Thomas Paterson (1837 - 1917)

Born 18 Feb 1837 in Scarborough Township, Upper Canada

Ancestors

Husband of Margaret (Glendinning) Paterson — married 26 May 1864 in York County, Canada West

Descendants

Died 13 Jan 1917 at age 79 in Scarborough, York,Ontario, Canada

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Fred Nix [send private message]

Biography

This profile is part of the Patterson Name Study.

Thomas Paterson is born either on February 15 or February 18, 1837, in Scarborough Township, Upper Canada the son of Thomas Paterson (1805-1846) and Janet Borthwick (1810-1885) [1]. Different sources give slightly different dates for his birth [2][10]. Thomas is born on the farm that his parents and grandparents homesteaded when they immigrated to Upper Canada from Scotland in 1820. They gave the farm the name “Elm Ridge” and it was located in Lot 28, Concession 3 of Scarborough. This is about halfway between Finch and Sheppard Avenues on the east side of Kennedy Road, now part of the city of Toronto.

In the 1861 census, Thomas is 22-years old, living with his widowed mother and two siblings on the farm in a two-story, brick house [3]. There are three other people living in the house and, while the surnames are almost impossible to read in the census record, we think these are Thomas’ cousins (one is a “cousin-in-law) with the surname “Borthwick.” This brick house the family lives in is still in existence -- 2575 Kennedy Road, Toronto [4]. It was built before 1850 and it has been designated under the Ontario Heritage Act.

Thomas marries Margaret Glendinning (1840-1917) on May 26, 1864 [5]. Margaret is the daughter of Archibald Glendinning and Jean Stobo (1807-1889). Margaret’s sister is Janet Glendinning (1844-1914) who marries Thomas Paterson’s brother, William -- that is, two brothers marry two sisters.

Thomas and Margaret have six children:

• Thomas Archibald Paterson 1865-1945 + (1896) Sarah Ida Carnaghan 1872-1957

• William Allan Paterson 1866-1945 +(1898) Margaret Ann Stirling 1867-1928

• Annie Jane Paterson 1870-1955 +(1912) James George Hood 1872-1938

• Janet Glendinning Paterson 1872-1953 +(1903) John Richard Thomson 1873-1955

• Robert Hamilton Paterson 1874-1942

• Elizabeth Paterson 1878-1878

Thomas inherits Elm Ridge Farm from his father (Thomas) who, in turn, had inherited it from the first Thomas Paterson. He becomes the third person named Thomas Paterson to farm this land. The barn and silo are located roughly where Lynnwood Heights Public School sits today [6]. In the 1871 census, Thomas and Margaret are living on the farm with their first three children – Thomas, William and Fannie (ie, Annie) [7]. They also have a 25-yr old Thomas Jackson living with them. The Paterson’s have Jackson relatives, but it does not appear that this Thomas is one of them. In the 1881 census, the family is still on the farm and Thomas (44) is still a farmer [8]. The children are: Thomas A. (16), in school; William A. (14), in school; Annie J. (11), in school; Janet (?9), Robert H. (6), in school. There is also Janet Paterson (71) who was born in Scotland and who is a widow. This is Janet Borthwick, the mother of Thomas. In addition, there is Andrew Paterson (48), a farm labourer, living in the household. Andrew is Thomas’ cousin from Streetsville (the son of James Paterson and Jane Pigge). In the 1891 census, Thomas (53) and Margaret (50) still have all five (living) children at home [9].

By 1901 Thomas and Margaret (“Margret”) have left the farm and are living in Ward 1 of Toronto with three children: Annie, Jeanet and Rob plus a cousin, Jannet Patterson (sic) (26) who appears to be a dress maker [10]. This cousin, Janet Paterson, is a mystery as Thomas has no cousins by this name or of this age. Ward 1 is the east end of Toronto as it was in 1901, around the Don River in the area south of the Danforth Avenue and west of Greenwood Avenue. The next family in the census is John Archibald Paterson and his wife, Joanna Glendinning. Thomas Archibald and John Archibald are cousins; and Margaret and Joanna are cousins. By the time of the 1911 census, Thomas and Margaret (“Margret”) have moved back to Scarborough, but they are now on Lot 27, Concession 3. [11] In other words, they now live one lot to the east of where the original Thomas Paterson farm, Elm Ridge, was located. It is unclear from the description of “occupation” whether or not Thomas is still a farmer (the census appears to read something like “farmer R.A.” which probably means “farmer, retired”). Thomas and Margaret have living with them one unmarried daughter, Annie J. (41), and one married daughter, Janet Thomson (39) and Janet’s daughter, Helen (2).

Thomas dies on January 13, 1917 – he had pneumonia for several weeks and eventually died because his heart gave out [12]. Margaret dies on April 9, 1917. They are buried together in the cemetery of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Bendale, Scarborough [13]. They are buried with their son, Robert Hamilton Paterson, and Jane (Glendinning) Walton who, is Margaret’s sister.

Can you add any information on Thomas Paterson? Please help grow his WikiTree profile. Everything you see here is a collaborative work-in-progress.

Sources

[1] The 1968 Paterson family tree by Marjorie Paterson shows Thomas Paterson, his wife Margaret Glendinning, and six children: (1) Thomas + Ida Carnaghan; (2) William + Margaret Stirling; (3) Annie + James Hood, (4) Janet + John R. Thomson; (5) Robert ;& (6) Elizabeth.

[2] Ian Glendinning’s web site http://www.glendinning.name/ancestry/glenfam/ Thomas Paterson born 15 Feb 1837 in Scarborough; died 13 Jan 1917 in Scarborough. He married Margaret Glendinning (1840-1917) on 26 May 1864. They have 6 children: (1) Thomas Archibald + Sarah Ida Carnagham; (2) William Allan + Margaret Ann Stirling; (3) Annie Jane +James George Hood; (4) Janet Glendining + Dr. John Richard Thomson; (5) Robert Hamilton; and (6) Elizabeth.

[3] 1861 census, Ontario, York, Scarborough, pg 79, lines 39-45: Janet Patterson (55), born Scotland, widow; Thomas (22); Margaret (20); William (18); 3 non family members; difficult to read their names: a Christopher (34), born in Scotland, labourer; Hannah (24), born in England, Ch of Eng; Adam (23), born in Prince Edward Island. While the surname of these 3 individuals is almost impossible to read, a good guess is that it is “Borthwick.” The two males – Christopher and Adam, are likely nephews of Janet Petterson [Paterson, whose maiden name was “Borthwick.”] We know that two of Janet’s brothers emigrated from Scotland to Prince Edward Island, making it all the more likely that Adam is “Adam Borthwick.” The family lives in a 2-story brick house.

[4] https://www.heritagetrust.on.ca/en/oha/details/file?id=3419 “This house was built prior to 1850 and is recommended for designation [“heritage” designation] for both its historical and arcl1itectural importance. “

[5] "Canada, Ontario County Marriage Registers, 1858-1869," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2CY-BG4S : 9 March 2018), Thomas Paterson and Margt Glendwining, 26 May 1864; citing York, Ontario, Canada, Archives of Ontario, Toronto; FHL microfilm 1,030,068. Thomas Paterson (26) married Margaret Glendinning (23) on 26 May 1864 in York County, Canada West. The groom and bride were both born in Scarborough and they both resided in Scarborough. The parents of the groom were Thomas & Janet Paterson. The parents of the bride were Archibald & Jane [?Jean} Glendinning. The witnesses were William Paterson and Thomas Little.

[6] Location of the barn & silo: At the 1957 Paterson reunion, Janet Voisey gave greetings from the Thomas branch. In her address she says “The silo to his barn is still standing just south of Lynnwood Heights.” There does not appear to be a street by that name any more but there is a Linwood Avenue and a Lynnwood Heights Public School on the property of what would have been “Elm Ridge.”

[7] 1871 census, Ontario, 45, York East, Scarborough, Division 4, pg 28: Thomas Paterson (32); Margaret (30); Thomas (6); William (4); Fanny (1). There is also a Thomas Jackson living with the family.

[8] 1881 census, Ontario, York East, 135, pg 36: Thomas (44 ? difficult to read), born in Ont, Presby, Scotch, married, farmer; Margaret (38) born Ont; Thomas A (16), in school; William A. (14), in school; Annie J. (11), in school; Jannet (? maybe 9), in school; Robert H. (6), in school; Jannet (71), b Scotland, widow; Andrew (48) b Ont, farm labourer, single (appears to be a check mark for “deaf & dumb”]

[9] 1891 census, Ontario, 130 York East, Scarboro, pg 83, household 409: Thomas Patterson (sic) (53), born Ont, both parents born Scotland, farmer; Margaret (50), born Ont, both parents born Scotland; Archie (25); William (?23); Annie (20); Jennet (18); Robert (16).

[10] 1901 census, Ontario, 129 York East, Ward 1, Toronto, household 135: Thomas Patterson (sic) (62), born Feb 18, 1839, cannot read occupation; Margret (60) born Dec 23, 1840; Annie (30), born Apr 22, 1870; Jeanet (29); born Apr 11, 1871, teacher; Rob (26) born Aug 30, 1874, student; Jannet (26), born June 18, 1874, cousin, cannot read occupation (could be “dress maker”). This cousin, Jannet, is a mystery as Thomas has no cousins by this name (or age). However, he does have a cousin, James George Paterson (1838-1922), who has a daughter, Janet Hamilton Paterson, who was born on June 18, 1874. So it appears that this cousin’s daughter moved off the farm in Scarborough and went to live in Toronto for a while? (She did not marry until 1908 so she was still single in 1901.) The “problem” with this explanation is that Janet Hamilton Paterson (“Jennie H. Paterson”) also shows up in the 1901 census living at home with her parents in Scarborough. (?The simple explanation is that she was counted twice.)

[11] 1911 census, Ontario, York Centre, 20, Scarborough, pg 11, household #127: Thos Paterson (73), born Feb 1838; Margret (70) born Dec 1840; Annie J (41), born Sep 1870; Janet Thomson (39), daughter, married, born Apr 1872; Helen Thomson (2), granddaughter born in Manitoba Mar 1909.. The family is shown to live in Lot 27, Concession 3 of Scarborough.

[12] familysearch: Ontario Deaths 1869-1937 and Overseas Deaths 1939-1947 - Deaths 1917. Thomas Paterson died on Jan 13, 1917 at the age of 79 yrs & 11 months. He was a retired farmer. He was born on Lot 28, Conc 3 of Scarborough & he died on Lot 27, Conc 3 of Scaborough. His parents were Thomas Paterson & Janet Borthwick. The informant was T. A. Paterson of Agincourt. The cause of death was Pluro Pneumonia which he had had for 3 weeks. The immediate cause of death was chronic myocarditis.

[13] St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Bendale: headstones: “In memory of Thomas Paterson born Feby 18 1837 died Jany 13 1917 also his wife Margaret Glendinning born Dec 22 1840 died April 9 1917 also Jane Glendinning wife of Archd Walton born July 26 1852 died Sept 11 1892 Robert Hamilton Paterson born Aug 31 1874 died April 13 1942 .”

Acknowledgments

Thank you to Fred Nix for creating Paterson-798 on 11 Oct 13. Click the Changes tab for the details on contributions by Fred and others.

This biography was prepared by Fred Nix in Dec., 2022. It is a revised version of an earlier one. The earlier version of this biography gave Thomas Paterson the middle name “Archibald.” However, no records (census, burial) confirm this middle name, so it has been dropped in this up-dated biography. Fred and Thomas are first cousins, four times removed.