Other researchers
In the late 1960s Alan Rotherford shared his research on our Anderson family. Alan was a descendant of Matthew’s sister Jane who married James Cowan(s). Alan was a farmer at Kentonbankfoot, now close to Newcastle Airport so he was able to visit the archives in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in pre-internet days. Alan was concerned that there was an important error in his tree, now identified but the first two generations agree with trees found on ancestry.com.
Our branch of the Andersons can be traced back to John and Isabel Anderson who lived at Clennell Mill in the 1730s and then Barrow Mill by 1758, both near Alwinton in Upper Coquetdale. It is unlikely that we will ever be able to go further back as Anderson was a common name in the area and the Scottish default surname meaning son of Andrew, St Andrew being the patron saint of Scotland.
Various sources have established John and Isabels’ offspring as:
- Eleanor b1731 at Clennel Mill m William Bollum of Stannington
- Elizabeth 1733-1758 born at Clennel Mill baptised Alwinton
- Alexander 1736-1810 born at Clennel Mill. Ancestry trees show that he moved to Rothbury, married Alice Donkin and then Mary Davidson and had 10 offspring, died Rothbury.
- Matthew 1739-1805 born at Barra (Barrow) Mill m at Alwinton in 1778 Eleanor Hunter of The Hillocks, Elsdon. Live at Shittleheaugh. Offspring included Archibald 1785- who married Mary Clark and their granddaughter Mary Ann m. Ephraim 1819-1893, the son of Matthew
- Robert 1741- born at Barra (Barrow) Mill married Eleanor Hindmarsh.
- John 1743- OUR LINE born at Barra (Barrow) Mill
- Isabel 1745- or 1749? born a Barra (Barrow) Mill
Looking at the descendants of the seven siblings we find very little information on the three daughters while the four sons have descendants alive today with whom we hope to make DNA links.