Individual Details

The name is often found as "Patteson" especially among those that stayed in Virginia.

I found a WorldConnect file that gives exact birth dates for the children as well as death dates for most. Three books cited: My Father's Family, Edith Attkinson Rudder; The Blakey Family, Lou Adams Kress, and "History of Dripping Springs (Sinks of Beaver Creek)" p.116-188, Pioneer Baptist Church Records of South Central Kentucky and Upper Cumberland of Tennessee, 1799-1899, by C. P. Cawthorn & N. L. Warnelle, 1985.

Often seen on the Internet is a daughter Rhoda - but she was born a few years prior to the marriage of David & Sarah and was married in Albemarle Co - she likely doesn't belong in this family.

Rev. David is said to have died "Sycamore Island" - this is an island in the James River at the corners of present day Albemarle, Buckingham, & Nelson Counties, but considered a part of Nelson.

There were multiple Davids. This one, the minister married to Sally Blakey, born 1741.
A David Patteson, born, 15 Aug 1756, died 1846 in Buckingham Co - married Judith Dibrell about 1776 and had 12 children, including a David W., born 1793. Cannot be a son of David & Sally.
Dr. David R. Patterson, born 1768, died 1829 in Nelson Co. Believed to be a son of David & Sally. Wife might have been a Sarah.
Son, also Dr. David Patterson, born 1810, died 1862, Buckingham Co. Married Elizabeth Camm from Amherst. Among their 12 children, they had a son David R., who died of disease while serving in the Civil War, 1861, at age 19. Living in Amherst, 1850; Buckingham, 1860. another son, James A. died, age 18, from illness contracted in the War but the Bible record says he died at his home on Sycamore Island.

A review of the county formation would be helpful.
Henrico, 1634, one of original
Goochland, 1727, from Henrico
Albemarle, 1744, from Goochland and Louisa
Buckingham, 1761, from Albemarle
Amherst, 1761, from Albemarle
Nelson, 1808, from Amherst


Early Patterson/Patteson.
Annals of a Scotch-Irish Family which appeared in The American Historical Magazine in four issues in 1904. It's mostly about the Whitsitts but also has a lot of information about the Blakey & Haden families. It does have the dates of birth, death & marriage of Sarah to Rev. David Patterson, as I have them. They give credit to David Patterson as being one of the first, converted Baptists between 1767 and 1770.
The suggestion is there that David Patterson's father was probably also a David who had received a Virginia land patent - 337 acres, north side of James River, Henrico Co, 22 Jun 1722. On the 27th & 28th of September, 1730, he took out three more tracts, two each of 400 acres, and a third of 342 acres in Goochland, adjacent to the first patent, then in Henrico. The land was on the waters of Great & Little Licking Hole Creeks, now within the boundaries of Goochland.
Then on 10 Sep 1755, David Patterson entered 2911 acres in Albemarle, north side Appomattox River, near its headwaters. On 4 Jul 1759, he entered 400 acres in Albemarle on the branches of North Creek, near Piney Mountain - this tract was then within the limits of Buckingham when it was organized 1761 - which puts his family in the neighborhood of Thomas Blakey so the two young people could meet. No more information is forthcoming from these articles.

These patents are available on the Library of Virginia website. They failed to find the earliest of these. It's obvious these are not all the same person. A number of other Patteson/Pattersons are noted in the same areas, particularly the later dates.

16 Jun 1714 PB 10, p128 David Pattison - 400a, Henrico, North side James River, East side Liking Hole; adj Capt John Bolling
22 Jun 1722 PB 11, p.110 David Patteson - 337a, North side James adj Charles Christian
28 Sep 1730 PB 14, p.133 David Patterson - 400a, Goochland, West side lower main branch of Lickinghole Creek, adj Edwards and Mann, and his own land
28 Sep 1730 PB 14, p.135 David Patterson - 400a, Goochland, north side of James, between Great and Little Lickinghole Creeks, adj Edmond News, Charles Christian
28 Sep 1730 PB 15, p.142 David Patterson - 342a, Goochland, north side James river, branches of Lickinghole Creek, East side Charles Christian

1 Jun 1741 PB 19, p.970 David Patterson, 350a, Goochland, both sides branch of Rockfish River
1 Jul 1741 PB 19, p.1103 Reissue of same 350a
1 Jul 1741 PB 19, p.1015 Reissue of same 350a, but adds "head of Swans Creek"

30 Aug 1743 PB 21, p.506 David Paterson, 1600a, Goochland, north side Appomattox, head branches of Elk Island Creek and Bridle Creek of the Fluvanna River

10 Sep 1755 PB 31, p.713 David Patterson. 2911a, Albemarle, north side and adj Appomattox River near the headwaters
16 Aug 1756 PB33, p.275 David Patterson, 400a, Albemarle, Hookers Creek, north branch of Fluvanna River
10 Nov 1757 PB33, p.415 David Patterson, 2a, Albemarle, island in Fluvanna River near mouth of Hookers Creek in possession of David Patterson and John Coleman
4 Jul 1759 PB 33, p.624 David Patterson, 400a, Albemarle, branches of Nats Creek near Piney Mountain

1 Mar 1781 Grants D, p.542 David Patterson 165a, Buckingham, both sides of Sycamore Island Creek

The fact that David "Jr" is mentioned with Dobrell [Dibrell] would suggest he is the David born 1758, died 1846 in Buckingham - possibly referred to as Jr. because the Rev. David was still living but not old enough to have been his father.
5 Jul 1787 Grants 13, p.219 David Patteson Jr, 500a, Buckingham, waters of Long Hungary and Taylors Creeks
14 Jun 1787 Grants 10, p.339 David Patterson Jr. 38a, Buckingham, adj Dobrell, Littlebury Mosby, McDaniels
19 Nov 1791 Grants 25, p.233 David Patteson Sr. 1300a, Buckingham, south side Fluvanna River
15 May 1794 Grants 31, p.165 David Patterson Jr. 200a, Buckingham, adj Josias Chambers and Bollings land
23 Mar 1801 Grants 48, p.205 David Patteson, 44a, Buckingham, adj Charles Anderson, Josias Chambers, John Breckenridge

These two are certainly those of the first Dr. David.
24 Apr 1805 Grants 55, p.219 David R. Patteson, 100a, Buckingham, adj Richard Gilliam, John Miller, John Webb
18 Jul 1809 Grants 58, p. 415 David R. Patteson, 3a, Amherst, island in the Fluvanna River, near the Big Sycamore Island known as George's Island


It should be noted that in Virginia, and much earlier, was a Thomas Patteson.
4 Apr 1658 PB 4, p.225 Thomas Patteson, county not given, was granted 580 acres, south side Rappahannock River between the head of Burnhams Creek, Peanketank Swamp.
A later patent that adjoins the land of Thomas Patteson, 1661, was located in Lancaster Co - an area that became Middlesex Co in 1673.
25 Oct 1695 PB 9, p.4 Middlesex Co. 200 acres was sold and lists former owners - Thomas Patteson had sold to John Bewfoot on 17 Sep 1659 - so he had not kept all the property.

Another Thomas Paterson received land grants in Albemarle. The father of the David, b. 1756, who married Judith Dibrell is often shown as a Thomas, born about 1734 - but he could not have been old enough to patent these lands in 1747 - I very much suspect his birth is a guess based on the birth of David and he was probably at least 10 years older.
20 Aug 1747 PB 28, p.146 Thomas Paterson, 400a, Albemarle, Ripleys Creek, branch of Slate River
20 Aug 1747 PB 28, p.156 Thomas Paterson, 1570a, Albemarle, Waltons fork of Slate River

A case could be made for this genealogy:
A Thomas Patterson was in Virginia by 1658.
He may have had a son, David, who received land by 1714 and continues to add to his holdings at least until 1730, perhaps 1741-1743, or by the later dates had a possible son of the same name. Thomas who received land by 1747, another possible son or more likely a grandson.
The Rev. David, born 1741, seems most likely to have been a son of either a David or a Thomas,
with the David, born 1756, his first cousin, or first cousin once removed. In fact, a genealogy written by a descendant, George W. Patteson, in 1955, states he believed the Rev. David's father to have been Thomas Patteson who died in 1745, after willing "Mount Pleasant". No more details were forthcoming.


Censuses - only for David Patteson/Patterson. Many others, including widows noted in Buckingham, particularly.
1810 - only one David Pattison in Buckingham. 26 slaves.
3 males under 10. 3 males 16-26, 1 male over 45. 1 female 10-16. 1f over 45.
1810 - St. Anns, Albemarle - David Paterson. Very difficult to read. Possibly 1m under 10, 1m over 45. 3f 10-16, 1f 16-26, 1f over 45.
1810 - Richmond, Campbell Co - David R. Patterson, 26-45, living alone. A Charles C. age 16-26 and a Thomas, over 45, were in the same place.

1820, New Canton, Buckingham Co. David Patteson, 17 slaves.
1m under 10, 2m 10-16, 1m 16-18, 1m 16-26, 1m over 45. 2f under 10, 1f 10-16, 1f 16-26, 1f over 45.
1820, Buckingham, Nelson Co. David R. Patteson. single man age 26-45. 36 slaves.
There should be the David, b. 1756, who would have been over 45. The Dr. David, b. 1778, d. 1829 in Nelson Co would have been age 42 in 1820 - so he must be this second man. But he has no family.

David who married Judith Dibrell - would have been 74.
1830, Buckingham Co. David Patteson. 1m under 5. 1m 20-30. 1m 70-80. 2f 20-30. 1f 60-70.
35 slaves.

This is apparently the David who married Elizabeth Camm of Amherst, 1832. He doesn't seem to be anywhere in 1820, 1830 - perhaps living with someone else....
1840, Amherst Co. David Patteson. 1m under 5 [Camm], 1m 5-10 [Reuben], 1m 30-40 [David himself, b. 1810]. 1f under 5 [Sally]. 1f 20-30 [Elizabeth, b. 1815]. 14 slaves.
And the David, b.1756 who married Judith Debrell. He would have been age 84.
1840, Buckingham Co. David Patteson. 1m age 15-20, 1m age 80-90. 1f age 70-80. 19 slaves.

Birth	14 Jul 1741
Marriage	15 Apr 1763	Buckingham County, Virginia - Sarah George "Sally" Blakey
Death	24 Feb 1806	Sycamore Island

Spouse	Sarah George "Sally" Blakey (1747 - 1822)
Child	Thomas B. Patterson (1765 - 1768)
Child	Dorothy Patterson (1768 - 1768)
Child	Mary Patterson (1769 - 1821)
Child	James Patterson (1771 - 1793)
Child	Jane Patterson (1773 - 1783)
Child	Elizabeth Patterson (1776 - 1829)
Child	Dr. David R. Patterson (1778 - 1829)
Child	Sally Patterson (1780 - 1826)
Child	Reuben Patterson (1782 - 1848)
Child	Catherine Patterson (1792 - )

Father	Thomas Patterson (1708 - 1745)
Mother	Mary [Patteson] ( - )
Sibling	Thomas Patterson (1734 - 1790)
Sibling	Charles Patteson ( - )
Sibling	Leonard Patteson ( - 1782)