PATTERSON FAMILY HISTORY
Submitted by


Iralyn Snyder
It was supper time and John Anderson Patterson was only 10", i.e. not William! He was 50-53 in 1860! My husband said it was James Bolan (father-in-law in Beaufort and about) who had over 65,000 acres. I don't know how many acres William Patterson had, at least, until the end of the war. I have found that Wilmington Island was only 8 1/2 sq. miles... but has been developed, perhaps? I wonder if the old Barnard family plot is there? If I knew when John Barnwell died in the duel (Father named same) it might help pinpoint another bit of knowledge. One of James Bolan's daughters married a Glover, one a Laurence (Lawrence), one a Patterson (ours) and one a Heyward. Can't remember who the fifth daughter married at this moment. They had all been sent to a couple of schools in New York from early years. I presume to keep them safe from fever? They came home once every two years. I'd like to know the names of the schools, of course. James Bolan visited them between years to be sure they were doing well. Unluckily, on Christmas Eve, his only son, Stephen (21), was killed by a transient. James Bolan built the Episcopal Church in Grahamville (now Ridgeland out of Beaufort) and contributed the English tower bell in the Barnwell Episcopal Church. Supposedly he had built a Church at "Midway" a place between either his plantations (farms) or his and his family's. And perhaps one or two others. I believe he had five plantations, one railroad route and, perhaps, a home in Savannah. Old House, Old Home, Bolan's Hall, and two others... I wish to find a record of William Patterson's death and burial site. My Mum, who is 92, especially wanted to know and, though I have tried, I have not yet been successful. His dueling pistols and portrait were stolen when Elizabeth Patterson Girvin travelled by train with her own family from Bainbridge to St. Augustine before The Great Depression... presumably they were taken en route or at the Jacksonville Depot. After the duel William Patterson had put the dueling pistols far away from where they would remind him of what had occurred. There was still a ball bullet left in one of the chambers. I think John Barnard was a friend and there had been too much drinking and a lady's reputation (related to my Great, Great Grandmother Marion Bolan Patterson) had been unflatteringly described in a pub by Mr. Barnard. The family story being that William had tried to resolve the issue to make it go away, but could not. (See Duels & Duelists) Granny remembered many stories but few dates. For many years I thought Isle of Hope was Idahope! Take good care. Iralyn Marion Snyder I remember he is supposed to have had land on the "little Ogeechee" as well as the Ogeechee, His land on Ogeechee is documented in the 1840, 1850 and 1860 Bryan County census. His plantation (farm) was valued in 1850 @ $20,000. In 1860, somewhere around $50,000 (including personal). He was one of the three richest men in Bryan Co. according to the census. The other two were James Love and Joe McAlister. An uncle (dead now) used to go hunting and there was an area he heard as referred to "the old Patteson Place". There is a cemetary back around Rabbit Hill and Fox Rd that is called the Patterson Cemetary, but there are no Pattersons, the graves are recent (50's) so I wondered if that could be part of the old land. When my Grandmother moved to Florida they called the area of land they purchased around St. Augustine Rabbit Hill. I would love to help, but all I know about the farming is a story about a little boy, John Anderson Patterson, who was William's 4th of 6. He used to play up in the Silo and he left a window open (wood shutter) up at the top of the steps. It was supper time and William Patterson was only 10 in 1860. He was told he had to go back, climb the dark steps to the top and close the window... oh, and to be careful because the bull was loose in the lower pasture. So he put on his jacket, carried his oil lamp and made it to the silo. He climbed the steps, with his heart pumping to the heavy silence around him. He knew that if there was a misstep he would fall into the rice and suffocate as the silo was full. He reached the top and closed the shutter to keep the moist air out and made his way back down... he was almost across the fields when he heard the unmistakable sounds of an irritated (probably bored) bull behind him. He ran as fast as his legs could churn, threw himself between the gate boards, picked himself up and returned to the house. He didn't speak of his terror or of what had happened to his Father. Over a decade later he had babies, a wife, his jobs as a policeman and as a Tybee Island lighthouse keeper had not been what he had hoped, and he had accumulated debt. He was sitting at his desk with his head in his hands when his Dad asked what was wrong. John Anderson (Dan) said it all looked hopeless... And his Dad said, "Son, just do what you did when that bull was chasing you. If you give it your best; it will be o.k.". John Anderson was startled and said, "How did you know about that bull?" William laughed and said, "Because I was right behind you...!" Other than that the only pertinent story Granny gave was that the Confederates had to burn his silo later because the yankees were advancing and they did not want to provide food for the Union soldiers. Another interesting statistic is that he only had 46 slaves, compared to others who had many. I don't know how he did his farming. I went to the small Pembroke building a few years ago. They had massive original land transaction books. My husband added up William's holdings which came to about 65,000 acres. The other book he would have been in was missing... the entire book. I want to know from where he came in Scotland and when and where he is buried. Where his holdings actually were. After the war John Anderson tried to hold on to them but his sisters had married, his older brother dead at Gettysburg and no one either wanted or could help, so the property was let go. We think William Patterson died between 1870 and 1875... I have tried to research, as well, John Barnard as he was the gentleman with whom Wm. had a duel. This would be for helpful dates. I found he lived on Willmington Island and that he was buried there. I know what Gran said about the duel, but not factual evidence other than in the book Duels and Duelists. I want to find enough facts to lead me to the beginnings in Scotland! Sorry I don't know more about the farming aspect! I. Snyder On Jun 16, 2006, at 4:59 PM, Carl Jarrard wrote: First, although the city of Savannah had some death records for burial the law did not require death records until 1911, and none were kept for Bryan or Chatham county. I have looked for some information in my sources (deaths of Savannah) but have little to contribute except some odds and ends which may have something to do with relatives of your William who may have already been here before he came - Apr. 9, 1816, an Ann Patterson born in S.C wife of William Patterson died at age 25 of Typhus at her home in Oglethorpe Ward, from whence she was buried. she left a husband and a child. A note: Early death records were not kept for people outside Savannah, residents of the county. If a man had a plantation outside the city and a town home (which many did) and he died at the plantation, he would not have a death record in Savannah. If his wife died in town, she would. An interesting death record, I thought, was: (Feb. 11, 1813) William John Patterson, 5 mos., born in Chatham County, died at the house of his father, Mr. James Patterson in the Country, & buried from his uncle's, Oglethorpe Ward. Another Ann Patterson died In July 8, 1813, age 23, born S.C., wife of Thomas Patterson, Shopkeeper, died and buried from her husband's residence in Oglethorpe ward, leaving him and one child. Feb. 20, 1813, Mary Patterson, 38, born Sunbury, Liberty Co., Ga., wife of John Patterson died at plantation, formerly of Mrs. Beatty, dec'd, & buried from the residence of her brother in law, Thomas Patterson, Oglethorpe Ward. Aug 27, 1809, James Patterson, 10 mos., son of William Patterson, born near Savannah, died 3 miles up the river (I assume this means the Savannah River, not the Ogeechee). Thomas Patterson, died Nov. 7, 1807, 7 mos old, was born near Ogeechee in Chatham County, son of John Patterson, died at his father's near Ogeechee. The remains conveyed, in a chair, to the cemetery and there buried.( note that since the body was brought into Savannah to be interred, this record exists) There were several nonresident seamen named William Patterson who died in Savannah. 1813, Eleanor Patterson, born in McIntosh County, daughter of James Patterson of Oglethorpe Ward, died and buried from there. Laurel Grove Cemetery records state there is a William Patterson buried in Section A., unknown where, even the boundaries of Section A is in question. I think these were CSA soldiers, but don't know for sure. Did you find your William and his son William who died in the Civil War in Laurel Grove cemetery? There was a pilot captain, William H. Patterson who served in the Confederacy and lived in this county, McIntosh. He was still alive in the 1880's, though. Patterson's Island of this county was named for Robert Patterson, an associate of Gen. Oglethorpe, and an early settler of Ft. Frederica, and was owned by a George R.D. Patterson (died 1843). Although McIntosh was settled by Scottish highlanders, I don't know where this Patterson line came from. The Ogeechee river divides Bryan and Chatham counties. People from there were often called "black ankle" - I suppose from the muddy overflow of the river. I had ancestors on both sides and they often moved back and forth, just to confuse us all. If you want to find any records of plantations, etc., check with the Georgia Historical Society, Whitaker St., Savannah, their manuscripts collection is indexed. If they lived in Bryan County at his death, you will have to check probate court records there. I would like to know all you can remember being told about rice growing in your family, if you will share. Ann At 12:08 PM 6/16/2006 -0400, you wrote: Hi - I have an ancestor named William Patterson (no middle anything!) who came over sometime about 1830 (plus or minus a couple) from Scotland. He married Marion Bolan from Beaufort, S.C. William had a plantation in the Bryan area... he speculated unsuccessfully in cotton and rice prior to retiring to this plantation. I think his father may have sent him over from Scotland when he was younger, i.e. 17-23. He was born about 1807 -1810. I think he was sent (with some resources) to relatives, perhaps one also named William Patterson because lists of slaves in Bryan Count named (or identified) as William Patterson began about 1805... so there may have been an Uncle by the same name. I am speculating. Does Bryan include any area on the Ogechee River? Is it a town or an area? Oral history has the Rice silos burned as Sherman advanced. Are there any death certificates? He brought his son William's body back from Atlanta (also his slave life companion and a friend) post the end of the war. They are buried in Savannah. The son had died in Gettysburg; he was about 18. Are there Records of the plantations? Wills? Death records? We thought William Patterson died in Savannah himself between 1870 - 1880 (plus or minus a couple) but have found no record of that death. He died of cancer of the face, taken care of by loving former slaves, up in the attic of a remaining son's home (John Anderson Patterson). Any help?


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