Elizabeth Patterson was born ca 1709, place yet unknown. Why 1709? A couple reasons. One, her husband was Jeremiah Harrison, and he was born ca 1707. Harrison researchers have placed his wife's birth year as ca 1710... an estimate. Of course, they also had her name as Catherine Addams, which is incorrect. More on that momentarily. Elizabeth's brother, Robert Patterson, appears to have been born ca 1711. It could have been anywhere between 1710 and 1715, but I feel confident with the 1711 mark for reasons I'll go into about him. If he was born in 1711, then I suspect it may have been a couple years earlier that Elizabeth was born, so I say ca 1709 for her.

Elizabeth was named on her mother's 1744 will as just Elizabeth. But in another document associated with that will, it is specified as Elizabeth Harrison. We also know that Esther Harrison was named as a granddaughter of Margaret Addams in the will, and we known that Esther was a daughter of Jeremiah Harrison, so we have to assume that Jeremiah was married to Elizabeth Patterson (Harrison). It isn't until 1757 that we have any record of Jeremiah and a name of his wife, which was recorded as Catherine Harrison. We do NOT know her maiden name, and it was NOT Addams as many have surmised. We must assume that Elizabeth died some time between 1744 and 1757, but we just don't when at this time. Old Jeremiah Harrison had 17 children. I believe the first 8 or 9 were by Elizabeth Patterson, and the remainder by his second wife Catherine _____.

I will be adding more information as time allows regarding the family of Elizabeth and Jeremiah, as there is much information to be shared. Also, take a look at the article I wrote on Elizabeth, which was published in The Virginia Genealogist a few years ago.