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Peter Anderton, third son of John and Mary Leather Anderton, was born 6 April 1844, at Wigan, Lancashire, England. He came to America late in the year 1863 with his mother and brothers, Thomas, Richard, and Levi. They arrived in New York on the ship Chancellor on 18 November and then joined the family members who had come earlier, in St. Clair, Pennsylvania where he planned to work in the mines. The American Civil War, which began in 1861, was raging on at the time of their arrival. For the sum of $800 in cash, he agreed to serve as a soldier in the Union Army in the place of a rich man who had been conscripted. The Civil War ended in April 1865 and Peter was discharged on 18 July 1865 at Raleigh, North Carolina. Peter returned to England and married Elizabeth Plant on 25 September 1865, in Ashton Under Lyne, Lancashire, England. Elizabeth was born 14 October 1845, in Dukinfield, Cheshire, England, the daughter of Thomas and Amy North Plant.

Peter and Elizabeth returned to St. Clair, Pennsylvania shortly after their marriage. Elizabeth discovered she was pregnant and wanted her baby born in England. They returned to England in time for Elizabeth Ann, to be born 21 January 1867 and remained there for the birth of their second child, Mary Emma on 5 December 1868.

On 1 April 1869 Peter and his brother, Richard arrived in New York on the steamship SS City of New York from Liverpool. On the ship's manifest they were both listed as weavers rather than miners. His wife and daughters were also back in Pennsylvania by 1870. Their third child, Annie Bernice Anderton was born 23 March 1871 in St. Clair and a few months later they moved West settling in Rock Springs, Wyoming where Peter worked in the mines until 1877 when he and some of his brothers opened a store in Central, Sevier County, Utah. They moved the store to Monroe, Utah in 1878. Two daughters were born in Wyoming: Jane Anderton, born 16 July 1873 in Evanston and Martha Anderton, born 19 September 1875 in Rock Springs. Elizabeth Anderton was born on 18 October 1877 in Monroe, Utah. Peter and Elizabeth remained in the Monroe area until 1885 and had three more children there; their only son, Peter William Anderton was born 19 January 1880, Bertha Anderton was born 17 May 1883 and Alice Anderton was born 26 October 1885.

Peter could see better opportunity back in the "hard money" towns of Wyoming, so in 1885 he "drew out" of the store and returned to Evanston, Wyoming. He apparently left Elizabeth and their eight surviving children in Monroe while he found a job and a place for the family to live. The family story is that Elizabeth made the trip with her children and all their belongings in a wagon pulled by a team of horses, which she drove. The family settled in North Evanston. This probably occurred in the spring of 1886.

On 9 November of 1894 Peter met with a fatal accident. The Anderton's had recently sold their North Evanston property, had all their household possessions packed on wagons and were beginning their move to the Bridger Valley to take up a homestead. The caravan had halted while Peter got down from the wagon to catch a young heifer that had gotten loose from the back of the wagon where she had been tied. A train whistled, scaring the horses. They bolted. Peter jumped for the wheel, but slipped. His head went through the spokes of the back wheel, breaking his neck and killing him instantly.

Bio by Cloyde Anderton, edited and added to by Paul J. Anderton with footnote references by George Thomas Anderton. Copied, abridged and posted by Susan Kimes Burgess with the written permission of Paul J. Anderton. Pages 138-140 from Ancestors and Descendants of John Anderton 1803-1858, compiled by Paul J. Anderton