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Anderson Family in Jamaica: DNA-identified descendants of John Anderson connected to Marie at the Ketcham House
Click any card or branch to expand descendant lines below and explore DNA-based family connections.
2nd Great-Grandfather
(1819-1887)
2nd Great-Granduncle
(1821-1900)
2nd Great-Granduncle
(1822-1874)
2nd Great-Granduncle
(1824-1906)
2nd Great-Granduncle
(1827–1904)
2nd Great-Grandaunt
(1832-1920)
2nd Great-Granduncle
(1834-1912)
2nd Great-Granduncle
(1835-1905)
New DNA evidence reveals that Robert Menzies Anderson, long believed to be a Scottish immigrant, was likely born in Jamaica to Scotsman John Anderson. His mother's identity remains uncertain—she may have been John's wife Mary Cockring or her enslaved woman Mary McDonald.
Robert's life journey took him from riot-injured policeman to court crier and petty debt collector.
The injuries from the riot may have had lasting consequences. When Robert died in 1887, his death certificate recorded him as a "widower, formerly a police sergeant, paralyzed for 14 years."
From "The Annals of Jamaica" (Vol. 2), pg. 55
Robert Menzies Anderson's deposition regarding the 1848 riot in St. Mary, Jamaica. As the first police sergeant, he was injured during the disturbance and his report was sent to Queen Victoria.
His detailed deposition provides valuable firsthand account of colonial policing challenges in 19th-century Jamaica.
Source: Google Books link
Robert's life represents the complex colonial history of Jamaica—a Scottish-descendant policeman serving during turbulent times, whose legacy continues through DNA-confirmed descendant lines.
The riot Robert reported on was part of widespread unrest in Jamaica following the abolition of slavery. As a police sergeant, he would have been responsible for maintaining order during these tense times.
