Anders Andersson the Finn and his Descendents

by Dr. Peter Stebbins Craig
Fellow, American Society of Genealogists
Fellow, Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania
Historian, Swedish Colonial Society

originally published in Swedish Colonial News,
Volume 3, Number 2 (Spring 2005)

When the ships Fama and Swan arrived at Fort Christina early in the afternoon of 13 February 1643, most eyes were focused on the new Governor, Johan Printz, and his family. Also on board, however, was Anders Andersson the Finn, his wife and small children. Anders the Finn, formerly a soldier at Fort Älvsborg in Sweden, had been banished to New Sweden as punishment for some undisclosed crime.

By 1644 Anders the Finn had become a freeman, having served out his sentence. Like several other Finns he resided in an area known as Finland, located west of Upland (now Chester) Creek. Here, in the woods, he planted his rye ­ an essential food for his family. By March 1648, however, he was in debt to the New Sweden Company and Governor Printz for 231:10 guilders, the biggest part (160 guilders) being for an ox. Governor Printz therefore had him hauled into court and seized Anders' woods as payment for this debt. This deprived Anders of ground on which to raise his rye and forced Anders to beg and sometimes steal grain from others in order to sustain his family.

When a petition, drafted in July 1653 by pastor Lars Lock, was circulated to complain against Printz's treatment of the freemen, Anders Andersson had his name added to the list of complainers. Governor Printz characterized this petition as a "mutiny," and responded on 1 August 1653 by claiming that the court judgment against Anders the Finn was a legal judgment and therefore beyond criticism. In September 1653, Printz left the colony and returned to Sweden.

Jacob Jongh's Trunk

The arrival of a new governor, Johan Risingh, in 1654 also changed Anders the Finn's fortunes. His woods were restored to him. But his legal problems were not over. In 1661 he rented a room to Jacob Jongh from Gothenburg, former assistant commissary for New Sweden but now an Indian trader for Willem Beeckman, Governor Stuyvesant's deputy on the South (Delaware) River. In mid-September Jongh eloped with Catharine, the wife of pastor Lars Lock. Beeckman rushed to Anders' house to seek the goods that had been entrusted to Jongh and found that somebody had broken into Jongh's trunk. Initially, Beeckman accused Anders the Finn of this deed, but it later developed that the minister himself had broken into the trunk, looking for evidence of his wife's misdeeds. Jacob Jongh was not to be found. (He had fled to the Bronx River near New Amsterdam, only to return to the Philadelphia area in 1677 when he became sexton and schoolmaster for the new log church at Wicaco.). Beeckman ended up bringing an action against Lars Carlsson Lock, who was forced to pay for the missing goods.

Evert Hendricksson the Finn

In the spring of 1663, Anders the Finn became one of the principal accusers against Evert Hendricksson the Finn, another resident of Upland Creek. Anders complained that "Evert Hendricksson the Finn daily commits acts of insolence before his, the deponent's, door by beating, shouting and other disorderly acts, and if nothing is done about it, he will have to leave the village in order to live in peace." Others testified that Evert the Finn regularly met with Anders the Finn's wife at the house of Pål Petersson, another Finn. As a result of these and other charges, the Upland Court decided to ban Evert the Finn from living anywhere within the court's jurisdiction. Evert the Finn then moved to Crane Hook, where Governor d'Hinojossa promised that he and other Finns could live without molestation.

Notwithstanding the deportation of Evert the Finn, Anders decided that he would move, too. After the English captured the Delaware from the Dutch in 1664, Anders the Finn moved his family to join the families of Sinnick Broer the Finn and Walraven Jansen de Vos (a former Dutch soldier, married to a Finn) at Deer Point on the north side of Christina Creek. They claimed an area of 450 morgens (900 acres) and a patent for this land was issued on 1 September 1669. A month later Anders and his neighbors on Christina Creek were also given liberty to erect a mill on Anders the Finn's Creek (also called Little Falls Creek) at Deer Point. The area later became known as Richardson Park and is now part of Wilmington.

The last recorded act of Anders the Finn was a deed dated 1 September 1673 by
which Anders Andersson and Christina Gulbrand his wife conveyed his 300 acres of land to their two sons, Justa Anderson and John Anderson with the caveat that Anders was "to have the corn when ripe and to live in the house during his pleasure." He probably died shortly thereafter. His widow survived him by many years. She probably lived with her youngest daughter, Brita.

Four children of Anders Andersson and his wife Christina Gulbrand have been identified:

Anna Andersdotter, born in Sweden, married Nils Larsson Frände of Upland Creek in 1656. Their house on Upland Creek, adjoining Lars Carlsson Lock, became an inn and was the favorite meeting place of the Upland Court. Her husband's adopted surname (Frände, meaning "kinsman" or "blood brother") was first used when he and Olle Rawson (see below) were granted a license to buy lands from the Indians in Gloucester County NJ and later became Anglicized to "Friend."

Nils Larsson died in 1686. Anna lived another forty years, being cared for by her son Gabriel Friend. Their children were:

• Brita Friend, born c. 1657, married by 1678 John Cock, son of Peter Larsson Cock and Margaret Lom; died after 1720 when living at St. Georges Creek, New Castle County, Delaware. Eight children.
• Anders Friend, born c. 1659, married twice; first to a daughter (name unknown) of Peter Gunnarsson Rambo, 2nd to Isabela (parents not identified); died in the 1740s at present Williamsport, Maryland. Three known children.
• Catharine Friend, born 1661, married Olof Dalbo, son of Anders Larsson Dalbo and his wife Elisabeth; died 19 April 1721 in Gloucester County, NJ. Nine children.
• Maria Friend, born c. 1663, married c, 1687 Gabriel Cock, son of Peter Larsson Cock and Margaret Lom. Eight children.
• Johannes Friend, born 1666, married c. 1696 Anna, daughter of Hendrick Coleman, died 1738 at Upper Penns Neck, Salem County, NJ. Ten children.
• Susannah Friend, born c, 1670, married c. 1694 Enoch Enochsson, son of Garrett and Gertrude Enochson. Four sons.
• Sarah Friend, born c. 1672, married c. 1700 Amos Nicholas (English). Four known children
• Gabriel Friend, born c. 1674, married Maria Van Culen, daughter of Johan Van Culen and Annicka Grelsson; died after 1748. Five known children.
• Lars Friend, born c. 1676, married in 1718 to Sarah Jaquet, daughter of Paul and Maria Jaquet; died in New Jersey in 1754. Four known children.
• Barbara Friend, born c. 1678, married in 1705 to Peter Longacre, son of Anders Petersson Longacre and Magdalena Cock; died after 1739 in Kingsessing, Philadelphia County. Five known children.

Justa Andersson was an adult by 1670 when he joined his father in signing a letter written in haste to warn the English at New Castle of an impending attack by Seneca Indians from the north. He married, by 1676 a Dutch widow by the name of Aeltie, who was the mother of a teen-age boy named Sybrant Matthiassen Valk, then a servant for Peter Alrichs. When they took back her son into their household, constables were sent to Justa Andersson's house in New Castle to recover the boy for his master. Justa and Aeltie so verbally abused the constables that they fled in terror. Justa and Aeltie were fined 600 guilders for their behavior in the incident.
Justa Andersson had no children of his own. After selling his 150 acres at Deer Point, Justa bought the inn in New Castle. He dealt extensively in real estate, both in New Castle and elsewhere. Among his dealings was the purchase of Olof Stille's original plantation in Chester (now Delaware) County, Pa., from pastor Lars Lock. Part of this land, on Ridley Creek, was then sold to widow Anna Friend, who moved with her younger children to this location.

Justa went bankrupt and the last of his New Castle property was sold by the sheriff to pay his creditors. He then moved to Cecil County, Maryland, where he was known as Justa Anderson alias Cock. When naturalized by William Penn on 32 February 1682/3, he had been called Justa Andries de Haan. The words "de haan" mean "the rooster" in Dutch, which may have been descriptive of his personality. Justa Andersson alias Cock died some time after 12 November 1695 when he was sued in the Cecil County court.

John Andersson, the younger son, married by 1676 Catharina, the daughter of Hendrick Jacobsson and Gertrude his wife. He sold his 150 acres of Deer Point to Peter Jegoe. In 1681, he was granted 390 acres on the east side of Red Clay Creek, which he sold to Peter Stalcop and John Hansson Steelman in 1689. However, he never lived there. By 1681, he was living in Chester County, probably on land owned by his brother-in-law, Olle Rawson. When indicted by the Chester County court for stealing pork, Olle Rawson and Nils Larsson Frände posted bond for him. John Andersson was acquitted, but moved by 1682 to live in "Stockholm Township," on the north side of Raccoon Creek in what became Gloucester County.

While residing in New Jersey, John was called John Anderson "the little," to distinguish him from John Andersson Sträng, who was called John Andersson "the big." By June 1689, John Andersson was back in Chester County, living with his mother. Both were sued there for a debt of £2.12.6 on account. By 1693, when the church census showed seven persons in his household, John was back in New Castle County, where he was granted 300 acres between Brandywine Creek and Red Clay Creek. By this time he was known as John Anderson Cock.
John Anderson Cock gave £4 for the construction of Holy Trinity Church. He and his wife were both assigned pews in the new church in 1699. Having sold most of his land on Brandywine Creek and having given the remaining 100 acres to his son Andrew ("Andrishi") Cock, John purchased 200 acres of "Oak Hill" on Mill Creek from Anna Friend in May 1701. Quitrents on this land were not paid, because John Anderson was sick. John Anderson Cock sold this property to Charles Springer, 10 February 1702/03. He probably died shortly thereafter.
John Andersson Cock and Catharine Hendricksdotter had at least the following children:

• Andrew ("Andrishi") Cock, born c. 1678, married [1] Aeltie, widow of Zacharias Vanderculin [no children] and [2] Sarah Stidham, daughter of Adam and Catharine Stidham, c. 1708; died 8 Dec. 1749 in New Castle County. Ten children by second marriage.
• Justa Cock, born c. 1683, married Annika (parents not identified) by 1713. Three children baptized at Holy Trinity, 1713-1720 before he moved to Nottingham in Chester County.
• William Cock, born c. 1685, married Amy Vanderculin (Dutch), daughter of Reigner Vanderculin and Margaret Ogge, c. 1714; died 1743 in New Castle County. Five known children.
• Joseph Cock, born c. 1690, married Maria (parents not identified) by 1718; disappears from New Castle County records in 1720 after baptism of two children at Holy Trinity.
• Catharina Cock, born c. 1695, married Peter Pålsson, son of Olle and Kerstin Pålsson of Fern Hook, 20 October 1720, and had ten children before her death after childbirth on 18 November 1739. Her husband remarried Maria, daughter of Johan Van Culin and Christina Pålsson and widow of Stephen Tussey c. 1742 and moved to Cecil County, where he died in 1755.
  

Brita Andersdotter, the younger daughter of Anders the Finn, was married by 1673 to Olof Rase, more commonly known as Olle or Wolla Rawson and finally as William Rawson. He had arrived in New Sweden as a soldier on the Eagle in 1654 and, together with Nils Larsson Frände had been licensed to buy land from the Indians in Gloucester County in 1668. He sold his interest in the New Jersey venture in 1675, being satisfied with his original tract of land on the west bank of the Delaware, located above and below Marcus Hook. This tract, originally granted by the Dutch before 1664 was repatented in 1676 by Governor Andros of New York to Olle Rawson and five others and estimated to be 1,000 acres. Each of the other owners moved to new locations, however, so that most of this land ended up in the ownership of Olle Rawson.

With the creation of Pennsylvania and the influx of new settlers from Great Britain, Olle Rawson profited greatly by the sale of lands north of Marcus Hook to the newcomers. He held on to approximately 400 acres, centered around Naamans Creek. In 1685, he entered into an agreement with John Bristow to erect a gristmill on Naaman's Creek, under an obligation to grind 40 bushels of corn per year for the balance of the lives of Woola Rawson and his wife Brita.. The last record of him alive is a deed dated 25 July 1697 by which Wooley Rawson and his son Lacy Rawson sold seven acres of land with a mill and mill race thereon to Jasper Yeates.

Olle Rawson and his wife Brita had five confirmed children:

• Maria Rawson, born c. 1667, married by 1684 Hans Gustafsson (alias Justis), son of Johan Gustafsson and his wife Brigitta. Initially, they lived at Marcus Hook on lands owned by Olle Rawson, but moved after 1700 to Cecil County to live on lands owned by her brother Lawrence Rawson. In 1710 they witnessed the marriage of their daughter Lydia to Rev. Jonas Aurén. They also had four sons, John, William, Peter and Måns.
• Charles Rawson, born c. 1670, died intestate at Marcus Hook before 22 November 1708, when letters of administration were issued on his estate to his widow Mary. They had two sons and four daughters.
• Lars Rawson, also known as Lacy or Lawrence Rawson, was born c. 1672 and married into wealth when he wed Susannah Oldfield, only daughter and heiress of George Oldfield, formerly of Cecil County, Maryland, and his wife Petronella Tussey, widow of Captain John Carr. On 17 August 1703, George Oldfield, gentleman, of Chester County conveyed to Lawrence Rawson of Cecil County all of his mares, horses and land in Cecil County. These lands soon were also occupied by Lawrence Rawson's brother-in-law Hans Justis and his cousin Anders Friend. Lawrence Rawson died in Cecil County about 1718. His widow Susannah then married John Powell, who sold most of Lawrence Rawson's former lands and chattels in 1720. Lawrence Rawson had no known children
• John Rawson, born c. 1674, married Margaret (parents not identified) and remained in the Marcus Hook area, where he owned 106 acres, inherited from his father. John's will, dated 24 September 1736 and proved 11 October 1739, named one son and four daughters, all of them still minors.
• William Rawson, born c. 1677, inherited 118 acres near Naamans Creek, but he spent most of his adult life at the Maurice River in southern New Jersey, where he acquired 1100 acres of forest land in 1718, established a sawmill in 1719, and opened a tavern in 1722. He ran into financial difficulty, however, and in 1739 William Rawson and his wife Lydia mortgaged his 118 acres in Brandywine Hundred. The mortgage was not paid and his land was sold at public auction in 1740. He died in January 1748 and was buried in the Mau-rice River churchyard, established by the Swedes living in that area. Benjamin Bispham was named administratorof his estate. No children of William Rawson have been identified.
• Andrew Rawson, born c. 1680, inherited 107 acres on Naaman's Creek which he sold, with his wife Gertrude, in 1728. He had already, for several years, established himself as an innholder in Chichester, Chester County. He married 2nd Sarah Bloair at Holy Trinity Church, 28 July 1730, but died within a year thereafter. He was survived by three children from his first marriage and one daughter by his second marriage, who died in her infancy.