Peter Patterson
(b.1752-54; d.after 1800):
Son of Robert "R" Patterson

This Page Was Last Updated On July 22, 2003.

Peter Patterson was born in the 1750's, most likely circa 1752-54. He probably was born in Augusta Co Va in the Linville Creek area west of modern day Harrisonburg (Rockingham Co). By the late 1750's or early 1760's his parents and family moved south to the Carolinas along Clark's Fork of Bullocks Creek. This is in modern day York Co SC.

Not much is known of Peter Patterson's family, in terms of names. However, we can determine that he was married at least once and had at least nine children - five sons and four daughters. Peter was recorded many times on deeds, and he was also one of the two executors of his father's will (see Harald Reksten's notes on the 1775 Will of Robert "R" Patterson).

We also know that Peter apparently had two sons named James and John Patterson. These two sons were both born by 1774, based on the 1790 York Co SC census. In 1790, however, the court records tell us that Peter's son James Patterson died. That record also named John Patterson. It seems likely then that Peter must have married circa 1770, as James appears to have been born circa 1771-73, and then John by 1774.

Based on the 1790 and 1800 census we can roughly piece together the following notes about the children of Peter Patterson:

• James Patterson (b. 1771-73; d. 1790)
• John Patterson (b. 1773-74; d. unknown)
• son (b. 1775-84; d. unknown)
• son (b. 1785-90; d. unknown)
• daughter (b. before 1790; d. unknown)
• daughter (b. before 1790; d. unknown)
• daughter (b. 1790-91; d. unknown)
• daughter (b. 1790-99; d. unknown)
• son (b. 1790-99; d. unknown)

It's interesting to note a possible relation of a Jane Patterson (Freeman) of Buncombe Co NC. Was she the second daughter of Peter Patterson? According to notes on Ancestry.com there was a Jane Patterson born in 1789 who married James Freeman of Iredell Co NC. Apparently this Jane Patterson was in Buncombe Co NC since her first child was born there in 1813. Jane's first child was an Abigail Freeman. Peter Patterson was involved in a York Co SC deed with an Abigail Patterson one time, and some have thought his wife was named Abigail, but no proof has ever been found to substantiate that.

Jane's second child was named Peter Patterson Freeman, born 1816 in Buncombe Co NC. There were other children also, but these first two children captured my attention when Roger Ford sent this information to me in July, 2003. I hope to learn more about this family at some point. One other note, James Freeman (husband of Jane Patterson Freeman) was the son of Aaron and Mary Bentley Freeman. This Aaron Freeman lived VERY close to John, Robert, and James Patterson in 1810 Buncombe Co NC. This latter John Patterson was definitely the son of Thomas Patterson, and therefore a nephew of Peter Patterson.

I would be very surprised if this Jane Patterson Freeman was not the daughter of Peter Patterson of York Co SC. More later on this family...