ROBERT FINLEY PATTERSON. Among the old, prominent families of Washington county, the Patterson family ranks high. Robert Patterson, the grandfather of Robert Finley, was a native of York county, Penn., and moved to Washington county about 1792, settling in East Finley township. A son, Robert, also a native of York county, Penn., born February 4, 1785, came to Washington county with his father, where he married, in 1806, Nancy Tilton, a native of East Finley township, born January 1, 1790. They reared a family of ten children, of whom Robert Finley is the youngest. William, born January 24, 1808, married Elizabeth Cooper, and resided in Athens county, Ohio, where he died; John, born November, 1810, married Octava Farlan, of Athens county, Ohio, where he died; Catharine, born February 19, 1812, married Royal Bingham, of Athens county, Ohio, where she died; Rhoda, born February 7, 1814, married R. S. Andrews, of Morris township, where she died, March 15, 1840; Eunice, born March 11, 1816, married Daniel Day, of Morris township (she died January 6, 1856); Asenath, born March 4, 1818, married Zenas Axtal, of Morris township, Greene county, Penn., where she now resides; Lettice, born September 29, 1820, married L. Bane, of Amwell township, where she died July 13, 1843; Ann, born December 23, 1824, married Stephen Parcel, of Morris township, and died May 18, 1854; Josiah, born July 24, 1827, married Emma Jane Browne, of Westmoreland county, Penn., and now resides in Franklin township, Washington county, and Robert. The father died June 16, 1863, and the mother January 27, 1865. Robert Finley Patterson was born March 2, 1830, and November 15, 1852, married Lydia Clemens, a daughter of William Clemens, of Morris township. Mrs. Patterson was born February 17, 1831, her parents being natives of Virginia. To this union the following children were born: Josiah M. was born November 27, 1853. He married Annie Craft, daughter of David Craft, Sr., of said township. He is now engaged in the practice of law at Washington, Penn. Clara Ann, born May 3, 1856, wife of John Reed, a real estate agent of Claysville, Penn.; John Bryant, born December 6, 1858, who manages his father's farm; and Cora Asenath, born March 16, 1872, at home. Mr. Patterson has succeeded well as a farmer, and is known as one of the successful businessmen of Morris township. A portion of the farm now owned by him belonged formerly to his father, and consequently has been in the Patterson name for more than three-quarters of a century. Both he and his wife are members of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church.

Text taken from page 1151 of: Beers, J. H. and Co., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893). Transcribed January 1997 by Jack McNatt of Valrico, FL as part of the Beers Project. Published January 1997 on the Washington County, PA USGenWeb pages at http://www.chartiers.com/.

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