George Forbush and Samuel Adams

Who? you might ask.

In 1748, George Forbush was still living in Augusta Co Va, as were the Pattersons, Stewarts, Linvilles, Boones, Bryan(t)s, Harrisons, and many other families who would later migrate to the Yadkin River valley of NC.

Forbush settled in modern day Yadkin Co NC, and was the namesake for the river, community, and high school with the same name. I have some close friends whose sons both went (or are going) to Forbush High School, some 15 minutes west of my residence.

A distant cousin of mine, Harald Reksten, sent me some images via email last night regarding the estate of Samuel Adams, Augusta Co Va, from August of 1748. Adams was the younger half-brother of Robert Patterson, my gggggg-grandfather. Robert Patterson's mother, Margaret Patterson, remarried to John Adams, after her first husband died in the 1710's. She was thereafter known as Margaret Adams, but was the mother of Robert Patterson.

In 1748, she was the administratrix of her son's estate (Samuel Adams), and one of the appraisers of his estate was none other than George Forbush. When I saw this last night I just about fell out of my chair. What a small world.

Many of these families began their migrations south about that time - 1748. Other members of the same families following over the next few years, settling the Yadkin River valley in the modern day counties of Wilkes, Surry, Yadkin, Stokes, Forsyth, Davie, and Davidson. At the time it was Anson and soon thereafter, Rowan.

Callie Patterson line - dau of Wm H Patterson

This morning I was pleasantly surprised with an email from a distant cousin who had found my web site last night. Dave Huskey is a great-great-grandson of William Harden "Bill" Patterson (b 1832), just as I am. Our ancestor, Bill Patterson, was born in the Indian Lands of north Ga in April of 1832, eight months before that section became Union Co (as it is today).

I descend from Bill's son Elijah (b 1871), one of Bill's 12 children - and a twin to Elisha Patterson. Elijah or "Lige" as he was called, remained in north Ga for most of his life, although he did live for a year or two in SE Tennessee in a town called Copperhill. That is where my grandpa Clint was born in 1904.

Dave, my newly found cousin, descends from Bill's daughter, Venetia Caledonia "Callie" Patterson. Callie later married James Park Hickey and they settled in the Rossville / Chattanooga part of TN, and thus I never had much information beyond their names. Dave graciously filled in a lot of details in his email and even sent a couple pictures of Callie and James, and promises to send more info if I'm interested. Let's see... okay, yes, I'm interested!!!

Here is Dave's email:

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Wes:

Stumbled across your website tonight and what a delight to find a distant relative and more info on William H Patterson (b 1832).

You have certainly done some great research.

My name is James Davis Huskey... (some info removed for sake of privacy).

My great great grandfather is the same William Harden Patterson. His daughter, Venetia Caledonia Patterson was my great grandmother (whom I met as a child). She died in 1967.

I have a few photos of Venetia, her husband, James P. Hickey and their children if you would care to have them sent to you electronically. Plus a little family history of that line.

I will attach a few photos now of Venetia Caledonia 'Callie' Patterson Hickey and her husband, James Park Hickey. They lived in Bradley County, TN and had eight children - seven living until old age in and around Rossville/Chattanooga. I met all of them as a child. Their daughter, Eula Mae Hickey HUSKEY (b 1902 - d 1987) was my grandmother.

Thank you for sharing your research by placing online - to me, it is like finding treasure.

By the way - I have a handful of old unidentified photos - perhaps sometime soon I could share those with you. I know they came from my grandmothers house but we have no idea who any of them are - one is quite old.

Also curious is you know if a photo of Elizabeth Akins exists.

Sincerely,

Dave Huskey

River John Conrad (1788-1850)

Resource links for this man are:

http://www.preservehistoricforsyth.org/conradhouse.htm

http://www.preservehistoricforsyth.org/id67.htm

http://www2.journalnow.com/content/2009/dec/19/river-john-made-his-mark-on-forsyth-county/opinion/

River John's land in question (house with 10 acres) is located at the following map. You can click and drag to move map around and zoom out for reference. It is located across Conrad Rd from Twin Oaks Lake Dr.


View Larger Map

More later...