Rianna (Carrington) Patterson (abt. 1820 - abt. 1903)

Born about 1820 in North Carolina, United States

Ancestors

Descendants

Died about 1903 at about age 83 in Columbus, Lowndes, Mississippi, United States

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Biography

Rianna was born about 1820 according to the 1850^[1], 1860^[2], 1870^[3], and 1880^[4] censuses; she was born in August 1814 according to the 1900^[5] census. She passed away about 1903^[6].

In the 1850 census, Rianna lived with her daughter Mary Frances in Monroe County, Mississippi. Rianna's age was listed as 30 (making her birth about 1820), and her birthplace as North Carolina; Mary was 11, and her birthplace was listed as Tennessee. No occupation was listed. The household listed just before theirs (on the previous page) was headed by Frances Carrington, Rianna's mother, and included 18-year-old Mary, 16-year-old Josephine, and 14-year-old William--all siblings of Rianna.^[1]

In the 1860 census, Rianna lived with two other apparently unrelated adults in Columbus, Mississippi. Again, she had no listed occupation, but she did have personal estate valued at $8,000. Her birthplace was again listed as North Carolina.^[2]

By 1870, when she was 50, Rianna lived with her adult daughter Mary, Mary's husband William, and their three young children. Her occupation was listed as "At Home."^[3]

In 1880, Rianna still lived with her daughter, son-in-law, and three grandchildren in Columbus. In this census, she is specifically listed as the mother-in-law of the head of the household. Her birthplace is given as North Carolina, and her parents' birthplaces are also given as North Carolina.^[4]

In the 1900 census, there are a number of strange changes in Rianna's vital information--but she's still living with her daughter and son-in-law, listed as the mother-in-law of the head of household, and her and her parents' birthplaces are listed as North Carolina. Her first name is given as Marianna, and her age is 85--adding 5 years to the approximate age from the 1850, 1860, 1870, and 1880 censuses. Her birth date is listed as August 1814. Her marital status is "widowed," and she's listed as having been married for 64 years--yet there's no indication on the censuses from 1850 on that she was living with a husband. Where was her husband during the 64 years they were supposedly married?^[5]

An obituary published in the Columbus Commercial newspaper on 5 Jan 1904 reads:^[6]

"Mrs. R. Patterson, the aged mother of Capt. W. E. Pope, died at the residence of Mrs. N. Smith on North Market street about six o'clock last Tuesday afternoon, her death being brought on by a complication of diseases incidental to old age. Deceased, who had been an invalid for quite a while before her death, was a most estimable Christian lady and enjoyed the friendship and affection of all who knew her.

The funeral occurred at the First Presbyterian church at three o'clock Tuesday afternoon, being conducted by the pastor, Rev. Dunbar H. Ogdeo. The pall bearers were Messers. J. A. Neilson, W. D. Humphries, S. B. Street, J. P. Wingo, L. Walburg, J. W. Irwin."

Rianna was buried in Friendship Cemetery in Columbus, Mississippi.^[7]

Research Notes

No marriage records have turned up for Rianna and her (believed) husband, William Patterson. She used the last name Patterson, and in the 1900 census, listed herself as being widowed after 64 years of marriage--but where was William Patterson during those 64 years? According to family legend, William's middle name was Blair, and he might have been an attorney--but this is unsourced and unproven. William's parents are not known.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M4LX-HXT : 4 April 2020), Roena Patterson, Monroe county, Monroe, Mississippi, United States; citing family 653, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M6GV-JVX : 19 March 2020), R Patterson in entry for Mary J Abbot, 1860.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} "United States Census, 1870", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MFSF-6QY : 19 March 2020), R Patterson, 1870.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M4G2-N5Q : 22 August 2017), Rianna Patterson in household of William E Pope, Columbus, Lowndes, Mississippi, United States; citing enumeration district ED 98, sheet 223B, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm 1,254,655.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M9XX-W9F : accessed 16 August 2020), Marianna Patterson in household of William Pope, Beat 2 Columbus city Ward 1-2, 5-6, Lowndes, Mississippi, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 58, sheet 18A, family 388, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,240,818.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} The Columbus commercial. (Columbus, Miss.), 05 Jan. 1904. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn87065028/1904-01-05/ed-1/seq-3/
7. ↑ Find A Grave, database and images (accessed 16 August 2020), memorial page for Rianna Patterson, Find A Grave: Memorial #13093755; Maintained by Find A Grave [no image of gravestone, but a brief obituary is attached].