My Patterson ancestors (Scots-Irish) are known to have been in Sussex Co DE by 1732. They lived along the waters of Broadkill Creek just to the west of the modern town of Milton. That is when Robert Patterson bought 106 acres next to Thomas Black.

They left there approximately 1738 and moved to the Shenandoah Valley of VA in what was then Orange Co, later Augusta Co, and now Rockingham Co. They settled a few miles west of the town of Harrisonburg, which did not yet exist at the time. This was below the head waters of Linville Creek, and above the headwaters of Cooks Creek.

By 1763 (give or take a few years) they moved to what is now York Co SC near Kings Mountain. At the time it was Craven Co SC, but then later Mecklenburg Co NC, Tryon Co NC, and then York Co SC by the late 1770s. During the 1790s, my branch of the Pattersons, who were still in Camden District, SC, may have been in Lancaster County, but this has not been proven.

Between 1796 and 1798 they moved to Buncombe Co NC along Jenkins Branch near the modern town of Alexander.

About 1818/20 they moved a little further west into Haywood Co NC near the current town of Iron Duff.

By the 1820’s they moved south into Rabun Co GA, and by 1834 were in Union Co GA – Lower Young Cane district – where my branch of the family settled and remained for many generations. The various branches of the family in Union County lived in Lower Young Cane and Ivylog districts for the most part. My father (Frank Patterson) was born in Ivylog in 1940.

My Patterson ancestors are as follows, beginning with the oldest generation.