The Anderson Goldmine Creek Property

The Anderson Land Patent for Goldmine

The Andersons are one of those prolific families of which you'll find connections to in just about every other family in early Hanover County. They also owned land all over Hanover County, within both St. Paul's and St. Martin's Parishes. One particular location in which they lived, and are probably most known for, is the Anderson plantation located at Goldmine Creek. In fact, back in 1913 Edward Lowell Anderson published a book entitled The Andersons of Gold Mine, Hanover County, Virginia. Interestingly, Edward Lowell Anderson stated in his book that he was unable to find the origin of the land. But an expanded inspection of one particular Anderson land patent gives the location away.

The land for the Goldmine plantation appears to have been issued in a 1723 land patent of 400 acres granted to Robert Anderson of Hanover County and Charles Anderson of King William County for the sum of 40 shillings, The patent can be viewed on the Library of Virginia website. But as can be seen from the below transcription for the property description, the only water streams and adjacent land owners mentioned were the Chickahominy Swamp, Stone Horse Creek, John Sims, and John Williamson. 

...one certain tract or parcel of land containing four hundred acres lying and being between the head branches of Chickahominy Swamp and Stone Horse Creek in Hanover County bounded as follows towit: Beginning at a corner of several marked trees in John Sim's line upon John Sim's corner running along the said Sim's line south seventy and a half east one hundred and forty poles to another corner of several marked trees south twenty west twenty eight poles to a pine thence south sixty nine east one hundred and forty to  shrubby white oak at one hundred and twelve John Williamson's corner two south fifty west one hundred and twenty four to a white oak thence south two hundred several shrubby oaks by a branch of Chickahominy swamp thence north fifty one west three hundred thirty eight poles to a shrubby white oak thence north eighteen east one hundred forty poles to the beginning...

If we look at the below current topographic map, we can see the features Chickahominy River/Swamp and Stone Horse Creek in relation to Goldmine Creek. Somewhere in this area were several marked trees forming a corner! If only we could find those marked trees today - three hundred years later!

Goldmine Creek in Relationship to Stone Horse Creek and Chickahominy Swamp/River

So, it is easy to see from this 1723 land patent description how Edward Lowell Anderson didn't recognize the 1723 land patent as being the Goldmine property. In fact, to really narrow in on the location of the 1723 Anderson land patent, it involves analysis of multiple land patents to ascertain the general location. 

By reviewing the land patents of John Sims and John Williamson, we learn more about the area being near the branches of Stone Horse Creek. But still, no mention of Goldmine Creek. But if we look at the land patents for the adjacent landowners mentioned in the Sims and Williamson patents, which included George Brock and Christohper Clark, we finally come across a reference to Goldmine Creek. So, it takes some triangulation of the various land patents to learn that Robert and Charles Anderson's 1723 land patent for 400 acres was south of the South Anna River, west of Stone Horse Creek, at the head branches of the Chickahominy Swamp, and near Goldmine Creek. In 1723, this area fell within the boundaries of St. Paul's Parish, Hanover County. Three years later, St. Martin's Parish was formed from St. Paul's and included all the area west of Stone Horse Creek, including Goldmine Creek, as shown in the below map.

St. Martin's Parish Boundaries within Hanover County, Virginia

Goldmine Land Tax Records

The first extant land tax record for an Anderson that reflects ownership of the Goldmine Creek property is the 1782 St. Martin's Parish Land Tax Record, almost sixty years after the land patent was granted. The below image clearly shows Robert Anderson of Goldmine being charged for 405 1/2 acres, very close to the 400 acres listed in the original land patent. The fact that the Goldmine property acreage was so exact in 1782, measured to a half acre, implies that a more precise survey of the property had occurred sometime since the land patent was issued. 

1782 St. Martins Parish, Hanover County Virginia Land Tax Record

Robert Anderson of Goldmine continued to be charged for 405 1/2 acres through 1791. In the 1792 St. Martins Parish land tax record (see below), the 405 1/2 acres were charged to Robert Anderson with no mention of Goldmine. 

 

1792 St. Martins Parish, Hanover County Virginia Land Tax Record    

The lack of reference to Goldmine in the 1792 land tax record, corresponds with the death year of Robert Anderson, husband of Elizabeth Clough Anderson. Below are images of their tombstones which were erected at an unknown date within the Anderson graveyard at the Goldmine property. These photos were provided by Tish Jennings, a descendant of Robert and Elizabeth. 

It would appear that in 1792 a "new" Robert Anderson was now in possession of the Goldmine property. The new Robert Anderson continued to pay land tax on the Goldmine property until 1803 when he conveyed all 405 1/2 acres to Thomas Richardson. It must have been a sad time for the Anderson family to see this property leave its possession. 

Thomas Richardson paid the annual tax on the 405 1/2 acres through 1831. In 1832, the 405 1/2 acres were taxed to his estate. What happened to the once Anderson Goldmine property after Richardson's death? That's a topic for another day!

copyright©2023 Deborah Thurman Parks