Thomas Patterson, “Sr.”
of Washington Twp., Fayette Co., PA
and his known descendants
By
Janice (Patterson) Rosenthal
Wilmett, Illinois
rrsent839@aol.com
Final Version 7 Sept 2007
Copyright 2007 Janice Rosenthal
Contents of this paper are not to be used for commercial purposes,
but feel free to copy and share for non-commercial purposes.
CONTENTS
Page
Introduction 1
Chapter 1 Thomas Patterson Sr. 3
Chapter 2 William, son of Thomas Patterson Sr. 20
Chapter 3 John, son of Thomas Patterson Sr. 37
Chapter 4 Thomas Jr., son of Thomas Patterson Sr. 47
Chapter 5 Alexander, son of Thomas Patterson Sr. 61
Chapter 6 Susannah, daughter of Thomas Patterson Sr. 63
Chapter 7 Sarah, daughter of Thomas Patterson Sr. 64
Chapter 8 Transcriptions (presented in the order in which 65
they are referred in the text):
- 1911 Letter written by William Patterson
- Will of Thomas Patterson, Sr.
- 1797 Deed – Thomas Sr. grants land to son John
- 1797 Deed – Thomas Sr. grants land to son Thomas Jr.
- 1788 deed Edward Cook to Thomas Patterson Sr.
- Biographical Sketch of John S. Patterson
- 1963 Letter written by Mrs. Chalon T. Land
- Will of William Patterson, son of Thomas Patterson Sr.
- Biographical Sketch of David Proudfit
- Facts concerning John Patterson, Esq.
- 1814 Land Agreement – John Patterson Esq. to son Wm.
- Will of Thomas Patterson, Jr., son of Thomas Sr.
Chapter 9 About Covenanters – Historical Background 89
for the Religious Beliefs of Thomas Patterson, Sr.
Chapter 10 Sorting out the Pattersons 95
Appendix Abstracts & transcriptions of various land 106
records (which are not referred to in the text)
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INTRODUCTION
Four years ago, when I began researching the family of Thomas Patterson Sr. (1724-1822), I suspected that “my” Pattersons were descended from him. As recently as several months ago, I was 99% convinced that my oldest-known ancestor--my great-great-great grandfather, William Patterson (1784-1856)--was the grandson of Thomas Patterson Sr. I believed that my William was the son of Thomas Sr.’s son, John.
However, in July of 2007, a proven living descendant of Thomas Sr.—George Patterson (descended from Thomas Sr.’s son, Thomas Jr.)—agreed to a DNA test. His 37 markers were found to match 36/37 with the markers of another proven descendant of Thomas Sr.—Bill Patterson—who is descended from Thomas Sr.’s son, William. And how did their DNA compare with “my” Patterson DNA? No match! By “my” Patterson DNA, I mean the DNA from two different branches of my Pattersons: the DNA of my brother’s son, and the DNA of a living male descendant of my great-great grandfather’s brother. The DNA of my brother’s son matched 37/37 with the DNA of my great-great grandfather’s descendant. But there was no match with Thomas Sr.’s descendants.
By obtaining two samples of “my” Patterson DNA, I had been careful to eliminate the possibility of infidelity or adoption in “my” line. And I had two samples from Thomas Sr.’s line. So the results were clear: I was not, after all, a descendant of Thomas Patterson Senior.
Upon learning that surprising and disheartening news, rather than discarding my research-to-date, I decided to compile all that I had learned of the family of Thomas Patterson Sr., and to give copies of my final paper to the several known descendants. In addition, I will be filing copies with:
(1) Library of Church of Latter Day Saints Family History Library (Salt Lake City)
(2) D.A.R. Library (in Washington D.C.)
(3) Uniontown Public Library – Pennsylvania Room collection
(4) Westmoreland County Historical Society
(5) Rostraver [Westmoreland County] Historical Society
(6) Rehoboth Presbyterian Church Library, Belle Vernon, PA
I hope that my research helps Patterson researchers avoid the mistakes made by previous researchers. I learned that there are many, many errors about this line in print and (especially) on-line. In some cases I was able to hunt down the source of the errors, several of which were quite serious--as in the case of a transcription (made by the Fayette County Recorder of Wills) of the will of Thomas Patterson Sr. which omits the name of his son, Thomas Jr.! This omission was only discovered upon requesting a copy of the original will, and comparing it with the transcription!
Unless otherwise noted, my information on the descendants of Thomas Patterson Sr. came from original research, and from a packet of material Janice received May 2005 from Patty Gray, one of Thomas Sr.’s descendants. This material had originally been gathered by Sarah Luella Patterson (b. 1874) and by Sarah Luella’s sister, Cora Edna
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(Patterson) Brown (b. 1888)--both 3rd great-granddaughters of Thomas Patterson Sr. through his son, Thomas Patterson Jr. Sarah and Cora did know the name of their great-
grandfather, Thomas Sr., but knew very little of the family of Thomas Sr. other than of his son, Thomas Jr.
The materials sent to me by Patty Gray had been in the family’s possession for the greater part of a century. I offer up my sincere thanks to Patty for taking the time to make copies of these hundreds of pages, and for sending it all to me.
Also, in May 2005, Janice and her sister, Jo, visited “Rich Grove” farm in Rostraver, Westmoreland Co., PA (originally inhabited by Thomas Sr.’s son, Thomas Jr.)—straddling the border of Washington Twp., Fayette Co., PA. Jo and Janice had a wonderful time getting to know George Patterson, who currently lives there with his wife, Linda (“Lonnie”) and daughter Rebekah. This meeting was arranged by George and Lonnie’s daughter, Megan, who lives near the old homestead. George’s wife, Lonnie, was kind enough to give Janice and Jo a copy of a genealogical paper that had been prepared (in 1982?) by John Andrew Brown, another of Thomas Sr.’s descendants through Thomas Jr. Having examined the materials gathered by Sarah Luella Patterson, Cora Edna Patterson and John Andrew Brown, Janice found that some of the info was incorrect or incomplete. The information in this paper contains only the info Janice believes to be correct, and each fact is substantiated with the source from which it came.
As facts are presented in this paper, the source of each fact will be immediately cited, obviating the need for footnotes, or for a bibliography. This system also makes it easier for the reader to check my facts, one-by-one, as each fact is read.
When this paper is done and printed and distributed to the various libraries listed above, I am “done” with this line. I will be turning my research energies elsewhere. The many documents I have collected in the Fayette and Westmoreland County courthouses will be given to Bill Patterson (a direct descendant of Thomas Sr.’s son, William), who perhaps will find time someday to scan these documents and then post them on the genweb Fulton county website. Bill may be contacted (as of 2007) at: patterson@computer.org.
I apologize in advance for any typos that may remain in this paper after my several proofreadings.
Happy Hunting.
Janice (Patterson) Rosenthal
September 2007
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CHAPTER I
THOMAS PATTERSON, SR.
Thomas Patterson Sr. was born about 1724, and he died 5 June 1822, at the remarkable age of 98 years. (This information is from his gravestone at Rehoboth Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Belle Vernon, Fayette Co., PA.)
“In Memory of Thomas Patterson who departed this life June 5th 1822
in the 98th year of his age”
At this time, the father of Thomas Patterson Sr. is unknown, and it is not known whether Thomas Sr. was born in this country, or whether he was born in Ireland or Scotland. A letter written to Sarah Luella Patterson* 22 Mar 1911 by William Patterson of McConnellsburg** suggests that Thomas (and/or perhaps Thomas’ parents?) came from Ireland: “I do not have any old letters from Ireland. I have an old trunk that they brought with them when they emigrated here from Ireland….”(See this letter transcribed in full in the “Transcriptions” section of this paper.)
*Sarah Luella Patterson was b. 1874, and was the great-great-great granddaughter of Thomas Sr. She was daughter of John Stephens Patterson (b. 1850), who was son of George Shields Patterson (b. 1821), who was son of Thomas Patterson III (b. 1784), who was son of Thomas Patterson Jr. (bapt. 1758), who was son of Thomas Patterson Sr.
**William Patterson of McConnelsburg was born 1823, and was the great-grandson of Thomas Sr. He was the son of William Patterson (b. 1786), who was the son of William Patterson (b. 1749), who was the son of Thomas Patterson Sr.
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If Thomas Sr. was not born in this country, it is not known what year he emigrated here. I have found information regarding Thomas’ emigration date in just two sources, and these two sources contradict each other.
The first source for an emigration date is “The Patterson & Pattison Family Association” publication, Book 1, 1963, compiled by Norman G. Patterson of Minneapolis, and others. This publication contains records gathered by Harry A. Parkhill of Kankakee, IL. On p. 141 Mr. Parkhill’s records show that Thomas Patterson [Sr.] “came to the U.S. about 1750.” No source was offered by Mr. Parkhill for that information, so it was probably a date passed down by word-of-mouth, through the generations.
The second source of information regarding Thomas Sr.’s emigration comes from “Memoirs of David Hunter Patterson (1844-1938),” found on-line at www.rootsweb.com/~pafulton/pathist/toc.htm. David Hunter Patterson was a descendant of Thomas Sr.’s son, William. Chapter III begins: “My great-great grandfather, Thomas Patterson, when ten years old, emigrated from North Ireland to Philadelphia with his three brothers in 1730.” Again, no source for the 1730 date is offered. If the 1730 date is correct, then Thomas would have been about six years old, and would have undoubtedly emigrated with his parents.
However, I give more credence to Mr. Parkhill’s information (emigration date of about 1750), because it seems that David Hunter Patterson’s knowledge of the earliest generations was a bit fuzzy. In Chapter III, David Hunter Patterson states that one of the brothers with whom Thomas emigrated in 1730 was named William; this William allegedly had a son named William who settled in Baltimore, and who had the famous daughter, “Betsy,” who married Jerome Bonaparte (Napoleon’s brother). The information that “our” Thomas was an uncle to the famous Betsy of Baltimore is absolutely unfounded. Betsy’s father, William of Baltimore, was born 1 Nov 1752 in Ireland, according to an irrefutable source: his own will! William of Baltimore added autobiographical information to his will, including the date and location of his birth, and the fact that he did not emigrate to America until 1766, at the age of fourteen. (See transcription of this will on-line at www.rootsweb.com/~mdcbalti/WilliamPatterson.htm. See also “Chronicles of Baltimore,” by Col. J. Thomas Scharf, member of the Maryland Historical Society, Baltimore: Turnbull Bros, 1874, pp. 482-488.)
Because of David Hunter Patterson’s unsubstantiated and undoubtedly incorrect information about William of Baltimore being the son of Thomas’ brother, I am also disregarding completely what David Hunter Patterson wrote about Thomas being accompanied by his “three brothers”.
To review: whether the parents or any siblings of Thomas came to America is at present unknown.
The earliest record that we have for Thomas in this county is contained in the journal of Covenanter minister Rev. John Cuthbertson, who baptized Thomas’ two sons, William and John, on the same day, 17 Dec 1751, at the Muddy Run Society meeting house. Muddy Run is in Martic Twp., Lancaster Co., PA. Also, on the same day, at the same location, Rev. Cuthbertson baptized a daughter Janet and a son James to a “Jo.” (probably “John,” rather than “Joseph”) Patterson. Rev. Cuthbertson—the first
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Covenanter minister on American soil—had only arrived in August of that year, and these baptisms were performed during Rev. Cuthbertson’s very first visit to the Muddy
Run area of Lancaster County. Rev. Cuthbertson served Covenanter societies in a wide area of Pennsylvania, New York, and beyond, and so was not able to make frequent visits to the congregations that he served. Months—or even years--would go by between visits. Rev. Cuthbertson ordained “elders” in each congregation, and it was these elders who served as the heads of the various churches, between visits by Rev. Cuthbertson. Elders were not qualified to perform marriages or baptisms, however, which explains why there was frequently a long period of time between a child’s birth and that same child’s baptism.
If Thomas did emigrate with a brother, it would be my guess that his brother’s name was John (the “Jo.” who baptized his son and daughter on the same day that Thomas baptized his two sons).
William and John, the two sons of Thomas who were baptized at the same time, were probably not twins. Their being baptized at the same time can be explained by the fact that they were both probably born before Cuthbertson’s arrival in America. We have a birth date of 1749 for William (see 22 Mar 1911 letter from William Patterson to Sarah Luella Patterson), but no birth date for John. I have seen it stated in the (undocumented) research of others that William was the eldest son. This may be, but we need to remember that we do not have a birth date for John, so John could have been the elder. On the other hand, William was listed 1st in Thomas Sr.’s will, and John was listed 2nd.
Future researchers who might try to discover the name of the father of Thomas Patterson Sr. would do well to consider Scotch-Irish naming patterns. These patterns were almost always strictly observed by Scotch-Irish families, up until about the first half of the 19th century. The first son was named after the father’s father; the second son after the mother’s father; the third son after the father; the fourth son usually after the father’s oldest brother; the fifth son usually after the mother’s oldest brother. For daughters, the first daughter was named after the mother’s mother; the second daughter was named after the father’s mother, the third daughter was named after the mother; the fourth daughter usually after the mother’s oldest sister; the fifth daughter usually after the father’s oldest sister.
So IF William was indeed the eldest son of Thomas Sr., then the name of Thomas Sr.’s father was undoubtedly William. Furthermore, an examination of the names and birth order of the other children of Thomas Sr. can yield other clues. (More of this later.)
What we do know with certainty is that Thomas was in America, was married, and had two children by 17 Dec 1751. (Journal of Rev. Cuthbertson) We know that in 1802 the name of Thomas’ wife was Sarah (Fayette Co. Deed Book E, p. 65: “Jan. 4, 1802. Thomas Patterson Sr. and wife Sarah of Washington Twp., Fayette Co….”) We cannot be sure, however, that Sarah was Thomas’ first—or even second—wife; nor can we be sure that Sarah was the mother of all of Thomas’ children. Many women died giving birth at this time, and it was not uncommon for a man to have several wives during the course of his life. Rev. Cuthbertson’s baptism records include only the names of the child and the father—not the mother’s name.
We have baptism records for all of the children named in Thomas’ will, which he wrote in 1806, when he was 82 years old. We know that Thomas Sr. outlived his son, Thomas Jr., and it is possible that Thomas Sr. outlived some of his other children. For
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that reason, it is possible that Thomas Sr. had more children than are listed in his will. Therefore, in the list of children of Thomas Sr. given below I have listed in bold type the children named in his will. (See transcription of Thomas’ will in “Transcriptions” section of this paper.) In italics I have listed other children baptized by Rev. Cuthbertson who were children of a Thomas Patterson. (Who this other Thomas Patterson might be, if not “our” Thomas, I have absolutely no clue; I am aware of no other Thomas Patterson living in this area of Pennsylvania at this time.)
Children of Thomas Patterson Sr.
I. William Patterson b. 1749 (22 Mar 1911 letter written by his grandson); bapt. 17 Dec 1751 at Muddy Run [Covenanter] meeting house, Lancaster Co., PA (Rev. Cuthbertson’s journal—hereafter “RCJ”). William’s known descendants are listed in a separate chapter.
II. John Patterson “Esq.” b. ____; bapt. 17 Dec 1751 at Muddy Run meeting house, Lancaster Co., PA (RCJ) John’s known descendants are listed in a separate chapter.
III. ? Jean [Jane] Patterson bapt. 18? Feb 1753 (RCJ) in Middle Octoraro, Lancaster Co., PA
IV. ? James Patterson bapt. 18 May 1755 (RCJ) in Middle Octoraro, Lancaster Co., PA
V. ? Mary Patterson bapt. 5 June 1757 (RCJ) in Middle Octoraro, Lancaster Co., PA
VI. Thomas Patterson [Jr.] bapt. 8 Oct 1757 in Middle Octoraro, Lancaster Co., PA, at Rev. Cuthbertson’s home (RCJ) Thomas Jr.’s known descendants are listed in a separate chapter.
VII. Susannah Patterson bapt. 26 Oct 1760 Middle Octoraro (RCJ). Susannah’s descendants have not been researched.
VIII. Alexander Patterson bapt. 31 Oct 1762 Middle Octoraro (RCJ) Alexander’s known descendants are listed in a separate chapter.
IX. ? Margaret Patterson bapt. 20 Feb 1764 Middle Octoraro
X. Sarah Patterson bapt. 21 Oct 1764 Marsh Creek/Rock Creek, in present-day Adams Co., PA (RCJ) Sarah’s descendants have not been researched
XI. ? Elizabeth Patterson bapt. 14 Oct 1770 in Middle Octoraro [sic]
XII. ? Arthur Pattison [sic] bapt. 4 Oct 1771 in Marsh Creek, Adams Co., PA (father listed as “Thomas Pattison”)
XIII. ? Jean [Jane[ Patterson? bapt. 2 Mar 1773 Marsh Creek, Adams Co., PA
Let’s suppose (and this is conjecture!) that all of the children listed above were children of Thomas—even those not listed in his will. If so, then the names of Thomas’ parents might be William and Mary. Thomas might have been married, prior to Sarah, to a woman named Susannah (name of 3rd daughter). Susannah’s parents’ names might be John and Jean. But how to explain son Thomas above being, then, the fourth son—when Scotch-Irish naming patterns have the third son named after the father? Well, it’s possible that a third son Thomas was born, say, in 1752. Then it’s possible that a 4th son, James, was born in 1754 (and was not baptized until 1755). And it’s possible that the son Thomas who was born in 1752 died, at age 2, in 1754, shortly after the birth of James and
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before he or his brother James had been baptized. Then it’s possible that Thomas Sr.’s next son, born in 1757, was named Thomas, to ensure that a son survived
who was named after himself. This might sound like a wild scenario, but it is true that the 1750’s were a very difficult time for settlers living in this part of Pennsylvania. Infant mortality was high and Covenanters had to wait for months or even years for their itinerant minister, Rev. John Cuthbertson, to come to their area to perform baptisms or marriages. Sometimes settlers would travel to where they knew Cuthbertson would be preaching and performing marriages and baptisms, but as roads were nearly non-existent, that, too was difficult. And then, after General Edward Braddock’s 1755 defeat at the Battle of the Monongahela, even formerly neutral tribes of Indians turned on the settlers. There is no doubt that Thomas Patterson, and his wife and children, were caught up in the horrific consequences of Braddock’s defeat. There is no doubt that they had to flee their home and crops to seek refuge in more densely populated areas.
The baptism records of Thomas’ first two children show that he was living in the
area of the Muddy Run meeting house, which is in present-day Martic Twp., Lancaster Co. (See map below)
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The meeting house was situated “on the road from Rawlinsville to Holtwood in Martic Township [in Lancaster Co.].” (“Churches of Today and Yesterday in Southern Lancaster County,” by Fellowship of Solanco Churches, 1968 – found on-line at www.rootsweb.com/~paslchs/muddyrunpreshis.html.) (See Marctic Twp. map below) During the period of 1755 to about 1758-1759, the Indians roved unchecked--burning, looting and murdering—in this area.
In the source cited above it is written that the meeting house was built as early as 1742, but that “tradition enters here with the statement that the Meeting House was burned by marauding Indians. This seems quite possible and very probable. This tradition would account for the fact that the second Meeting House, also of logs, was erected in 1760, at which time the first building should have been still in good repair, it being only about eighteen years old.” This, too, would explain why Thomas’ first two children were baptized in 1751 at Muddy Run, but why his subsequent children were baptized at Middle Octoraro--which was where Rev. Cuthbertson lived, and which was an area less vulnerable to Indian attacks.
By 1760, when the Muddy Run meeting house was allegedly rebuilt, I believe that Thomas and his family had settled closer to Rev. Cuthbertson, and that they remained in the Middle Octoraro area for 5-6 years. Three known children of Thomas Sr. (Thomas, Susannah and Alexander) were baptized in Middle Octoraro 1757-1762.
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Between 1762-1764, based on the baptism record of Thomas’ daughter, Sarah, I believe that Thomas had once again re-located, crossing the Susquehanna River and moving to the area of the Marsh Creek/Rock Creek meeting house, in Highland Twp., in present-day Adams County. (See map below.)
The Lower Marsh Creek Presbyterian Church Cemetery (see Highland Twp. map on next page) shows the burial (among other Morrows) of Jeremiah Morrow, who died 14 Sept 1758. (See on-line transcription at www.interment.net/data/us/pa/adams/lower_marsh/lower_marsh.htm.) Jeremiah Morrow (a/k/a “Murray”) was the father of Jane Morrow (not John Morrow, as incorrectly stated in odenkirk genealogy www.odenkirk.com; see Cuthbertson baptism of “Jean Murray” 8 Sept 1751, to father Jeremiah). “Jean,” or “Jane,” became the wife of Thomas’ son, William (b. 1749). Jane’s father, Jeremiah Morrow, and David Dunwoody, were ordained in 1753 by Rev. Cuthbertson as the first ruling elders of the Marsh Creek Covenanter church (also known at different periods as the “Reformed” or “Associate Reformed” church). (www.rootsweb.com/~paadams/Deeds/manorofmaske.htm, p. 244) An entry in
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Cuthbertson’s journal tells us that “our” Thomas Patterson lived 8 miles from David Dunwoody in 1764. (On p. 76 of S. Helen Field’s transcription of Rev. John Cuthbertson’s journal – Marriages and Baptisms Performed by Re. John Cuthbertson 1751-1791, originally published 1934 in Washington, D.C—is this 21 Oct 1764 entry: “Sabbath—preached Hebrews 12:29 (at David Dunwoody’s) and baptized Sarah, daughter to John Finley…rode 8 miles to Thomas Paterson’s---preached Psalms 80:1…baptized…Sarah to T. Paterson….” This makes it clear that Thomas and his family were living in the Marsh Creek area of Adams County no later than 1764.
In chapter III of “Memoirs of David Hunter Patterson,” David Hunter writes that his great-grandfather, William (son of Thomas Sr.) “was born in 1749 and died in 1846. I was two years old when he died and had been held in his arms.” Because David Hunter Patterson remained in the area where his great-grandfather had settled, and because he had undoubtedly heard accounts from his own father about his great-grandfather’s life, I am inclined to trust what David Hunter wrote in Chapter I: “It is said that my two great grandfathers, William Patterson and William Hunter, arrived in this valley [Big Cove, in present-day Fulton county] on the same day in 1765 [I think a year or two earlier],
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meeting on top of Tuscarora Mountain.” In 1765, David Hunter’s great-grandfather, William, would have been only sixteen years old, so it is logical to assume that William came with his father, Thomas Sr. Therefore it would appear that sometime in the mid 1760’s Thomas Sr. removed from the Marsh Creek area of Adams county and pushed a little further west, to the Big Cove area in present-day Ayr Twp., Fulton Co.* (See below)
*Fulton Co. was formed 1850 from Bedford; Bedford was formed 1771 from Cumberland; Cumberland was formed 1750 from Lancaster. Thus, 1765-1771, the Big Cove area was in Cumberland Co. and 1771-1850 this area was in Bedford Co. This is important to know when researching William’s family. In some years the tax records would be found in Cumberland Co., and in other years they would be found in Bedford Co. Likewise, prior to 1850 William & his descendants would be found in the census records of Bedford Co., and by 1850 one would need to look in the census records for Fulton Co.
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The Tuscaroras Mountains form the boundary between present-day Fulton Co. and present-day Franklin Co.* The Big Cove area is seen on the Ayr Twp. survey map below:
*Until 1784, Franklin was part of Cumberland Co. Compare this information with the info in the footnote above, and it will become clear why researching families who settled in Ayr Twp. is so difficult. The earliest tax lists for Ayr Twp. (1751-1752) is actually found in the records of Peters Twp., Cumberland Co.! (History of Franklin County, Pennsylvania by Warner, Beers & Co.; Chicago: 1887, Part II, Chapter I.) Townships got sliced up and re-assigned and different portions of old townships got re-named during the several county formations in this area 1749-1850. So a man listed on a Peters Twp., Cumberland Co. in 1750 would be listed in 1773 in Ayr Twp., Bedford Co.—which by 1850 became Ayr Twp., Fulton Co.!
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If David Hunter Patterson’s statement about his two great-grandfathers arriving in the Big Cove area in 1765 is true, then Thomas Sr. was living in the area of McConnellsburg by the mid-1760’s. How long he stayed there before moving on to Fayette Co. is not known, and it is also not known if Thomas Sr. and his family also settled for a time in any area between Big Cove and their ultimate destination, Fayette Co. I think it plausible that Thomas was in the Big Cove area long enough to see his (oldest?) son, William, married to Jane Morrow, in 1773.
Thomas Sr.’s son, William, stayed behind in the McConnellsburg area, but Thomas’ other three sons--John, Thomas Jr. and Alexander--moved west, as did their father, Thomas Sr. Thomas Sr. was definitely in Fayette Co. no later than April 1788, as proved by land records (Fayette Co. Deed Book D, p. 24; see complete transcription in “Transcriptions” section of this paper.) Thomas Sr. may have been in Fayette Co. as early as 1785, if he is the Thomas Patterson, living in Washington Twp., assessed on the 1785 Fayette Co. “Return of State Tax” as owing 13 pounds. (PA Archives, Series 3, Vol. XXII, pp. 546-586).
At any rate, I believe that two of Thomas Sr.’s sons—John and Alexander—probably came to Fayette County a few years in advance of their father, perhaps having been entrusted with the responsibility of scouting land to buy--not only for themselves, but for their father, and for their brother, Thomas.
The 1783 Westmoreland County “Transcript of Property with Number of Inhabitants” (PA Archives, Series 3, Vol. XXII, p. 377) shows a John Patterson (smith) owning 300 acres, and having seven white inhabitants in his household. We can identity this John Patterson as son of Thomas Sr., because we know this John was a blacksmith. (History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania by Franklin Ellis; Philadelphia: L.H. Everts & Co., 1882, p. 810).
This 1783 list must have been taken a few months prior to the formation of Fayette County, because most of the men listed here as residents of Rostraver township in Westmoreland County, are known to have settled on land that became part of Washington Twp., Fayette Co. In other words, when Fayette County was formed in 1783, part of Rostraver Township in Westmoreland Co. remained in Westmoreland, and another part went to Fayette County, and was named Washington Township.
The six Patterson men over the age of twenty-one (not necessarily heads of household, on this list) who are listed in Rostraver in 1783 are: Peter, Thomas (single), John (single), John (blacksmith), Robert and James (single). The first three—Peter, Thomas (single), and John (single)—are Peter Patterson and two of his three sons, all of whom were residents of Washington Twp. (later Jefferson Twp.), Fayette Co. The fifth, Robert Patterson, is said by Ellis (p. 617) to be the brother of Peter Patterson of Washington Twp. (though I have some doubts about whether Peter’s brother, Robert (who settled in West Newton, Rostraver Twp.) was actually in Rostraver as early as 1783). The sixth, James Patterson (single) was either the son of Robert of West Newton, or was Peter’s son. (Peter’s son, James, owned land in Allegheny Co. as early as 1788, but was not yet married in 1783, so could have been living near his father at this time.)
That leaves only the fifth name, John Patterson, as a member of the Thomas Patterson Sr. family. Neither John’s father nor any of John’s brothers are on this 1783
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list, which leads me to believe that John was the first of the sons to arrive in Fayette County.
Next, on 17 Dec 1784, Thomas Sr.’s son, Alexander warranted 250 acres in, allegedly, Westmoreland County. (PA Archives, Series 3, Vol. XXVI, p. 488) Now, Fayette County was created from part of Westmoreland Co. in 1783, so a 1784 warrant for land in Westmoreland Co. should not have involved land in Fayette Co. HOWEVER,
I believe there could be some confusion in the record books here—particularly because I know the “Rich Grove” tract was partly in Fayette Co., and partly in Westmoreland Co.
I believe this 250-acre tract warranted by Alexander in 1784 was the original “Rich Grove” tract (241.5 acres) that was eventually patented to Thomas Patterson Jr., Alexander’s brother, in 1793* (a part of which is still in the family, today). I say this because “Rich Grove” in Fayette Co. was warranted to Alexander on 17 Dec 1784—the exact same date that the PA Archives tells us that Alexander warranted the 250 acres in Westmoreland Co.
Various descendants of Thomas Jr. ( such as Sarah Luella Patterson and Andrew Brown Patterson) had become curious about “Rich Grove” farm, and had attempted to research its history. Unfortunately, wrong information had been published in Cyclopedia of Biographies of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, (Philadelphia: John M. Gresham & Co., 1890). The author undoubtedly had seen the record of the land warranted 1784 by Alexander, and had seen that this land was patented by Thomas Patterson. This caused the author then to incorrectly assume that Alexander was the father of Thomas Patterson Jr.! (See “Transcriptions” section of this paper for a complete transcription of the article containing this wrong information.) A biographical sketch of John S. Patterson, on p. 622 of this book, states: “John S. Patterson, a progressive farmer of Rostraver township, was born May 2, 1850, in Redstone township, Fayette county, Pa., and is a son of George and Mary (Stevens) Patterson. This is one of the old and respected families of the county. More than a century ago Alexander Patterson, the great-great grandfather [INCORRECT] of John S. Patterson, took out a patent for a tract of land in Rostraver township, this county, containing two hundred and forty acres and known as the “Rich Grove.” This was afterwards transferred to Thomas Patterson (great-grandfather) [CORRECT] in 1793.” [But Alexander was Thomas’ brother, not his father.]
Ironically, I think that John S. Patterson, himself, might have been the source of this wrong information in Cyclopedia of Biographies of Westmoreland County! It was a common practice at this time [1890] for publishers to solicit information (and money!) from people, in exchange for the promise to publish an article about their lives. Copies of
letters in my possession, to and from John S. Patterson, show that John S. Patterson was aware of the 1784 land warrant by Alexander, and—knowing that this land ended up in
*Early Landowners of Pennsylvania: Atlas of Township Warrantee Maps of Fayette County, PA, by Sharon MacInnes Closson Press: Apollo, PA, 2005, p. 289, shows that “Alex.” Patterson warranted a 241.5-acre tract called “Rich Grove” on 17 December, 1784; surveyed 10 Apr 1785; patented 28 Feb 1793 to Thomas Patterson. (Patent Book 19-203, Coordinates E-3.) This Thomas is Thomas “Jr.”--Alexander’s brother--as proved by subsequent deed records such as the one recorded in Westmoreland Deed Book 16, p. 539, which says that “Richgrove, situate partly in Rostraver Township Westmoreland County and partly in Washington Township Fayette County” was patented 28 Feb 1793 “to Thomas Patterson (son of Thomas Patterson Senr.)….”
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the possession of Thomas Jr., his own great-grandfather—I think he might have therefore concluded (wrongly) Alexander was Thomas Jr.’s father.
It boggles my mind that in 1890 John S. Patterson did not know the name of his great-great-grandfather (Thomas Sr.), considering that his family had not re-located since Thomas Sr. had settled there in the 1780’s—and considering that John S. was born
in 1850, only 28 years after Thomas Sr. had died! It just goes to show how easily information about ancestors can “disappear,” even if descendants remain for generations within a few miles of the original homestead.
The 1785 Fayette Co. “Return of State Tax” (PA Archives Series 3, Vol. XXII, pp. 546-586) shows nine Patterson men living in Washington Twp., Fayette Co. I have identified six of these men as being of other Patterson lines. The other three—John, Thomas and Alexander—I believe to be: John (son of Thomas Sr.); Thomas Sr.; and Alexander (son of Thomas Sr.)
Now, one might suppose that these three men are the three sons of Thomas Sr. However, I believe that the “Thomas” on this list is Thomas Sr., not Thomas Jr. I believe that Thomas Jr. came to Fayette Co. later than his father and brothers. I think that in 1785 Thomas Jr. might have still been in Adams Co. I think it possible that Thomas Jr. did not come to Fayette Co. until sometime after 1786 and before 1790. (Future researchers may wish to investigate Adams Co. land and tax records, to explore this theory.)
Thomas Jr.’s name appears, for the first time on any record west of the Alleghenies, on the 1790 Rostraver, Westmoreland Co. census. Thomas Jr. married Elizabeth Brown 1781 in Adams Co. and had three sons by 1786: Alexander (born 1782), Thomas (born 1784) and John (born 1786). (See Thomas Jr.’s chapter.) It seems to me that it might have been difficult for Thomas Jr. and his very young family to travel west 1783-1786, at the time his father and two brothers set off across the mountains. It seems to me that Thomas Jr. might have waited behind a few years, perhaps waiting for his wife to be between pregnancies! (Daughter Jane was born 29 Jan 1789.)
Though one might be tempted to assume that Thomas Jr. accompanied his father in 1785-1788, there are no records to support this assumption. Our earliest record for Thomas Jr. in Fayette County is the 1790 census; then, in 1793 Thomas Jr. warranted the land his brother had patented yeas earlier. And, in 1797 he received land from his father. (Fayette Co. Deed Book D., p. 24: “April 13, 1797 – Thomas Patterson Sr. to Thomas Patterson Jr.”-see full transcription in “Transcriptions” section of this paper.) (More of this in Thomas Jr.’s chapter.)
It was very difficult to research the family of Thomas Patterson Sr., for several reasons. First, Thomas Sr.’s family settled close together, but on land that as of 1783 became part of two different counties—Fayette and Westmoreland. Thus records in two different courthouses had to be searched. Secondly, there was an insane number of Pattersons with the very same names—born about the same time—all quite probably unrelated to Thomas Sr., and all living very early in the same area. I had to research 3-4 different Patterson lines in order to be able to sort them all out properly. Take the 1786 Septennial Census for Fayette County, for example (I procured a copy of this censuses from the PA Archives in Harrisburg; this copy was made from microfilm RG-7, and this microfilm is of the original census book pages).
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1786 Septennial Census Returns, Washington Twp., Fayette Co.
1. Thomas Patterson This (I believe) is Thomas Sr. (1724-1822)
2. Alexander Patterson This is Thoma Sr.’s son, Alexander (bapt.1762)
3. John Patterson This is Thomas’ son, John Esq. (bapt. 1751)
(Above 3 names are consecutive on the list.)
4. William Patterson Senr. This is Peter’s bro, Wm. (1732-1800)
5. William Patterson Jr. This is Wm’s son Wm. Jr. (bapt. 1762)
(William Sr. & William Jr. are consecutive on the list.)
6. Peter Patterson This is Peter (1730?-1821)
7. Thomas Patterson This is Peter’s son, Thomas (bapt.1758; still single)
(Peter & Thomas are consecutive on the list.)
8. John Patterson This is Peter’s son, John (bapt. 1760; still single)
A researcher unfamiliar with the various Patterson lines would very likely assume that the Thomas above (listed after Peter) was Thomas Sr.’s son, Thomas Jr. After all, Thomas Sr. and his other two sons (John and Alexander) were listed! However, Thomas Jr. is definitely not one of the two Thomases listed above. Nor is Thomas Jr. listed on the 1786 Westmoreland Co. Septennial census. Even if Thomas Jr. did not have his own household in 1786, since he was over the age of 21 in 1786, he should have been listed in either Fayette or Westmoreland counties, if he was then living in that area. So, as I wrote above, I think that in 1786, Thomas Jr. may have still been in Adams County.
To review: Thomas Sr. was certainly in Fayette County by 1788 (deed record), and since I think he is the Thomas on the 1785 Fayette County Return of State Tax, I believe Thomas Sr. was in Fayette Co. by 1785. At least two of his sons—John and Alexander—are documented as being in Fayette Co. a few years earlier, in 1783 and 1784, respectively.
The household of Thomas Patterson, Sr., is recorded on the 1790 census of Washington Twp., Fayette Co.:
1790 Washington Twp., Fayette Co., PA (Fayette, Roll 8 Book 4, p. 54)
Thomas Patterson
2 males > 16 yrs Thomas Sr. + 1 unidentified male (farm laborer? grandson?)
1 male < 16 yrs 1 unidentified male < 16 (farm laborer? grandson?)
1 female Thomas Sr.’s wife (Sarah?)
NOTE: There are two men of the name Thomas Patterson in 1790 in Washington Twp. One is Thomas Sr., above. The other is Thomas (bapt. 1758), son of Peter Patterson of Washington Twp. In 1790 there is also one Thomas Patterson living just across the county border in Rostraver, Westmoreland Co. This Thomas is Thomas Jr., son of Thomas Sr. Thomas Jr. of Rostraver has the correct number of people in his household: 3 sons < 16 and 1 daughter and his wife.
IMPORTANT NOTE: There are many indexing errors for the censuses 1790-1810. Many Pattersons are indexed as living in the incorrect township. Many Pattersons are not indexed at all. I alerted ancestry.com to these errors in 2003 and as of 2007 they have not been addressed. The info presented in this paper is correct (barring any inadvertent typos on my part!).
The household of Thomas Sr. is recorded on the 1800 census of Washington Twp., Fayette Co.:
1800 Washington Twp., Fayette Co., PA (p. 6 of 7)
Thomas Patterson
1 male 10-16 Unidentified (farm laborer? grandson?)
1 male > 45 Thomas Sr.
1 female > 45 Thomas Sr.’s wife, Sarah
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The household of Thomas Sr. is recorded on the 1810 census of Washington Twp., Fayette Co.:
1810 Washington Twp., Fayette Co., PA (p. 7 of 11)
Thomas Patterson
1 male > 45 Thomas Sr.
NOTE: Thomas Sr. did not die until 1822. His wife, Sarah, died prior to the 1810 census.
The household of Thomas Sr. is recorded on the 1820 census of Washington Twp, Fayette Co.:
1820 Washington Twp., Fayette Co., PA (p. 5 of 15)
NOTE: We know that Thomas Sr. did not die until 1822. On the 1820 Washington Twp., census, there are two Thomas Patterson households. One Thomas is listed as
age 26-45, and one is listed as being over the age of 45. So of course the Thomas age 45 +is Thomas Sr., right? WRONG!
It’s hard to believe, but I really think that the census-taker checked the wrong column for Thomas Sr.’s age. This is an unusual census—there are six columns instead
of the usual five.(There’s the usual column for males age 16-26, but the 1820 census also had a semi-redundant column for males age 16-18.) At any rate, I think that
the Thomas listed as age 45 + is Peter’s son, Thomas, who was bapt.1758 (so was about 62 years old). The Thomas listed as age 45 + is listed living next to known
neighbors of Peter & his son, Thomas (Cope, Whiting, etc.). The next-door-neighbor of the Thomas who is listed (incorrectly, I believe) as age 26-45 is David Wilson,
and we know from land records that the land of Thomas Sr. abutted Wilson land. Therefore, the household of the Thomas enumerated below just HAS to be the household
of Thomas Sr. However, I have no clue as to the identity of the other people in Thomas Sr.’s household.
Thomas Patterson
1 male 18-26 [no males 16-18]
2 males 26-45 One of these is Thomas Sr., who was about age 96.
2 females 0-10
1 female 16-26
1 female 26-45
More on the life of Thomas Patterson, Sr.
There is no indication that Thomas Sr. followed any other profession than farming. He must have been successful, for he was able to acquire large
tracts of land, much of which he deeded to his sons.
His will (see “Transcriptions” section) states his desire that, upon his death, his “Negro Woman shall be free immediately.” So, evidently, Thomas Patterson Sr. was a slave-holder. However, I find it curious that no slaves were listed in his household in any of the censuses 1790-1820.
It is doubtful that Thomas Sr. served in the Revolutionary War.* Since he was
*I have copies of the research of Richard Nelson of Mesa, AZ, kindly sent to me in 2004 by Richard’s wife, Judy. One of the sources of information listed by Mr. Nelson is “From Thomas Patterson Sr., a Patriot of the American Revolution to Newell M. Adams, a Veteran of World War II” by Ann Newby Adams, privately published 1981, Daytona Beach, FLA, a copy of which Mr. Nelson found at the Salt Lake Library. I have not seen this source. The title suggests that Thomas Sr. performed Revolutionary Service. Future researchers may want to check out this source to see what is stated about Thomas Sr.’s contribution to the war effort. Perhaps he did not serve as a solider, but provided supplies or transportation for troops. On the other hand, perhaps “our” Thomas Sr. performed no service at all, and the author of this source simply confused “our” Thomas with a different Thomas. (This happened quite a lot in D.A.R. lineages.)
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born in 1724, he would have been age 52 at the outbreak of the war, and males over the age of 53 were not required to serve. However, it is certain that at least one of his sons—William—served as a Revolutionary Soldier (see William’s chapter).
Thomas must have been a devoutly religious man. He was a Covenanter, and when he was a young man he refused to have any minister of the “mainstream” Presbyterian Church baptize his children, though there were several Presbyterian churches located nearby. Thomas chose, instead, to wait for his Covenanter pastor, Rev.
Cuthbertson, to be available to baptize his children—though the wait was months, or even years.
When Thomas Sr. arrived in Fayette Co., he was in his sixties, and the firm grip of his Covenanter forefathers had evidently relaxed somewhat. Therefore, Thomas joined the church closest to his home, the Rehoboth Presbyterian Church (not, strictly speaking, a Covenanter church, though many of its earliest members were from Covenanter families).
For more information on the Covenanter (or “Reformed Presbyterian,” or “Associate Reformed”) Church, see the chapter in this paper, “About Covenanters.”
As stated
