NameHonorable John PATTON Sr. 828,453,237
Birth Date8 Feb 1783
Birth PlacePhiladelphia, Philadelphia Co., PA, USA
Death Date2 Feb 1848 Age: 64
Death PlaceCurwensville, Clearfield Co., PA, USA
Burial PlaceOak Hill Cemetery, Curwensville, Clearfield Co., PA, USA
OccupationProthonotary, Judge, Justice of the Peace, Teacher
Cause of DeathParalysis829
FatherColonel John PATTON (1745-1804)
MotherJane Bartholomew DAVIS (1752-1832)
Misc. Notes
John Patton, Sr. in his boyhood was a sailor. Before he was seventeen years of age he shipped on board the Woodruff, bound for a voyage to China. Before his nineteenth birthday he was appointed a midshipman under Commodore Stephen Decatur. He was a classmate and chum of John Decatur. His vessel was wrecked off the coast of Africa. His friend John Decatur and himself were treated with extreme kindness by the barbarous inhabitants of the country. He obtained a commission as lieutenant in the navy. He was in command of a gunboat, with the rank of captain, stationed off the coast of Virginia, with headquarters at Norfolk. On account of ill health he left the navy in 1810, and went into business at Tussey Furnace, Centre county.

In 1811 he was married to Miss Susan Antes, of Centre county. John Patton, after his marriage with Susan Antes, settled in Tioga county in 1817. He resided there seven years, acting as prothonotary for a term, under Gov. Heister. He returned to Centre county in 1824, and removed to Clearfield county in 1826. He first settled at Centre, but removed to Curwensville in the spring of 1828. He taught school for a number of years; also acted as justice of the peace, and served a term of five years as associate judge, being commissioned by Gov. Porter.

He was an invalid several years before his death, and died of paralysis on the 2d of February, 1848. His estimable lady survives him [1878]. and, though over eighty-six years of age, seems possessed of remarkable vigor for one of her years. Her stories of the olden time are very interesting, and her equal in consecutive local history we have seldom met.830
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John Patton was a native of Philadelphia, born in the year 1783, and when eight years of age came with his parents to Centre county. He married Susan Antes, a woman of great strength of character, and loved by all to whom she was known.

Prior to the time of his marriage, John Patton served in the Navy as lieutenant under Commodore Stephen Decatur.* He afterwards moved to Tioga county, having been commissioned by Governer Heister as prothonotary† of that county.

In 1827, he came to Clearfield county and two years later, 1828 made a permanent location at Curwensville, He served one term as associate judge of the county, his colleague upon the bench being Hon. James Ferguson. He died February 2, 1848. His wife Susan (Antes) Patton, survived him many years, and died at the advanced age of ninety two years.450
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Capt. Patton took his wife and family to Tioga county, Penn., in 1817, and remained there seven years as prothonotary, being the first prothonotary of Tioga county, appointed by Gov. Heister. He returned to Centre County in 1824, and two years later made his home at Centre, in Clearfield county. In the spring of 1828 he settled permanently at Cirwensville [sic], where he died of paralysis having been an invalid for several years previous.831

George Washington was present at his christening and stood in as John’s Godfather. As a result he was nicknamed “General” which remained with him his entire life.52

This source indicates he was “Nicknamed ‘General” at his christening by George Washington, who was his Godfather. He carried this nickname with him all of his life.”472
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John, born February 8, 1783, married Susanna Antes, daughter of Philip Antes, and granddaughter of Colonel Antes of Northumberland county. He was Associate Judge of Clearfield county; laid out Pattonsville, 1815; moved to Tioga county, 1817, and was prothonotary of Tioga county. He was father of Gen. [sic?] John Patton of Curwensville, twice member United States Congress.832
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John Patton, Sr., was born in Philadelphia, in 1783; moved to Curwensville in 1828; he served as associate judge of the county for five years; was justice of the peace for a number of years, and died in 1848, aged sixty-five years.833
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Philip Antis [sic] donated a piece of ground near on the public road from Clearfield to Curwensville, on which a school-house was built about 1824. John Patton, Sr., father of Congressman Patton, was the master here in 1826.

It was here, in this house, under the tutorship of his father, that Hon. John Patton (1823-1897) attended school for the first time.834

[Was this Philip Antes the father-in-law (1759-1834) or brother-in-law (1781-1862) of John Patton Sr. It is not known for certain but was probably one or the other and most likely the senior Philip.]
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The first school [the Curwensville Academy] in Curwensville was kept in a dwelling in 1812. A night school was taught by John Patton, Sr., in 1826.835
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A log school was built at Bloomington in 1815, on land later known as the William Price place. The older Blooms, Bells, McCrackens and Rowles attended. A few years after, a log school was built at Center to accommodate Pike and Lawrence township pupils, taught first by Samuel Fulton.A few years later John Patton came and lived at Center. He taught this school and the only school his son, John (Hon. or General) had, was for 6 months under his father's tutorage.

In 1833 money was subscribed and a schoolhouse built known as the "Curwensville Academy." Act of Legislature approved April 7, 1832, made it tax free. Its first teacher was John Patton, father of "General" John Patton, who was paid $18 per month. Other teachers: Hugh Caldwell, Peter Hoover, John P. Dale. This was a township school located on Filbert Street.

When the free school system started, 1834, in Pennsylvania, Pike Township was among the first to accept and provide schools under its laws. It was at first experimental and not obligatory for townships to adopt, and of the 17 in the county, 8 including Pike, accepted. A night school was taught in Curwensville by John Patton in 1828. [An extensive history of the Curwensville Borough School system is found at this source.]836
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By authority of the Commonwealth, in Governor [George] Wolf's term of office [1829-1835], the second Brigade of the "Militia of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania" in the 2nd Brigade of the 10th Division, composed of the counties of Mifflin, Centre, Huntingdon, Juniata and Clearfield was organized. Thomas Ross McClure, "Colonel", Pike Township (proper) and John Patton, "General", Curwensville (village) were local officers in charge.837
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John was an invalid several years before his death in 1848.451
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Died in Curnwensville, on Tuesday, the 1st [sic] inst., [February 1848] Hon. John Patton, at an advanced age.615
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Susquehanna Chapter D.A.R. [Daughters of the American Revolution], organized April 1, 1897, at Clearfield with eleven of its charter members descended from Col. John Patton of the 16th Colonial Regiment of Pennsylvania.

Lieut. John Patton, who served for eight years in the U. S. Navy under Commodore Stephen Decatur, came to Curwensville in 1828, where he lived until his death in 1848.838
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The Irvin and Patton families probably did most for the early and later material prosperity of Curwensville [Clearfield county, PA].839
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A “John” born abt 1778 is listed by this source as a child of Jane and John Patton.237

A John Patton b. 1778 is listed among the children of Jane Bartholomew Davis and Col. John Patton at this source.472

[Not sure this second “John” ever existed. This source lists eleven children.]453


*Commodore Stephen Decatur, Jr. (5 January 1779 – 22 March 1820) was an American naval officer notable for his heroism in the Barbary wars and in the War of 1812. He was the youngest man to reach the rank of captain in the history of the United States Navy, and the first American celebrated as a national military hero who had not played a role in the American Revolution.840

Decatur was killed on 20 March 1820 when two of the highest-ranking officers in the United States Navy faced off against each other: Decatur and Commodore James Barron. After harboring ill-will toward one another for years, the two chose the [Bladensburg, MD] dueling grounds as the field of honor for settling their differences. Both men were struck by their opponent's first shot. Barron, though seriously injured, would recover, but Stephen Decatur, one of America's greatest naval heroes, was mortally wounded and died two days later.841

NOTE: Architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe (1764-1820) was commissioned by Decatur to design his home built in 1817. The Bladensburg dueling grounds were located a short distance from my boyhood home. Latrobe died less than six months after Decatur.3

†A prothonotary is the chief clerk of a court.3
Spouses
Birth Date10 May 1791842,445,843
Birth PlaceBoggs Township, Centre Co., PA, USA
Birth Memoprobably on Bald Eagle Creek
Death Date29 Jan 1883 Age: 91
Death PlaceCurwensville, Clearfield Co., PA, USA
Burial PlaceOak Hill Cemetery, Curwensville, Clearfield Co., PA, USA
FatherPhilip Frederick ANTES Sr. (1759-1834)
MotherMaria Susanna WILLIAMS (1755-1826)
Misc. Notes
Miss Antes was born in Boggs township, Centre county, on the 10th of May, 1791. She was the daughter of Philip and Susan (Williams) Antes. The families were of German extraction, and among the earliest settlers of Centre county.... her husband was an invalid several years before his death in 1848. Susanna survived him [1878] and, though over eighty-six years of age, seems possessed of remarkable vigor for one of her years. Her stories of the olden time are very interesting, and her equal in consecutive local history we have seldom met.451
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“A woman of great strength of character, and loved by all to whom she was known.”450
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Born at Antes Mill, now Curtin.445,844
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A native of Boggs Township, Centre County. A lady of fine abilities. To the last she displayed remarkable physical and mental vigot, and her reminiscences of early days were of great interest.845
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1850 Census: A Susan age 58 [born abt 1792] is listed with “C. E. Patton,” another Female, age 17. Other Pattons are also listed. They are neighbors of the William (1801-1869) and Jane Irvin family.846

[This is most likely mother Susanna Antes Patton, and her daughter Cornelia Ellen Patton born 1832. Susan’s husband John had died two years earlier. Susan is the mother-in-law of neighbor William Irvin.]
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Note: The “Antes Genealogy” source indicates Susanna and several of her siblings were “born Bald Eagle”. Compiler believes this is a reference to the Bald Eagle Creek, a tributary of the west branch of the Susquehanna River, mostly in Centre County, PA, and at the foot of Bald Eagle Mountain.

He is unable to find a community of the same name in Centre county. There is however a Bald Eagle community in Blair county.

In addition, her father’s notes refer to his moving “to Centre county in 1784, and locat[ing] in Boggs township, on the Bald Eagle” which seems to be a reference to the same creek. As in Clearfield County, there is also a Boggs Township in Centre County.

Based on this information the compiler has entered Susanna’s place of birth as Boggs Township, Centre, PA, probably on Bald Eagle Creek.3,847
Family ID631
Marr Date1811451
ChildrenJane (1812-1881)
 Ann (1813-)
 Susan (1815-)
 John Antes (Died as Infant) (1817-1817)
 Maria (1819-)
 William B (1821-1823)
 John (1823-1897)
 Edward Byron (1826-1907)
 Harry Dorsey (1828-1886)
 Cornelia E (1832-)
 Mary E (Died as Child) (1835-1839)
Last Modified 28 Jun 2016Created 17 May 2017 Rick Gleason - ricksgenealogy@gmail.com