The Patterson-Ferrell Connection: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5
The Patterson-Ferrell Connection to the Claborn Gunter Family
Last Revised: 28 January 2019John W. Patterson had his DNA tested in 2014. John's Patterson ancestors are from TN going back several generations. When John's DNA results matched several Pattersons who descend from Robert Patterson who died in 1775 in York Co., SC, with a fairly close genetic distance, it caught the attention of Harald Reksten, and then also this writer, Wes Patterson (as I mentioned in Part 1 of this series). The DNA evidence confirms a relation, but the real question is, Where do the lines join? Who is our common ancestor?
It's easy enough for Harald and Wes to answer that question where their own relation is concerned. Their most recent common ancestor WAS Robert Patterson who died in 1775. Harald descends from Robert's son, Robert, who married Mabel Ponder. Wes descends from Robert's son, Thomas, who married Margaret Harrison. But how does the afore-mentioned tester, John W. Patterson, connect to Harald and Wes?
What We Do Know
Let's start with what we DO know. John says his line is confirmed all the way back a man named Lee Patterson, who was born in February 1826, somewhere in the state of Tennessee. Lee married on 11-21-1847, in Dekalb Co., TN, to Mary "Polly" Davis. According to John, his ancestor Lee Patterson died on 12-31-1862, in Murfreesboro, Rutherford Co., TN, during the Civil War.
But who were the parents of Lee Patterson? John says the waters get a little muddy there. He's pretty sure they were John Patterson and Ann Ferrell. Many unofficial records that you find online refer to this latter John Patterson as John E. Patterson. It seems that may be in error, however. The middle initial "E" may be confused with a person of that name from a different SC family. So Harald and I both are hesitant to refer to the man who married Ann Ferrell with the initial "E".
The Patterson-Ferrell marriage does seem to be the right family that connects to Lee Patterson. Apparently their marriage occurred in TN, but no official marriage record has survived, that I have found, at least. This John Patterson was born after 1790, and possibly as late as 1795. Based on census records it seems he was born ca. 1792/3. Ann Ferrell has been given a birth date of 1-12-1792. John appears to have died about 1868, and Ann about 1865, both in Cannon Co., TN.
Unofficially, Harald and I have their children listed as follows, but again, there is on-going research that could further clarify this lineup over time:
- Robert Patterson, b. ca. 1815/17
- John Patterson, b. ca. 1819, d. ca. 1843
- Nancy Patterson, b. 3-15-1823, d. 1-26-1903
- Enoch M. Patterson, b. 12-23-1824, d. 9-18-1911
- Lee Patterson, b. Feb 1826, d. 12-31-1862
- Ann Patterson, b. ca. 1827
- Harvey Patterson, b. 11-5-1833, d. 5-3-1891
The Ferrells and Gunters
These families are found all over the records of Cannon and Dekalb counties, and other info is found in Warren, Bedford, and Rutherford Counties, all in TN. Both of these families are in close proximity to each other. Census records can be wrong, but until other evidence shows anything to the contrary, we have to go by what it tells us. It appears that John and Ann's oldest child was born around 1815 to 1817 in TN. Ann may have been born in TN as well, although some say she was born in VA. It is probable that John Patterson arrived in TN after 1810, met Ann there, were married, and their children were born there. John does not show up on any 1810 or 1812 records in TN, indicating he may have been living with some one else there at the time, or was yet to arrive in TN. I believe the greater set of evidence indicates he was living in this parents household in Buncombe Co., NC, they being Robert and Elizabeth Patterson.
According to Bill Spurlock of Norcross, GA, he says that Ann Ferrell's parents were John Ferrell (1765-1839) and Ann. He lists their children as follows:
- Charles Ferrell (b. 1793 VA), m. Isabella
- Ann Ferrell (b. 1794 VA), m. John Patterson in 1816 in TN
- William Ferrell (b. 1796 VA), m. Elizabeth in 1815 in TN
- Enoch Ferrell (b. 1797 TN), m. Mary Gunter
- Elizabeth Ferrell (b. 1798 VA), m. Enoch Jones in 1818 in TN
- Margaret Ferrell (b. 1800 TN), m. Clayborne Gunter Jr. in 1820
- Jane Ferrell (b. 1803 TN), m. Joseph Banks in 1820 in Warren Co., TN
- Alexander C. Ferrell (b. 1809 TN), m. Elizabeth in 1827 in Warren Co., TN
- Matilda Ferrell (b. 1810 TN), m. George Watson in 1832 in Warren Co., TN
A researcher named Kem Farr is quoted online as saying, "The Ferrells ... lived in Gunters Hollow next door to the Gunters in 1820. The Gunters' cabin was built circa 1803. The Ferrells had cabins on the backside of Short Mountain above Wilmouth Creek."
Records provided online by researcher, Kristi Moffitt, show us the following about John Patterson (who married Ann Ferrell):
- There were no Patterson listings in Warren Co. TN Deed Book A, 1808-1818. Cannon Co. was formed in 1836.
- Land Deed Genealogy of Cannon Co. TN 1836-1857, Deed Book B:
James Gunter of Warren County to John Patterson 30 acres that Augustin S. Gunter now lives on, it being a part of a 140 acre tract that Cleburn [Claburn] Gunter now lives on. 4 Oct 1827. (p.471-473) - Land Deed Genealogy of Cannon Co. TN 1836-1857, Deed Book B:
Augustin S. Gunter of Warren County to John Patterson a tract of land in Warren County on the waters of Dry Fork of the Caney Fork. 25 Dec 1829. (p.470-471) - Land Deed Genealogy of Dekalb Co. TN 1838-1869, Deed Book A:
Enoch Jones, Claborn Gunter, George Watson, Joseph Banks, John Enoch, William Alexander, and C. Ferrell, the heirs jointly of John Ferrell, all of Warren County, to Charles Ferrell seven tracts of land on Herricane Creek containing 71 acres. Other names on the deed were John Ferrell, Elizabeth Jones, Alexander C. Ferrell, John Patterson, Ann Patterson, Martha Watson, Jane Banks, Margaret Gunter, and John Ferrell Enoch. 22 Oct 1829. (P.547-550) - Warren Co. TN Will Book 1:
John Patterson is the executor of the will of Clabourn GUNTER dated 31 Jan 1835 and porved 6 Apr 1835. - Land Deed Genealogy of Dekalb Co. TN 1838-1869, Deed Book A:
John Patterson to William Hicks (of the State of Georgia) four tracts of land in the 5th District. 6 May 1840. (P.460-462) *** the 5th District of Dekalb Co. TN was located on the border of Cannon Co. near present day Liberty, TN. - Land Deed Genealogy of Cannon Co. TN 1836-1857, Deed Book H:
John Patterson to John W. Ware 28 acres in the 9th District. 4 Mar 1846. (p.426-427) - Land Deed Genealogy of Dekalb Co. TN 1838-1869, Deed Book C:
John Patterson to Joseph Collins 30 acres in the 5th District. 8 Feb 1847. (P.342) - Land Deed Genealogy of Cannon Co. TN 1836-1857, Deed book F:
John Kirsey to John Patterson eight acres in the 9th District. 6 Jun 1848. (p.282-283) - Land Deed Genealogy of Dekalb Co. TN 1838-1869, Deed Book H:
Enoch Jones, Sr. to John Patterson and the other trustees one and a fourth acres in the 5th District for a Cumberland Presbyterian Church and Burying Grounds. 2 Apr 1860. (p.267-268) - Cannon Co. TN Chancery Court Minutes 1840-1880:
Milton WARD and others versus Robert PATTERSON and others. Final Decree. There is now in the hands of Robert PATTERSON, Administrator of John PATTERSON the sum of $888.43. The several complainants recover of the said Robert PATTERSON. 21 Aug 1869. (p.477-478)
Summary
One very quickly sees the proximity of these Pattersons, Ferrells, and Gunters to each other, and their overlap in records from within Warren, Cannon, and Dekalb counties (TN). More specifically, John and Ann Ferrell Patterson (the Patterson-Ferrell connection), were living in both Cannon and Dekalb counties in the 1830's and 40's. Lee Patterson, the ancestor of the DNA tester (John W. Patterson) was married in 1847 in Dekalb County.
In summary, the above records establish a pattern of evidence confirming the links between John W. Patterson (the dna tester) and his known ancestors back to John Patterson and Ann Ferrell, with the other families living around them and related to them, such as the Gunter family and the Ferrell family.
In Part 3, I will delve more into the history of the Gunters and Ferrells and where they lived prior to arriving in this section of Tennessee. Stay tuned...
Wes Patterson
