The Patton's - Family Crest

I know that the Patton family lived in our house for about 70 years - it could have been longer, as we don't know anything prior to 1819 (200 years ago this year!)


I have read mention of members of the family in Bishops Hull prior to 1819 but I don't know if that was in this house or just in the area.


Andy bought me a metal detector and I found a button in the garden believed to be from a servants coat - and it shows the family crest - but you can hardly see the image.  It looked like an eagle - similar to the one that used to be on top of our front porch but was moved to next door - when the house was built and called Eagle House (not by the Pattons, but by the next family: The Waterfields)


So - I found the family crest!


 Patton Family Crest


This came from - https://coadb.com/surnames/patton-arms.html


There were 4 different Patton crests - but the one above said - Stoke Court/Bishops Hall Crest.  As the pattons that lived here also owned Stoke court - I am 100% convinced this is correct.  On the same website I found the following info (which I haven't checked against the family tree I have but it all sounds about right!)


Patton of Clayton Priory

General Walter Douglas Phillipps of Clayton Priory county Sussex was born in 1821 and he was Colonel of the 74th Highlanders, a Knight of Medjidie, and a Brigadier-General in Burmah. He was succeeded his father in 1876 and in 1855, he married Julia, daughter of Sir Howard Elphinstone and five children with her: Walter Denman Elphinstone (1859), Herbert Bethune (born 1860, 2nd Lieutenant 3rd Hussars), Douglas Elphinstone Bethune, Julia Elphinstone, and Anne Florence Louisa Mary Bethune. Burke traces the lineage of Patton genealogy to Colonel Henry Patton of the 6th Royal Regiment of Clatto in county Fide, the eldest surviving son of Andrew Patton, Esquire of Springfield in Donegal (the family gained lands there generations prior for displaying valour in battle). In 1747, he married Mary, daughter and heiress of Henry Bethune of Clatto and Nydie, and he had issue with her. His son was James Susannau Patton, Esq. of Clatto in county Fife and of Priory, Lichfield who was Justice of the Peace and Deputy Lieutenant who was born in 1753. He was Major in the 93rd Highlanders and Colonel Staffordshire Volunteers who, in 1780, married Merrial, daughter of Thomas Docksey of Snetsone, and had the following issue with her: Henry (born 1780, Lieutenant 1st Royals), Peter (born 1783, Captain Royal Engineers), James (born 1791, served in Royal Navy), Thomas (of Bishop’s Hall), Richard (married Hannah Cullen), John (born 1793, member of Royal Navy), Maria Elizabeth, Susan, Mary (married Lieutenant-Colonel Elliott), Merrial (married a member of the Dodson family), Emma (married Reverend Richard Winsloe), Charlotte (married Sir William Palmer). He died in 1812 and was succeeded by his son Thomas Patton of Bishop’s Hull and Stoke Court, Somerset, who was born in 1792 and became a Commander in the British Royal Navy. In 1819, he married Matilda, daughter of Reverend Richard Winsloe, and had nine children with her: Walter Douglas Phillipps, Herbert Winsloe (born 1823, Captain in the British Royal Army, married Mary, daughter of Charles Gifford), Henry Bethune (born 1834, married Clara Fripp, was Justice of the Peace, Captain of 27th Inniskillings), Lionel Thomas (born 1839, Captain in the 2nd Somerset Militia, married Annette Isaac), Aubrey de Lisle (born 1841, Captain 14thRegiment, married Agnes, daughter of William Corbett, Esq.), Emma Matilda (married Lieutenant Colonel Rawlins), Clara Agnes, Matilda Winsloe (married Cranstoun Adams), and Isabella (married Theobald Walsh). The Patton Coat of Arms (erroneously referred to as the Patton Family Crest) was blazoned in heraldry as follows: Azure, a sword argent hilted or, between three crescents of the second. Crest: A hawk argent.

Some history of Bishops Hull House (to be continued)

We bought Bishops Hull House last may (2017) and I did quite a bit of research about it and the people that have lived here.

The house was build in the late 1700's but we can't be exact...I have only found mention of the house from about 1819 when the Pattons lived here.  It was Thomas Patton (1792-1876) and his wife Matilda Patton (1799-1889).  They had nine children whilst living here...they were:

Emma (1820-1893)
Walter (1821-1901)
Herbert (1823-?)
Clara (1825-1909)
Matilda (1823-1913)
Isabel (1830-1892)
Henry (1835-1915)
Thomas (1839-1925)
Aubrey (1841-1916)

I could not find any portraits or paintings or any of these people, however when Clara got older she had her portrait taken and I found reference to it at the National Portrait gallery - so I got in touch and they developed the negative for me.  So...here is Clara:

This is quite lengthy - but I found this from Stoke St Mary historical records:

THOMAS PATTON                   DESCRIPTION OF THOMAS PATTON,

Thomas Patton, lived at Bishops Hull but bought the Stoke House and Stoke Court estate, and whose son was Brigadier General Henry Bethune Patton of Stoke Court.  This description of Thomas Patton written by his grandson.

Thomas Patton lived quietly and unobtrusively at Bishops Hull about two miles from Taunton during many long years.  He died in 1876 and I remember him as a simple and very kindly old man, whom, after so long an experience of him, the neighbourhood regarded with sincere affection.

Details of his early life might be interesting, but are not to hand.  His name still appears about once a year in the Birth, Marriage and Death columns of the Press and here he is usually described as “The late Captain Patton, RN, JP”.

To the best of my belief both these statements are inaccurate; but he was a lieutenant or lieutenant-commander in the Navy.  He told us that when he set out on his first voyage as a midshipman in November 1805 – his ship met the Victory returning from Trafalgar with Nelson’s body on board.  He saw service in the Napoleonic wars and after a naval engagement at Mauritius, was captured by the French;  they did not ill treat him, but made him cook for them.

He must have retired from the Service early, as he married in 1819 and settled down at Bishops Hull House where his nine children were born, and his wife died in 1889.  My grandmother once told me that when he called to propose to her (at Bishops Hull) he was dressed in a blue swallow-tale coat with brass buttons and white duck trousers.

One little incident in connection with him I may relate; it shows how many miles we are from the paternal influences which used to prevail in English villages.  

Very early on a bright morning in summer Mr Patton, looking forth from his bedroom window, espied a couple of boys busily grabbing apples from his trees.  He hastened down, and identified them. After considering the matter from the point of view of justice and mercy, he gave them a choice of penalties.  Either they were to face the rigours of the police court, or they were to stand for an hour or two secured to the church gate, labelled with a card which published their offence. They chose the latter alternative and the announcement runs somewhat thus:  “These naughty boys were caught stealing apples at 5 am (or whatever the time was) this morning in Mr Patton’s orchard”.  “ I can see them standing there now,” said my father when he told me about it.  

As I have said, he remained plain Thomas Patton, although possessing abundant wealth with which to distinguish himself if he had so desired.  Certainly he knew nothing of the hyphenated Scotticism with which some of us are decorated.  Who the original Bethune (pronounced Bee-ton) was I have not been able to ascertain.  It is certainly an old and pleasant name.

There was a Mary Beton (spelling ad lib)

And Mary Seton

And Mary Carmichael

And me

And there was the ill-fated Cardinal Beaton of James IV’s time.  But these will not serve as ancestors.  Nor can it be suggested that we ever dwelt in the now well-known little place in France called Bethune.  All I know is that in 1747 Mr Patton’s grandfather marked a Miss Bethune.  This lady was a considerable heiress, but the will under which the property would have passed to her descendants was successfully contested in the Courts of Edinburgh in 1815.  The family dwelt for many years at Clatter in Fifeshire and being Scotch, was presumably quite respectable.

Perhaps the fact most worthy of record is that three of Thomas Patton’s brothers – Henry, Peter and James – died in the service of their country during the Napoleonic wars.

Old Mrs Patton, as she was generally called lived in the house at Bishops Hull for at least seventy years, and few indeed were the days when she might not have been found at home.  She never took the slightest interest in anything beyond her home and children.  She was a member of the Winsloe family.  Her father was vicar of Ruishton, Taunton and her brother, Richard Winsloe was the father of Lady Tennant and grandfather of Admiral Sir Alfred Winsloe, of Lord Glenconner and of Miss Tennant who is now Mrs Asquith.  She was a niece of Mr Walter MP the original proprietor of The times and from him she inherited a large interest in the great paper.

Old Mr and Mrs Patton spent many happy years in Bishops Hull, singularly prosperous and free from trouble.  Their children nearly all did well.  Their eldest son gained some distinction in the Crimean and other wars, and became a General and Honorary Colonel of his regiment, the 74th Highlanders.  The second son, Herbert, died in the Crimea. The third son, after seeing service in the Indian Mutiny, devoted himself with remarkable keenness to the organisation of the Auxiliary Forces of West Somerset for about fifty years.  His efforts were recognised and he received the local rank of Brigadier General and was made a CB.  In his eightieth and last year he was fervently addressing recruiting meetings in view of the outbreak of the Great War.  The daughters were happily married to good men of their own position in the upper middle class.

To the father and mother wealth came very easily, and they bought many houses and lands in the village and beyond.  The extensive property at Stoke St Mary was purchased by the old man from Prebendary Smith of whom something is said elsewhere in these pages.  They met one day in the road, and hastily struck a bargain.  Mr Patton repented immediately, but the clergyman had been sharp enough to secure five shillings in part payment and this of course rendered the agreement binding.  And so for many years various members of the family have lived in the houses at Stoke, and the old people and some of their children lie in the churchyard there.  

I find the above - fascinating.  It is amazing knowing something about the people that lived in our house.

Matilda Patton, was the longest living resident of Bishops Hull at the time of her death.

The house had many acres originally, with orchards, vegetable garden, stables, tennis court and croquet lawn.  It would have stood quite alone and would have looked very grand and impressive (it still looks impressive!).  The census showed that they had maids and a butler (about 5 members of staff).