania in 1829 and was interred in Old St. Paul's Church (Chester, Pennsylvania), St. Paul's Church Cemetery.

Slaveholding

Under An Act for the Gradual Abolition of Slavery, Pennsylvania gradual abolition law, enslavers had six months to register the children of women they held in bondage. On July 2, 1806, Anderson registered a nineteen-week-old "male mulatto bastard child" named Francis as his property for twenty-eight years with the Delaware County clerk of courts. Updated 12 April 2022 This registration reveals that Anderson owned Francis' mother, whom he held in either lifetime or term slavery.

References

Sources

The Political Graveyard
{{DEFAULTSORT:Anderson, William 1762 births 1829 deaths People from Accomack County, Virginia Virginia colonial people American people of Dutch descent Democratic-Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania Pennsylvania state court judges American slave owners People from Chester, Pennsylvania 19th-century American politicians Continental Army officers from Pennsylvania Burials in Pennsylvania