The Patterson Brothers That Split Up

I was born in 1968 in a suburb of Atlanta, GA. I remember visiting my grandparents during the 70's and hearing from my dad at times about our Patterson ancestors. I always heard the stories about a set of brothers who immigrated to America and split up. They were "Scotch-Irish" as the tale went, but nothing more was known directly of them, such as their names, their location of residence prior to immigrating, where they "landed", what year, etc.

As I wrote previously in my article titled "There Were Five Brothers", in recent years I've had the great fortune to be able to answer many of those questions. 

I now know that these brothers didn't immigrate from another continent, but rather they were born in the Shenandoah valley of Virginia in the 1740's and 50's, eventually migrating south to the Carolinas circa 1755-65. There were still Virginia land claims in the family, so at least some of them traveled back and forth between North/South Carolina and Virginia during those decades up until at least 1787 when two of them sold their deceased father's land along Linville Creek near Harrisonburg, Va. (more regarding Robert Patterson's land holdings in VA)

If They Split Up, Where'd They Go?

These five brothers were sons of Robert Patterson who was born ca. 1705-1711. Robert and his wife Sarah had at least five sons and at least five daughters. The sons that we know of were named Thomas, James, Robert, Peter, and William. It appears that son James died around 1774-75 in York Co SC. And son William, while recorded as living during the Revolutionary War (listed as a Tory in SC), nothing further has been found of him after that time frame.

Peter appears to have remained in SC and died there around 1800, give or take a couple years.

Robert (II) moved to Rutherford Co NC and then later to McMinn Co TN where he died in 1827.

Buncombe Co NC (near Alexander)
John Patterson owned 170 acres
surrounding the land from which this picture was taken.
Thomas Patterson owned 50 acres beyond the distant hill.
(photo taken by Wes Patterson, May 19, 2006)

Oldest son Thomas Patterson (my ancestor) moved to Buncombe Co NC in the 1790's apparently, perhaps even a little earlier. He was still living there in 1800 near his son John (also my ancestor). However, Thomas' land in Buncombe was sold at auction by the sheriff a couple years later, and nothing further has been found regarding Thomas.

So it appears that the legend of multiple brothers applies to Thomas, James, Robert, Peter, and William Patterson. We're not sure what happened to William, but it seems James and Peter died in SC. Thomas died in NC apparently, and Robert II settled in Tennessee, thus fitting the legend that the brothers "split up". 

Our family from north Georgia always knew of our ancestor John Patterson, the old patriarch who died not too many years after migrating to north GA from western NC in the 1820's. Old John died after 1840 but before 1850, but that's all we know. This is the same John that was living in Buncombe in 1800. We now know that John was the oldest son of Thomas Patterson (one of the five brothers of family legend). 

John Patterson was born ca. 1762-65 and died in Union Co GA after 1840. He was my gggg-grandfather. Therefore my ancestor (Thomas) who was one of the legendary brothers, was my ggggg-grandfather. Perhaps one day I'll find where he died and was buried. Why not? Those other "dreams" of finding their names, locations, and dates all came true!

WP

50 Years of Marriage

In two short months my parents will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary (June 1st). It's hard to believe. I can remember both sets of my grandparents' 50th wedding anniversaries (1974 and 1985-ish).

Frank in 1950

Frank Patterson was born in 1940 in a small town called Ivylog, just north of Blairsville, GA. About 1952 his family moved to High Point, NC.

Vanza in 1945

Vanza Davis was born in 1939 in Greensboro, NC not far from High Point. They met in 1961 while dad was in the U.S. Air Force stationed in Brunswick, Maine, and mom was working as a nurse at a hospital in the High Point/Greensboro area. Frank's father (Clint Patterson) had a heart attack, which in turn placed him under the care of a young nurse named Vanza. Dad was given a leave of absence by the Air Force to visit his father in the hospital, where he met Vanza for the first time.


By the end of the week they were engaged to be married, which took place a year later on June 1, 1962. After another year, my brother Chip (Frank Jr.) was born on May 27, 1963. It was another five years before I arrived, rounding out the family on Feb. 5, 1968. Chip was born in Goldsboro, NC where dad was stationed at Seymour-Johnson AFB. I was born in Decatur, GA - a suburb of Atlanta.

(L-R) Wes, Vanza, Frank, Chip - 1971

In 1971 we moved to Winston-Salem, NC so dad could attend Piedmont Bible College. He finished his five year degree in Theology, graduating in May 1976. Later that summer we moved back to Atlanta, GA. That became my parents base while raising financial support to become missionaries - to Brazil. However, in 1978, the political climate between the U.S. and Brazil waned, eventually causing a change in plans.

(L-R) Wes, Jalal Ahmed, Frank (ca. 1986)

At the home of Mr. Ahmed in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Mr. Ahmed was the Secretary of the Bangladesh Parliament

We moved to the S.E. Asian country of Bangladesh in 1979, arriving there on July 4. I remember my mom's 40th birthday the following month. I find it strange that I am now 44. It doesn't seem possible that 33 years have gone by so quickly.

Our family of 9, plus my 1st cousin George Davis

(L-R) George, Kaity, Frank, Vanza, Wes Jr, Ginna, Wes Sr, Morgan, Chip, Jully

Today our family has grown even more. Chip and I both are married. I have a son age 21, while Chip has two daughters, ages 22 and 20. The nine of us are scattered across NC and VA these days, but that's better than being scattered across two hemispheres - like we were for so many years.

I am very grateful for the parents and family that God has given to me. I love you, Mom and Dad. Thank you for everything! I'm looking forward to celebrating 50 years of marriage with you in a couple months.

Love always,

Wes

Simplicity is Relative

Simplicity is relative.

Speaking of "relative". Those of us who live in the world of genealogy research have often dealt with the struggles of explaining to interested parties (albeit a fleeting interest) at family reunions the degrees of relationship between them and some famous relative of yesteryear.


You've seen it. Come on now, be honest. For that brief moment in time your audience - Aunt Milly or cousin Billy or that brother-in-law who tried so hard to fit in - shows a heightened degree of interest in the story you've just imparted. Their eyes are wide open. Their smile extends from ear to ear. Inevitably, your story has once again led someone to ask that infamous question.

"How are we related to him again?"

So naturally you launch into the logical, generation by generation (impossible to miss) lineage that explains how this person - your audience - and the object of your story, cross paths within the same family tree.

The eyes are now glazed over. The smile has fallen ever so slightly into a sloping, sliding look of consternation. There might as well be a neon flashing light over their forehead shouting out loud "I don't get it! What did he just say? I don't want to say something and sound stupid."

And of course, you want to go ahead and say out loud, "I know. I just lost you, didn't I?".

And yet, you just explained that relationship as simply as possible. How else can you explain it?

Simplicity is relative.

With that in mind, I thought I'd share this story with you, just to put into context that genealogy researchers are not the only "industry" in which clarifying certain issues are next to impossible. The following excerpt is from a British Airways 1996 Memorandum. Enjoy.

Wes

"It appears some confusion exists over the new pilot role titles. This notice will hopefully clear up any misunderstandings.

"The titles Pilot-in-command, Commander, First Officer, Pilot Flying, Pilot-not-flying, P1, P2 and Co-Pilot will now cease to have any meaning, within the BA operations manuals. They are to be replaced by Handling Pilot, Non-Handling Pilot, Handling Landing Pilot, Non-Handling Landing Pilot, Handling Non-Landing Pilot, and Non-Handling Non-Landing Pilot.

"The Landing Pilot is initially the Handling Pilot and will handle the take-off and landing, except in role reversal when he is the Non-Handling Pilot for taxi, until the Handling Non-Landing Pilot hands the Handling to the Landing Pilot at eighty knots.

"The Non-Landing (Non-Handling, since the Landing Pilot is handling) Pilot reads the checklist to the Handling Pilot until after the Before Descent Checklist completion, when the Handling Landing Pilot hands the handling to the Non-Handling Non-Landing Pilot who then becomes the Handling Non-Landing Pilot.

"The Landing Pilot is the Non-Handling Pilot until the "decision altitude" call, when the Handling Non-Landing Pilot hands the handling to the Non-Handling Landing Pilot, unless the latter calls "go-around", in which case the Handling Non-Landing Pilot, continues handling and the Non-Handling Landing Pilot continues non-handling until the next call of "land" or "go-around", as appropriate.

"In view of the recent confusion over these rules, it was deemed necessary to restate them clearly."