Descendants of John Patterson

Compiled and Submitted by Libby Clay
lclay12212@cs.com

Generation No. 1

1. JOHN¹ PATTERSON was born May 22, 1740 in Augusta County, Virginia, and died 1799 in Robertson County, Tennessee. He married MARY UNKNOWN. She was born Abt. 1740, and died Abt. 1810 in Robertson County, Tennessee.

Notes for JOHN PATTERSON:

John Patterson was the first surveyor of Hamilton County, Tennessee.

Children of JOHN PATTERSON and MARY UNKNOWN are:

2. i. ROBERT² PATTERSON, b. December 17, 1763, Mecklenburg, North Carolina; d. November 17, 1848, Sale Creek, Hamilton County, Tennessee.

3. ii. PATRICK PATTERSON, d. 1840.

iii. MARTHA PATTERSON, m. OBEDIAH BOUNDS.

4. iv. GEORGE PATTERSON, b. July 03, 1771; d. March 30, 1848.

v. AGNES PATTERSON.

Generation No. 2

2. ROBERT² PATTERSON (JOHN¹) was born December 17, 1763 in Mecklenburg, North Carolina, and died November 17, 1848 in Sale Creek, Hamilton County, Tennessee. He married RHODA WITT 1794 in North Carolina. She was born November 11, 1776 in Virginia, and died June 23, 1853 in Sale Creek, Hamilton County, Tennessee.

Notes for ROBERT PATTERSON:

Robert Patterson was a soldier of the American Revolution. He enlisted in the Militia at age sixteen because of an emergency call up from Colonel John Sevier. He fought bravely under the command of General Campbell led by Sevier and Shelby at the Battle of King's Mountain. He also fought in subsequent skirmishes and some Indian Battles.

Robert Patterson was in the Chattanooga area as early as 1807. He traveled by boat down the Tennessee River from Knoxville. He was the first of the original fifty three citizens of what is now Hamilton County, Tennessee. He built and operated the first mill and blacksmith shop at Sales Creek which was the first white settlement. He was appointed Chairman of the first County Commission and was instrumental in planning and lying out the county. He built and taught in the first school for white children in the state of Tennessee and he founded and built the first Presbyterian church in at Sales Creek. He realized the value of transportation on the the Tennessee River and established logging and tanning businesses.

First Will of Robert Patterson

I Robert Patterson being of sound and perfect mind and memory do make and publish this my last will and testament in manner and form following.

First I give and bequeath to my beloved wife Rhody Patterson the sole and Entire use and benefit of all my personal property during her natural life Except such as is other wise herein after directed and as my oldest son John has had what I consider to be his full share of my Estate. I therefore give and bequeath unto my two sons Lewis and Alfred Patterson the tract of land whereon I now live with all its appurtenances which I have estimated to be worth Twelve Hundred dollars by their paying to each of my daughters one Hundred dollars whitch will be giving to each of my two above named sons Three Hundred dollars in the price of any land and my six daughters one Hundred dollars and I give to Each of my Children that is married and left me the negros the (sic) now have in their posecion and as my dauter Rhodey has not yet received her Negro I therefore give and intende her to have the Boy named Charles and shoulde my Negro wommen have another Childe I intende that for my daughter Luvicey if not her to have the full value of one of the others in (sic) one of the negroes not devised in this will if she should not receive her share before my death and I wish my grandson Robert Joans to have a good Horse and saddle if so mutch there should be after all my just debts is paid and the balance if any should be after my wifes death to be equally divided amongst my Children and I do hereby declare this my Last Will and Testiment and do Revoke all other or former wills by me written with my own hand and signed by me this 2nd Day of October in the year of our Lord one thousand Eight Hundred and Thirty Two.

Robert Patterson

Appendage. The plantation I now live on is intended to be and remain in the intire possesion of my wife should she oute live me during her natural life then to be disposed of as abouve dereckted. Written and signed with my own hand and seal this Fifth day of June in the year of our Lord one Thousand Eight Hundred and thirty four.

Robert Patterson

Codicile

It is my wish and desire that my son Alfred N. Patterson shall be the Sole Executer of this my last will and that no one of my heirs shall have a preferance above another in the division of my land and that each shall have what is allowed in the will whitch this is intended as an appendeg and if my Executer thinks proper to sell and make devision in that way agreeabel the intent of this will he can do so as that Each shall have what is intended.

This apprndeg is written with my hand and signed with my proper signature this 21st of May 1845.

Robert Patterson

Second Will of Robert Patterson March 2 1847

I Robert Patterson being of sound and perfect mind and memory, do make and publish this my last will and testament in manner and form following.

First, I give and bequeath to my beloved wife Rhody the full and entire use and benefit of all my personal property during her natural life, except such as is otherwise hereinafter directed.

Second, and whereas my eldest son John has had from me what I consider his full share of my estate.

Third, I give and bequeath to my two sons Lewis and Alfred Patterson the tract or parcel of land on which I now reside with all the appurtenances which I estimate to be worth twelve hundred dollars upon the following conditions, that is, that my two sons is to pay to my daughters or their heirs six in number one hundred dollars each before my hereinafter named executor shall make to them or either of them a deed to the same or before they shall have full and entire possession of said land and whereas my son Lewis is now living on the place with me and has made some improvements on said land and my other son Alfred is living in Alabama it is my desire that if my first named son Lewis shall pay or cause to be paid to my beloved daughters the sum above named that is, one hundred dollars each and also three hundred dollars to my youngest son Alfred than the said Lewis is to have the land except so much as I shall set apart hereafter for the support and comfort of my beloved wife and if the above named Lewis shall fail or refuse to comply with the above conditions then my son Alfred shall have the same preference that is to pay to each of my daughters or their heirs one hundred dollars each which will amount to six hundred dollars and also pay my son Lewis the sum of three hundred dollars he shall have the land with the same exceptions and if they shall both of them fail or refuse to comply with the above with the above (sic) conditions, then my daughters shall proceed to sell the land and divide the price amongst the within named children in the same ration as was named and as I have give to all my children except my youngest daughter Luvicy a negro or its equivalent I do by this my last will confirm said gift and whereas my youngest daughter Louvicy has not received her negro or an equivalent it is my wish if I should not be able to procure her one before my death that she shall have the full value of one of the others in the negros not devised by this will.

Fourth, I wish my grandson Israel Elonzo Condry shall have a good horse and saddle if so much there should be after all my just debts is paid.

Fifth, it is my wish that my beloved wife Rhoda should she live after I am no more that she have the entire use and benefit of my dwelling houses together with the cleared land also use of any timber which she may need for repairs or her comfort required during her natural life at her death to revert as before devised and if there should be any personal belonging to my wife at her death it is my wish that it be equally divided amongst my children.

Lastly, it is my wish and desire that my beloved wife Rhoda and Lewis Patterson shall be the sole Executors of this my last will and Testament and I do hereby declare this my last will and Testament and I do hereby revoke all others previously by me made signed with my own hand and seal and dated the second day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred & forty seven.

Robert Patterson

Signed in presence of Attest

David McGill

William M. McGill

FAMILY TREE AND BIOGRAPHY OF ROBERT PATTERSON

BY J.A.N. Patterson

Robert Patterson and Rhoda Witt Patterson were natives of North Carolina and of Scotch-Irish descent. They came into Tennessee and settled in the early settlement on the Watauga, and Robert Patterson was one of the heroes of the Battle of King's Mountain. He was under command of the Brigadier General Campbell, whose forces were led by Cols. Shelby and John Sevier. After the surrender of Lord Cornwallis and the Tories were settled and quieted, and general peace was restored, the forces under Shelby and Sevier returned to Wautauga and resumed their peaceful avocations and in due time Robert Patterson, when in his middle teens, having reached manhood, met with Miss Rhoda Witt, living in the same settlement. They were married and entered upon their life work, and as civilization was extended down the Holston and French Broad Rivers stopping at Knoxville, Campbell Station, Kingston, Post Oak Springs, Richland (Sale Creek) where Graysville is now located, which was the Indian boundry line at the time. In due course of time, after Roane, McMinn and Bledsoe Counties were organized, there was a Commission appointed, consisting of Messre. Richard Waterhouse, John Lock and Robert Patterson, by whom, in about 1807, Rhea County was organized, locating the County Site at the big springs three miles above Dayton at General Coulter's home, which was removed in about 1811 by the same Commission to a point near Lock's Ferry on the Tennessee River and christened it Washington. They layed out the principle streets and named them, and the Dead Man's Cave, which are there until this day. When the Capitol was moved from Knoxville, Washington came within one vote of being the State Capitol, but Murfreesboro got it.

Then in due course of time Robert Patterson was granted the privilege of entering the territory of the Indians, South of the Indian Line, for the benefit of the Indians, and settled on Opossum Creek at or near Bakeville now, and built a large two story log house upon whose foundation Mr. Gilbert Vandergriff afterwards built the house which his widow now lives in at Bakewell. He built a mill on Opossum Creek at or near rhe old Gresham Ford, where Jack Hickman's farm is - the mud sills of which are to be seen at this day.

Robert Patterson was the Pioneer of what was afterwards called Hamilton County, for in due course of time the Government purchased all the territory lying below the Indian boundary line of Rhea County on the North, Tennessee River on the East, and Bledsoe County on the West and the Georgia State line on the South, which being opened for settlement was soon ready to be organized. And in due course of time a Commission was selected consistent of Col. Charles Gamble, William Lauderdale and Robert Patterson, which preceded at once to perform their duty, and called it Hamilton, and located the Court House at Poe's Cross Roads in the House of Hasten Poe. Then in due course of time as the territory was being more settled and the river territory increasing to such an extent, the Commission removed the County site East to a large spring near the Tennessee River and built a Court House and Jail and other necessary buildings, and located a splendid set of race tracks and called the town Dallas in honor of George M. Dallas, Who was afterward elected Vice President with James K. Polk as President of the United States. Old Dallas was a very famous town in its day, justice being meted out to those criminally inclined, according to the then Court's idea of it. The River then being the dividing line between the Cherokee Indians and the Whites, there was more or less violation of the law which gave rise to many amusing things, one of which was the return made by the famous Sheriff Mat Anderson to the Court when the law-violator beat him to the only canoe and pushed out into the stream and refused to be arrested - hence he made his return "Seeable, conversable, but not takeable".

Horse racing was a popular sport in that day, and those tracks were famous, being known throughout the country, and there were many fine blooded horses, some from Georgia and Middle Tennessee and even Kentucky, and the day of the races was an event which bodied the people together far and near with some of the finest bloods, and old "Lucy Walker" was there with her wonderful record as a racer, and never failed to take the prize.

Deposition of Robert Pa