Many researchers like myself will quickly recognize my John when his wife is mentioned – Margaret Black. John Patterson and Margaret (Peggy) Black were my 4xG-Grandparents.

John and Peggy were from Camden District, SC in what became known as York Co. They were married around 1786/8 there in SC and their oldest known child was Joseph B. Patterson, born in 1789. I believe Peggy Black’s father was Joseph Black. For that reason and others, I believe Peggy’s son was Joseph Black Patterson.

John and Peggy’s other children were Amy Jane (b. 1793), Robert (b. 1796), John Jr (b. 1798), George (b. 1800), Ann (Anna)  (b. Oct. 1802), and Amos (b. 1803/4). Amy Jane married her 1^st cousin, William D. Kincaid. Anna never married. As for the five sons, George Patterson was my 3xG-Grandfather.

I show in Chapter 4 of the book how the Pattersons were living along Clarks Fork of Bullocks Creek in York Co, SC during the 1780’s through ca. 1797, and that I believe John Patterson and his young family in 1790, were actually living in the census household of James Kincaid. James Kincaid was married to Susannah Black, sister of Peggy Black. Therefore, John Patterson and James Kincaid were brothers-in-law. They would both later live in western NC, and then later in Union Co, GA as well. This also completes the picture of how John and Peggy’s daughter, Amy, married her 1^st cousin, William Kincaid. William was the son of James and Susannah.

Patterson researchers and descendants will also recognize the surnames of Dunkin (Duncan) and Wilson and Denton, all associated with Joseph B. Patterson’s wives and some of his daughters-in-law. Robert Patterson married twice and settled in east Texas. John Patterson Jr married Sallie Hicks. George Patterson married twice, the first time to Rebecca Chastain and secondly to Sophia Dunagan. The Chastains, Dentons, Pattersons and Middletons were very much intermarried. And lastly, Amos Patterson was married twice, the first being a Wilson, and he too later settled in east Texas.

It was mentioned earlier that John and Peggy and the family lived in York Co, SC (Camden District, according to descendants of Amy Jane Patterson Kincaid). Joseph, Amy and Robert were born there. By 1798 they were in Buncombe Co, NC where John Patterson Jr was born, followed by George, Anna and Amos. John acquired two tracts of land totaling 270 acres, both on the west side of the French Broad River. They were between the mouths of Sandy Mush Creek and Newfound Creek, along the waters of Jenkins Branch (sometimes also known as Devers Branch). John’s neighbors there in Buncombe included the families of Black, Davis, Duncan, Freeman, Grantham, Gunter, Harrison, Ingram, Longmire, Miles, Morrow, Pence, Plemmons, Ponder, Sams, Snelson, Triplett, Webb, Wilson, Woods, and others. More is shown about this location in Chapter 5 of the book. John Patterson was recorded here in Buncombe on the census of 1800 and 1810.

John owned land in Buncombe until 1820, at which time he sold the last tract of his Jenkins Branch land. By that time he was living in Haywood Co, NC where he had bought 330 acres on the south side of Pigeon River. It took me quite a few years to track down this tract of land, but I finally found that it was near the town of Iron Duff, NC. John was recorded here in Haywood Co. on the 1820 census. Chapter 6 dives into more details about their time in this location.

In Chapter 7 I show how the family began migrating due south into NE Georgia, to Rabun Co. The first town you come to after crossing into GA (from western NC) is the town of Dillard, GA. All of these Pattersons ended up living on different tracts of land near each other a couple miles west of Dillard.

They first started moving into GA in the mid 1820’s. None of them were in Haywood Co, NC on the 1830 census. At least three of the brothers were recorded in the Rabun Co, GA census (Joseph, John Jr, and George). Amos owned land there too, but does not show up on the census, nor do his parents John and Peggy. It’s possible that part of the family had briefly moved to Tennessee (TN), as we know that James and Susannah Black Kincaid moved to TN for about nine months at one point. But I cannot confirm that yet.

Most of the John Patterson clan were due west of Rabun in the next county, Union Co, GA by 1834 when a partial census was taken in northern GA counties that had been acquired from the Indians beginning in 1832. Deed records show that John Patterson’s youngest son, Amos, was the first to purchase a 160 acre tract in Union Co, GA in 1833. More details are shown regarding that in Chapter 8. However, it appears that Amos’ brothers – Joseph, John Jr, and George – were all living with Amos on his land in 1834. It also appears that Amos’ household was larger than his known family size at the time, indicating that his parents, John and Peggy, were most likely living in Amos’ house in 1834.

John and Peggy’s daughter, Amy Kincaid, was living in Buncombe Co, NC still in 1820 and 1830, but was in Union Co, GA by 1834. Son Robert was not with any of them in Union in 1834 however.

In 1840, John and Peggy Patterson were in their own household, and living next to a woman named Isabella Price. She did own land there in Union Co, GA, but John did not. It is known they went to church together, and it seems that John and Peggy were most likely living in a house on Price’s land. Isabella Price and her son Josephus (Joseph) Price, lived around the Pattersons and Walkers, and were both later buried at Bethlehem Baptist Church cemetery next to the Pattersons.

John Patterson was not recorded in the 1850 census, thus he died between 1840 and 1850. His wife, Margaret (Peggy) Black Patterson, was recorded twice on the 1850 census in Union Co, once with son Joseph, and the other with son John Jr. She was 83 years old then, and died between 1850 and 1860.

In Chapter 2 I go into more details about the birth year and location of John Patterson. But in summary, he was born no earlier than 1762 and no later than 1765. This is based on his parents’ wedding date of 24 Dec 1761 in Augusta Co, VA, and also based on census records. John’s parents were Thomas Patterson and Margaret Harrison. Again, more details on that in chapter 2. I list John’s birth year as ca. 1763/4.

Peggy Black was born ca. 1767. All census records back up the 1850 record that listed her twice as being 83 that year. Also, church records at Newfound Baptist Church in Buncombe Co, NC in the early 1800’s recorded her a couple times as Margaret, but one time clearly as Peggy, which is a nickname for Margaret. Thus we can deduce that she did go by the name of Peggy. In Chapter 3 I cover Peggy’s background, starting with her parents Joseph Black and Sarah Patterson. Peggy’s mother (Sarah Patterson) was the sister of John’s father (Thomas Patterson). That would make John and Peggy 1^st cousins, as well.

I’ve already mentioned that Peggy’s daughter Amy married her 1^st cousin William D. Kincaid. Since Amy’s parents were also 1^st cousins to each other, thus making John Patterson a 1^st cousin to Susannah Black Kincaid, that in turn makes Amy Patterson Kincaid and her husband William, 2^nd cousins  to each other – in addition to being 1^st cousins to each other. Gotta love it!

Here’s how to get a copy of the book on John Patterson of Jenkins Branch.