Books Published by Wes Patterson
Wes began publishing books in 2022 where he served as the editor of the Newfound Baptist Church Minutes 1802-1865. Wes’ ancestors attended this church during the early years of 1802-1815 and his family members were named numerous times during those years. This church was (and still is) located in Leicester, NC in Buncombe Co.
Starting in 2024, Wes began publishing books on his family ancestors under the series heading of Butterfly Biographies.
Butterfly Biographies Series
Wes Patterson’s “Butterfly Biographies” series offers comprehensive genealogical histories of his ancestors, utilizing the metaphor of a butterfly to represent the graceful, colorful, and transformed memories of past lives. Click the Volume Title link for more details on that book and how to purchase it.
Volume I: John Patterson of Jenkins Branch, Buncombe Co, NC, written by Wes Patterson and released in 2024, is the foundational book in the author’s “Butterfly Biographies” series. This 405-page work explores the life, ancestry, and extensive legacy of the author’s 4x-great-grandfather, John Patterson, serving as the anchor for the family’s Scots-Irish roots.
Around 1786, John married Margaret (Peggy) Black. The two were first cousins, as Peggy’s mother (Sarah Patterson) was the sister of John’s father. Together, John and Peggy had at least seven confirmed children: Joseph Black Patterson, Amy Jane, Robert H., John Jr., George, Ann (Anna), and Amos. These children established a massive family tree, producing at least 55 grandchildren and over 277 great-grandchildren. A significant portion of the book is dedicated to the military sacrifices of this lineage, detailing 66 descendants and in-laws who fought in the Civil War, many of whom died in battle, perished from disease, or suffered as prisoners of war.
The narrative painstakingly tracks the Patterson family’s steady migration south and west as new lands opened. In the late 1790s, John and his young family left South Carolina and settled on Jenkins Branch in Buncombe County, North Carolina, where they lived for roughly two decades. Around 1815, they moved further west to acquire 330 acres in the Iron Duff community of Haywood County, North Carolina. Ultimately, following the paths of their adult sons, John and Peggy relocated to North Georgia in the 1830s, passing through Rabun County before finally settling in Lower Young Cane, Union County, Georgia.
Volume II: Elijah Chastain of Caney Fork, Haywood Co, NC. Released in 2024, this volume focuses on Elijah Chastain, who was born in 1776 in Buckingham County, Virginia, to Revolutionary War Patriot Rev. John Chastain. Elijah’s ancestry is traced back to his great-grandfather, Dr. Pierre Chastain, a French Huguenot who immigrated to Virginia in 1700. The book tracks Elijah’s migrations through Virginia, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia.
A major focal point of this book is Elijah’s staggering number of descendants. Through his three marriages to Hannah Adams, Anna Middleton, and Catherine Carson, he fathered at least 23 children, resulting in over 168 grandchildren and 807 great-grandchildren. The volume extensively catalogs these descendants across various states, notably identifying 91 individuals in the family line who served in the Civil War.
Volume III: Wesley Davis of Carthage, Moore Co, NC. Released in 2026, Volume III centers on John (Wesley) Davis, the author’s great-grandfather, who was born around 1844 in Carthage, Moore County, North Carolina. Wesley, a farmer by trade, was the son of William Coleman Davis Jr. and Clarkey Hilliard. The text details his two marriages, first to his second cousin Sarah Ann Davis, and later to Ruth Ann Barber. After Wesley’s death around 1911 or 1912, his widow Ruth moved the family to Greensboro, North Carolina, to find work in the cotton mills.
The volume delves deep into Wesley’s pedigree, exploring the Hilliard, Phillips, and Cheek families. Remarkably, through the Cheek family’s connection to Frances Radcliffe, Patterson traces the lineage back to European royalty, including King Alfred the Great, Emperor Charlemagne, and William the Conqueror.
Beyond traditional genealogy, Patterson enriches both volumes with historical context, property deeds, court records, maps, and photographs. Furthermore, Volume III serves as a deeply personal tribute, featuring a dedicated chapter to the author’s mother, Vanza Mae Davis Patterson. It chronicles her inspiring journey from a poverty-stricken upbringing to becoming a registered nurse, and later dedicating 13 years as a missionary alongside her husband, Frank, in Bangladesh. Together, these works preserve the profound legacies of the everyday farmers, mill workers, and soldiers who make up Patterson’s family tree.
Volume IV: George Thomas Langley and the Langleys of Nash Co, NC. Released in April 2026, Volume IV centers on George Thomas Langley, the author’s great-grandfather, who was born in 1886 in Rocky Mount, Nash County, North Carolina.
Author Wes Patterson chronicles the genealogical history of the Langley and Williams families, primarily focusing on the life of George Thomas Langley and his descendants in North Carolina. The narrative details the family’s struggles with infant mortality, financial hardship, and the emotional toll of placing children in the Methodist Orphanage during the 1920s. Central to the work is Lettie Mae Langley Davis, who survived various childhood traumas to become a cornerstone of the family legacy. Through a blend of personal stories, official census records, and military documents, Patterson reconstructs a complex web of ancestral ties and migrations. The book also includes comprehensive ancestor reports and letters that serve as a formal memorial for future generations. Detailed cemetery maps and family photographs further ground this historical record in the geography of Nash, Guilford and Davidson counties.
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Also written by Wes Patterson
Wes has also contributed to published works in other ways, as well.
In 2022 a book was published with Wes as the editor regarding the monthly minutes of Newfound Baptist Church in Leicester, Buncombe Co, NC.
In 2019 Wes provided a chapter with historical documentation for a book that was being written by another person, Debbie McCann. Her book was focusing on the old Bowman Gray Jr. family home and farm located on Brookberry Farm in Winston-Salem, Forsyth Co, NC. Wes’ chapter to be included in the back of the book was titled “The Origin of Modern Settlement on and Around Brookberry Farm: 1748“. As of 2025, this book has not yet been published.
In 2003 Wes wrote an article that was published in The Virginia Genealogist quarterly publication by John Frederick Dorman. The article was titled “Elizabeth Patterson, First Wife of ‘Old Jeremiah’ Harrison, from Sussex County, Delaware to Linville Creek, Augusta County, Virginia“.
See below for more details.
Newfound Baptist Church Minutes 1802-1865
✓ 149 pages
✓ Partially indexed
The book on Newfound Baptist Church Minutes 1802-1865 is available for purchase and is a great resource for various families from Buncombe Co, NC in the early 1800’s. Some of the families recorded in these minutes include Abel, Addington, Ball, Black, Brookshire, Cole, Duncan, Freeman, Goldman, Grantham, Gudger, Gunter, Harrison, Huckaby, Ingram, Kelly, Longmire, Macombe, Miles, Miller, Morrow, Mullins, Patterson, Plemmons, Ponder, Roberts, Sams, Sandlin, Snelson, Webb, Wever, Wilson, Wood, Woodfin, Worth and many others.
The Origin of Modern Settlement on and Around Brookberry Farm: 1748
✓ 12 pages
✓ Maps
The earliest known records for white settlers moving into the Brookberry Farm area were from the late 1740’s. Many families began moving into the Yadkin Valley from the Virginia and Pennsylvania frontier during the 1750’s, but some began speculating in land here as early as 1748.
This chapter was not meant to be a treatise on these families. However, a brief glimpse was taken at some of the families who had an early impact on the area just west of Muddy Creek and on the east side of the Yadkin River – specifically where the modern-day Brookberry Farm is located in Winston-Salem, NC.
Elizabeth Patterson, First Wife of ‘Old Jeremiah’ Harrison, from Sussex County, Delaware to Linville Creek, Augusta County, Virginia
✓ 13 pages
✓ Pictures
From this original version [of the 1744 Will of Margaret Addams], it is evident that the third signer was NOT Esther Harrison, but her mother, Elizabeth Harrison. Elizabeth was the daughter of Margaret Addams, thus she could be included in the “we, the children of …” statement. Furthermore, Daniel Love would have known what his sister-in-law’s name was. This single document is the only existing proof this writer knows of which shows that Elizabeth, the daughter of Margaret Adams, was in fact the mother of Esther Harrison. It also means Elizabeth was the first wife of Jeremiah Harrison – not Catherine.