NOTE: Unlike the preceding seven chapters, this chapter, and much of the following chapter, is full of conjecture.  Please do not use any of the information contained in this chapter without proper documentation.

            According to most published sources, to my knowledge, the name of the father of the Peter Patterson who had daughter Mary who married George Espy is said to be Peter Patterson “Sr.” of Paxtang.  As this paper proves, there was only one Peter of Paxtang, and that Peter was born between 1725-1730.  There is no proof of the existence of a Peter Patterson “Sr.” of Paxtang born early enough to have been the father of “our” Peter. There was a Peter Patterson living in Drumore, and this Peter names daughter Mary in his 1786 will and says that his daughter Mary was married to John Thompson. Our Peter’s sister, Mary, married Elijah Stewart—not John Thompson—therefore Peter of Drumore cannot be the father of “our” Peter.  I don’t believe the name of “our” Peter’s father was Peter.

So if Peter was not the name of our Peter’s father, what was it?  One source says that the name of Peter’s father was Robert Patterson. Verkus, in his Compendium of American Genealogy, Vol. 6, p. 143, writes that abt. 1736 a Robert Patterson came from Ireland and settled in Lancaster Co., PA.  This Robert  m. ____ who died abt. 1736 (on the voyage, according to other sources).  Verkus writes that this Robert had son Peter, born in Lancaster Co.; that this Peter  m. Agnes McCormick in 1756 (she b. 1723 [typo? 1733?] and she d. 1807); and that Peter & Agnes had son James b. 1756. (This  matches the 1756 baptism of James, son of Peter, recorded by Cuthbertson.)

               Since our Peter definitely married Agnes McCormick (as Verkus writes), and since Verkus states that the father of the Peter who married Agnes McCormick was Robert Patterson, the investigation should logically stop here.  Verkus explicity states that the name of Peter’s father was Robert. However, Rev. Cuthbertson, who married Peter and all three of his brothers to their wives, and who baptized all of the children of Peter and Peter’s siblings, wrote several entries in his journal (see p. 33 this paper) suggesting that the name of the father of Robert (Peter’s brother) was James.  Further, when Rev. Cuthbertson baptized “Jean” (Jane), daughter of Peter’s brother James, he named Jean’s father as “James Paterson JR.”

            Another compelling reason for believing James to be the name of Peter’s father is an analysis of the names of Peter’s children, and of the children of his brothers, in the context of traditional “Scotch-Irish” naming patterns. According to Scotch-Irish naming patterns, the first-born son was named after the father’s father, the second son was named after the mother’s father, and the third son was named after the father. 

            Based on estimated birth dates for Peter and his brothers, it’s relatively certain that Peter’s brother, William, was born first. After William came either Peter or James.  If Peter were the second-born son, then James would be the third-born and would have been named after his father—whom I believe to be James of Drumore.

            Scotch-Irish naming patterns can be used as a clue in another way.  We can look at the names that Peter and his brothers gave to their sons.  Peter’s brother William named his first-born son James.  Peter named his first-born son James. Peter’s brother James may or may not have had a son named James. Peter’s brother Robert named his first son James.  All this is very strong evidence that the name of the father of Peter and his brothers was James.

Traditional Scotch-Irish naming patterns might also be used to deduce the name of Peter’s mother. According to tradition, the first daughter was named after the mother’s mother, and the second daughter was named after the father’s mother.  What name did Peter and his brothers give to their second-born daughters? Well, Peter and Robert definitely named their second-born daughters Mary. William, Peter’s brother, lists daughter Mary in his will, but we have no baptism record for this daughter and so can’t establish her birth order. James, Peter’s brother, does not list a daughter named Mary in his Will. However, we have found a baptism record from Cuthbertson’s Journal listing Mary, dau. of James, bapt. in Paxtang 27 Feb 1765.  Perhaps this daughter died young—and perhaps she was his second-born daughter.

All of which brings us to the fact that in his will, James of Drumore names his wife “Mary.” I believe that Peter Patterson of Paxtang Twp., Dauphin (then Lancaster) Co., PA and of Washington (later Jefferson) Twp., Fayette Co., PA could well be the son of James and Mary Patterson of Drumore Twp., Lancaster Co., PA.

NOTE: If future researchers should be able to confirm that Peter’s father’s name was James, then we would adjust Peter’s estimated birth date to be bet. 1724 and 1726.   If Peter’s father’s name was James, then Peter would be the second son, not the third, according to Scotch-Irish naming patterns; i.e. Peter would have been named after his mother’s father, and Peter’s brother James, the third son, would have been named after the father, whom I belive to be James of Drumore. And since we know Peter’s brother James’ approximate birth date was 1727 (computing it from his Laurel Hill gravestone) then, in order to be the second rather than the third son, Peter would have had to have been b. bef. 1727.  And since we know Peter did not attempt to be exempted from military service in 1777 on the basis of being over the age of 53, we know that Peter was b. after 1724.  Hence the revised estimate for Peter’s birth date would be bet. 1724 and 1726—IF it is determined in the future that Peter’s father’s name was James.

FURTHER CONJECTURE:

            Being now comfortable with the hypothesis that the name of Peter’s father was James, I’d like to indulge in some more speculation about other generations.

            Peter, of Paxtang, was most likely the son of James and Mary ____ of Drumore.  I believe that Peter and _____ (wife?) Patterson of Drumore was likely the brother of James of Drumore, and likely had many children of the same names as James’ chlildren (thereby perhaps confusing Florence Espy and other researchers).

            There seems to be a connection between Pattersons of Drumore and Pattersons of Paxtang.  Let’s not forget the will of William Patterson of Paxtang.  He died before 1745; his will was proved in October of that year.  He lists only sons Samuel and Francis.  But could he have been Peter’s grandfather, father of James?  Could the children listed in his will be only the children not yet provided for, the younger children? 

Following is a HYPOTHETICAL family tree—a point of departure for further research. I am not listing sources here for some of the names and dates as some of these are from undocumented internet sources. 

WILLIAM PATTERSON of Paxton (Paxtang) b. perhaps abt. 1680; d. bef. 1745; m. ____ and had at least 2 sons:

1.      PETER Patterson of Drumore b. perhaps 1705; d. bef. 1786; m. ___ and had:

a.      Mary Patterson m. John Thompson 1773 (by Rev. Cuthbertson!)

b.      Margaret Patterson m. Samuel Patterson 1770 (by Rev. Cuthbertson!)

c.       Hannah Patterson m. James Mitchell 1769 (by Rev. Cuthbertson!)

d.      Agnes Patterson m. John Robert Kirkpatrick 1774 (by Rev. Dobbin)*;

John Robert & wife Agnes were living with Agnes’ father, Peter, as of the 1779 Drumore Twp., tax list. (PA Archives Series 3, Vol. VII, p. 632) John Robert and Agnes (Patterson) Kirkpatrick had son (per Kirkpatrick genealogy):

i.        Peter Kirkpatrick b. “abt.” 1770 (prob. after 1774); m. Flora

Moore Patterson 1809 in Redstone & had 2 sons:

            -Theophilus Kirkpatrick b. Redstone

            -John Patterson Kirkpatrick [was Flora’s father John Patterson?]

            -James McCune Kirkpatrick

                                    ii.  John Kirkpatrick b. OH

                                    iii. Jane Kirkpatrick m. William Mitchell at Redstone

                                    iv.  David Kirkpatrick m. Anna Patterson 

e.      James Patterson “stiller”; said in Kirkpatrick genealogy to be John Robert Kirkpatrick’s brother-in-law (on 1779 Drumore tax list); not named in father’s will with Mary, Margaret, Hannah & Agnes above)

f.        William Patterson?  (conjecture) – mixed up with “our” Peter’s brother?

g.      Peter Patterson? (conjecture) – mixed up with “our” Peter?

h.   Robert Patterson? (conjecture) – mixed up with “our” Peter’s brother?

2.      JAMES Patterson of Drumore b. perhaps 1705; d. bef. 1785 will) OR d. bef. 1782 (Cuthbertson’s journal “widow Patterson”); m. Mary __ & had (according to my conjecture):

a.      William Patterson (who settled in Washington Twp., Fayette Co.)

b.      Peter Patterson (who settled in Wasington Twp., Fayette Co.)

c.       James Patterson (who settled in Franklin Twp., Fayette Co.) (in will)

d.      Robert Patterson (who settled in Rostraver, Westmoreland Co.) (in will)*

e.      Mary Patterson m. Elijah Stewart (in will)

f.        Sarah Patterson (in will)

g.      John Patterson (in will) (A fifth Patterson brother?)

h.      Jane Patterson (in will)

i.        Elizabeth Patterson (in will) (Did she marry Josiah Espy?)

*Rev. Alexander Dobbin came from Ireland with Rev. Matthew Linn in 1774 to assist the aging Cuthbertson, and Dobbin took over Cuthbertson’s duties in Drumore.

**James of Drumore lists sons James and Robert in his will, but not sons William and Peter.  What does this do to my theory? Well, I believe that Peter’s brother Robert did not go west at the same time that his brothers, William and Peter, left Lancaster County. I think that brother James, also, may have settled later than William and Peter.  James also staying behind could account for James being mentioned in father James’ will, along with Robert.  I believe William and Peter set out first, followed by James and then, in 1792, Robert went west. Robert definitely stayed behind with his widowed mother, as he is listed on the 1790 Drumore Twp., Lancaster Co. census right next to  “Widow Patterson.”  Immediately following the listing of Robert and his widowed mother is the household of “Robert Kirkpatrick.”  Robert Patterson is said by Egle to have removed to Westmoreland Co. in 1792.  This is the same year Robert Kirkparick is said to have moved west (according to Kirkpatrick genealogy written in 1968 by Donald Kirkpatrick).  I believe the Pattersons (Robert and wife Mary Stewart) and the Kirkpatricks (Robert’s cousin Agnes and her husband John Robert Kirkpagrick) moved from Lancaster Co. to SW PA together, in 1792. The Kirkpatricks and the family of Robert, “our” Peter’s brothers, all ended up in the Fayette/Westmoreland Co. area at the same time.  Robert Kirkpatrick and his wife Agnes, Peter Patterson of Drumore’s daughter, then pushed on to Licking Co., OH in 1810, while Robert Patterson and wife Mary stayed in Westmoreland County.