Mathew Paterson b. 1816

Sspatt:

I assume your ancestors were Church of Ireland? I searched for a marriage record for this couple with no success. Starting in 1845, non-Roman Catholic marriages were supposed to be civilly registered yet I did not see a reocrd on the free site www.irishgenealogy.ie

I also did not find any baptismal records for the children. civil registration of births began in 1864.

Likely the events took place in a parish where records are not available. Many of the Church of Ireland pre-1870 records were lost in the Public Records Office fire in 1922. There is also the possibility that the records are held locally or at the Representative Church Library in Dublin. However, until we determine the parish, we can't know for sure whether records are still available.

You may want to consider DNA testing. You may get matches with third cousins who have more info on the origins of the family in Ireland.

Roger McDonnell

Thank you for checking. My husband has done a DNA test. There is one link to another Patterson (4th cousin) though he has no tree linked to his DNA. We've been unsuccessful getting in touch. 
I am starting to wonder if our Patterson's came from Scotland, moving through Ireland, as some census records state they are Scottish and others say Irish. My husband is 39% Scottish and only 8% Irish. Mathew's children's place of birth is Ireland and the immigration year is 1880 according to the 1920 census. However, Mathew's obituary states that his children brought him over from Ireland in 1877 which would mean they are already in the states prior to 1877. The 1900 census states place of birth as Scotland. There are many other discrepancies among official records. My husband, his father and grandfather all have the middle name of Synyard which is the maiden name of Mathew's wife according to his son, John Ross Patterson's marriage license. I have found no record of her anywhere else. We will keep digging and hope for something to turn up. Thanks again.