Wes Patterson
All Rights Reserved
The Patterson DNA Project is really starting to take shape now. Some 125 participants have taken the test so far, with 12 being from the Robert "R" Patterson (d 1775 SC) group from which I descend. Please check out the project page for more details.
3 June 2009
There is a Patterson-Turner reunion every year at Oak Grove Baptist Church in Union Co Ga. It takes place every October, 3rd Sunday. This church is located on Loving Rd right at the Fannin / Union Co Line (Union side). They have a church service that starts around 10:30 a.m. and then lunch and then fellowship, where genealogy (etc) can be shared.
I just spoke with Stanley Turner, one of the overseers there and he mentioned that any of us Pattersons (John and Margaret Black Patterson descendants, basically) and/or Turners are welcome to come. Stanley's grandfather was John Burton Turner, a son of Miles Clayton Turner and Amy Jane Patterson. MC Turner was a son of Bailus E. Turner, and Amy Jane Patterson was a daughter of Joseph B Patterson and Polly Hawkins. They are from the John Jr and Sally Hicks Patterson branch.
23 May 2009
My research over the years has centered around the following families and topics:
In 2000 I was able to link my mother's ancestors to the royal families of Europe for the first time. This is through her Langley-McGhee-Fuller-Duke-Byrd lines. The royal families of Europe can be traced through multiple lines back to the Biblical genealogies, most commonly back to Judah, son of Jacob (Israel).
In June of 2001 I was able to trace a line of my wife's ancestors back to the Biblical genealogies, through her Fishburne-Bellinger-Bull families. And then in July 2001 I was able to connect my dad's ancestors back to the Biblical genealogies, through his Stephens-Byers-Ratcliff lineage.
Since 2001 however, most of my efforts have focused on my PATTERSON ancestors as I have been networking with other great researchers across the U.S. in a quest to learn more about our immigrant ancestors. Great clues have been uncovered since 2001 as pieces of "our puzzle" begin to be put together (by many of us working together).
In July, 2002 a friend of mine and cousin from the Patterson line (Harald Reksten) made an important trip to the South Carolina Archives to do on-site research of Robert Patterson's 1775 will. Robert Patterson was my GGGGGG-Grandfather, who lived from the early 1700's until 1775. Harald was able to take some very good quality photos of the different sections of this will in an effort to share with us the handwriting and signatures of different family members during the different stages of probation on this will (1775, 1775, 1791). Harald very graciously allowed me to share HIS notes and photos with everyone on my web site so that we all may view his findings, and possibly add insight as well. Thanks, Harald. You may view this 1775 will and the associated probates on my web site at http://wespatterson.com/patt/robert-r.1775will.asp. This is a must read! Please allow about 5 - 10 seconds for the page to load. There are 12 images that will need to load in your web browser while this page loads.
In late 2002 I put together a "Biographical Sketch of Robert "R" Patterson". It is located at http://wespatterson.com/patt/bios/robert-r.bio.toc.asp and includes much of the knowledge we have gained from the research that Harald Reksten, myself, and many others have put together over the years, regarding the life of Robert Patterson. Much is still to be learned about him and his family. It is my belief that he was my immigrant ancestor, perhaps having immigrated in the 1710's or 1720's. At this time I do NOT know when the immigration occured, nor who the immigrants were. More has been learned since I wrote the bio sketch on Robert. Perhaps one day I can update it or publish a book. We'll see...
A distant cousin of mine named Leah Koehn relayed a story to me in 2002 that her late grandmother had passed down to their family that "our immigrant ancestor" was named Robert Patterson, and that he was born somewhere between 1700-1735, and that he came over from Ireland (he was Scotch-Irish) on a ship named "Importance". Leah's "Patterson line" intersects with my line at George and Rebecca Chastain Patterson. George was born in 1800 in Buncombe Co., NC, and was the son of John and Margaret Black Patterson. George was also the grandson of Thomas Patterson, and the g-grandson of Robert "R" Patterson. Robert was the son of William and Margaret Donnell Patterson, so there was only one Robert in this line of Pattersons. If Leah's grandmother was correct, the shoe fits with Robert "R" Patterson. The name fits, the dates fit, the heritage fits, the migration patterns fit. Finding a ship manifest would be the find of all finds!
Happy hunting as you browse my web site. I hope that some of the information I have may help you in your research. If you have anything to add or correct, or any other suggestions for that matter, please contact me. Thanks.
August 7, 2004 was a great day for our Patterson family in that we celebrated my Uncle Derral Patterson and Aunt Frankie Patterson's 50th wedding anniversary. This celebration was a family reunion for many of us. To see more info about this and the pictures taken there, see my page on Derral and Frankie.
