

Christopher Patterson, M.D., was born in North- 

 umberland Co., England, on the river Tyne, Nov. 22, 1819. 



His father, Boger Patterson, was also a native of Eng- 

 land ; married Ann Pegg, and with his family of six chil- 

 dren — Joseph, Edward, John, Mrs. Clute, Christopher, and 

 Mrs. Norris Markham — emigrated to America in 1825, and 

 settled in Otsego County, where they remained four years, 

 and removed to Steuben County, settling in South Dans- 

 ville in 1829. 



From boyhood, Mr. Patterson, senior, followed the life 

 of a shepherd, but on coming to this country became a 

 farmer, which he followed until his death, which occurred 

 in 1852, at the age of eighty-four. His wife still survives, 

 and resides on the farm where they first settled in Dans- 

 ville, being now the oldest resident of the town, and in her 

 eighty-ninth year. One son, Eoger, was born in this 

 country, and died at the age of nineteen. 



Dr. Patterson received during his minority a good edu- 

 cation. At the age of twenty he became a teacher, which 

 he followed for five years, his last term being as a teacher 

 in Howard Academy. In 1844 he entered the office of 

 Dr. Bowen, of South Dansville, as a student of medicine, 

 remaining only one winter, followed by three years as a 

 student with Dr. A. B. Case, of Howard. His lecture 

 course was at Geneva Medical College, where he was grad- 

 uated M.D. in 1848, and settled in Steuben Co., Indiana, 

 where he practiced his profession for four years, and re- 

 turned to this county, Dansville, and was in practice 

 two years. 



In 1854 he married Matilda, daughter of William J. 



and Polly Neally, of Bath, this county. Her father and 

 grandfather came to this county in 1812, settling near 

 Kanona, and hence were among the pioneers of that part 

 of the county. She was born in the town of Bath in 1820, 

 and on the place where her father first settled on coming to 

 this county, and where he died, Jan. 18, 1858, aged sixty- 

 nine. Her mother died at the age of sixty-seven, Jan- 

 uary, 1866. 



Soon after his marriage. Dr. Patterson settled in Avoca 

 as a practicing physcian, and has remained here continuously 

 in practice, with little exception, until the present time. 



As early as 1845, before his graduation. Dr. Patterson 

 received a license to practice medicine from the Board of 

 Censors of the Steuben County Medical Society, and since 

 which time he has been a member of that society, being its 

 president for one year, and one of the examining board for 

 two years. 



His professional career for most of the time has been one 

 of constant labor and care, and marked with such activity 

 and exposure as to somewhat impair his health during his 

 years of practice. Politically, Dr. Patterson has been an 

 active and interested member of the Whig party and of 

 the Bepublican party until during the late Bebellion, since 

 which time he has been identified with the Democratic 

 party. Not solicitous of public office, he has declined 

 official position, preferring rather the quiet of his profes- 

 sional duties. He is ranked among the skillful, honest physi- 

 cians of Steuben County, possessed of resolution and firm- 

 ness, and a conscientious regard and sympathy for the needy 

 requiring medical assistance, as well as for families of wealth. 



