According to the book A Century and a Half of Pittsburg and her People, Vol. 4, published in 1908, Jonathan Patterson’s great-grandfather, Robert Patterson, was born in Ireland and emigrated from the north of Ireland to America about 1785. The book states that he “purchased the land now known as John Turner’s farm.” No dates are given for the purchase.
Robert Patterson and his wife Isabella (Brisbin) had nine children. Their eldest son was named John, who with his wife Mary (Oldfield) had seven children. George was their third son. According to Jonathan Patterson’s tombstone, his parents were George and Anna. Although nothing is mentioned about Jonathan in the book mentioned above, the book states that George was still living in 1907, 70 years after Jonathan was born in 1837. George must have been extremely old by then.