Patrick Anderson (Pennsylvania)

Patrick Anderson (1719–1793) was an American Patriot who was an officer in the French and Indian War and the American Revolution and later was a member of the Pennsylvania General Assembly [2].

Patrick Anderson was the son of James Anderson, an early Scot (c. 1707) immigrant to Pennsylvania and Elizabeth Jerman (Jarman), the daughter of Thomas Jerman, a Welsh Quaker, who purchased one of William Penn’s first grist milling licenses (History of Tredyffrin Twp, PA [3]).

Patrick was born at “Anderson Place,” in then Charlestown Township, Pennsylvania now Schuylkill Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania, near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. He was the first person of European descent born in Charlestown Township.

He was educated in Philadelphia and returned home to farm. He built, opened and taught at the first school house in the Valley Forge area. He was married 3 times, the first time to Hannah Martin in historic Christ Church, Philadelphia [4].

Patrick was captain of a company of Chester County men who served in the French and Indian War.

At the time of the Revolution, Patrick was serving on Anthony Wayne's first Chester County Committee of Safety. The Assembly sent a Captain's Commission to him, and, although an older man, being 55 at the time, Patrick accepted it, called together his old soldiers, and the entire company of fifty-six men enlisted. His company was known as the Chester County Minute Men of 1775. Patrick paid for and outfitted his entire company but was never compensated by the Continental Congress, and lost half of his farm, which he had mortgaged to a neighbor.

In March 1776, he was appointed senior captain of the Pennsylvania Battalion of Musketry (sometimes called Samuel Atlee's Battalion)(Pennsylvania Archives»Series 5»Volume II»The Musketry Battalion. Colonel Samuel J. Atlee. March 6, 1776.(a)»Page 467 [5]) and fought for one tour of the Revolution, until the impairment of his health compelled his retirement. He was a member of the Society of the Cincinnati.

...
Wikipedia