The historic Fanthorp Inn is perhaps most thought of when referring to the town of Anderson, Texas. 
However, immediately across the street down a grassy lane from the still existing Fanthorp Inn is the Fanthorp Family Cemetery.  It is here that Henry Fanthrop, founder of the Fanthorp Inn, is buried, as well as is his wife, Rachel.  In the fall of 1867 the Fanthorps both died of yellow fever within two days of each other. 

However, perhaps more importantly the Fanthorp Family Cemetery is also the burial spot of Kenneth Lewis Anderson, the last vice-president of the Republic of Texas. 

In June 1845 Anderson had presided at Washington on the Brazos over the Texas Senate as President Pro Tempore when the Texas Congress approved annexation with the United States as its 28th state.   On his journey home to San Augustine, he had traveled only 20 miles, when he fell ill and stopped at the Fanthorp Inn to rest.   His illness worsened and Anderson died there on July 3rd. 

On March 24, 1846, the town was renamed and established as Anderson in his honor.

Anderson was born in September 1805 at Hillsborough, Orange County, North Carolina.   At the age of 19 he was in 
Bedford County, Tennessee as a deputy sheriff and later sheriff.  He married Patience Burditt in 1825.  They had three children.  In 1837 the Andersons came to Texas settling at San Augustine where he again became sheriff in 1838.  His political career began when Republic of Texas President Mirabeau B. Lamar appointed Anderson as collector of customs for the district of San Augustine.   In 1841 Anderson was elected to the Republic’s 6th Congress as a representative and in turn was elected Speaker of the House.  He led an unsuccessful attempt to impeach President Lamar and Vice-President David G. Burnet.  Anderson retired in 1842 to practice law.  Later he ran for vice-president of the Republic to be nearly unanimously elected when his opponent died before the election.

Henry Fanthorp was born November 20, 1790 in Lincolnshire, England.  Fanthorp arrived at Washington on the Brazos in 1832.  He purchased 1100 acres of land from Francis Holland and began a trading post.  In 1834 he was married to Rachel Kennard and built the house that would become Fanthorp Inn. The Inn became the stage stop for both the Houston-Springfield line that ran through Retreat and the Nacogdoches-San Felipe de Austin line that ran through Anderson and Navasota.  Both the Fanthorp Inn and the Fanthorp Family Cemetery are now part of the proclaimed Anderson Historic District.
 
Others recorded as buried there are:

DeSaussure, James Peronneau, b., unknown; d., Sep. 10, 1965

DeSaussure, Julia (Stone), b., unknown; d., Aug. 17, 1964

Dickson, Martha C., b., Sep. 20, 1831; d., Apr. 16, 1874

Dodson, Annie V. (Stone), b., Aug. 22, 1867; d., Oct. 8, 1906

Fanthorp John H., b., Aug 11, 1840; d., Jan. 20, 1863

Fanthorp, Mary A., b., Dec. 29, 1844; d., May 4, 1901

Fanthorp, Sarah E., b., Feb, 1842; d., Jun 8, 1844

Kennard, Mary Ann R., b., Jun 30, 1826; d., Jun 21, 1874

Kennard, Michael Moore, b., Jul 27, 1809; d., Jul 7, 1895

Kettler, Marie Virginia; b., unknown; d., Nov. 16, 1890

Laprelle, John; b. unknown; d., Dec. 23, 1855

Laprelle, Martha; b., unknown; d., Mar 18, 1855

McDonald, Eleanor Fanthorp (Stone); b., Feb 10, 1869; d., Jan 25, 1903

McDonald, J. G. Jr.; b., Sep. 11, 1858; d., Mar. 5, 1938

McDonald, Mary Eleanor; b., Jan. 21, 1903; d., Jun 15, 1903

Moore, Bette; b., May 22, 1846; d., Feb. 5, 1865

Moore, Rebecca L.; b., Jun 22, 1819; d., May 20, 1866

Peck, S. Virginia; b., unknown; d., Sep 25, 1852

Peck, William H.; b., Jan 31, 1851; d., Jun 13, 1853

Ratcliff, Alice (Yarborough; b., 1896; d., 1969

Ratcliff, John Noble; b., 1889; d., 1948

Ratcliff, Martha Jane; 1st Lt., U. S. Army, WW II; b., Sep. 22, 1922; d., Jun 7, 2003

Ratcliff, John Noble, Jr.;  1stLt., U. S. Army, WW II; b., Nov. 1, 1923; d., Dec. 21, 2007

Rhoda, Wilmar; b., unknown; d., 1875

Stone, Henry Fanthorp; b., Apr. 14, 1874; d., May 12, 1894

Stone, Mary; b., Nov. 9, 1865; d., Apr. 19, 1869

Stone, Mary A. (Fanthorp); b., Dec. 29, 1844; d., May 2, 1901

Stone, Major William M.; b., Apr. 17, 1834; d., Nov. 8, 1874.

-O-
Text and Photos by Betty Dunn
 (Resources:  Saga of Anderson by Irene Taylor Allen; Handbook of Texas; and www.findagrave.com)