The Patterson Watch

One of my most prized family possessions along with the family bibles is the “Patterson Watch.” This gold pocket watch was purchased in 1836 by my 3rd great grandfather, Augustine “Gus” Little Patterson. It has descended to each subsequent generation and is still in perfect working order.

The Patterson Watch

Inside the back case are a series of inscriptions listing the watch’s history and ownership.

This watch
purchased in 1836 by
Augustine Little Patterson
Born February 1, 1815
Died July 24, 1897
and descended to present
owner in direct line.
Nellie Patterson Little
Born December 10, 1857
Died February 5, 1948
Augustine Patterson Little
Born April 15, 1891
Died July 13, 1971
Augustine Patterson Little, Jr
Born Nov 17, 1914
Died Aug 28, 1944
Augustine Patterson Little III
Born Feb 13, 1939
Died Oct 19, 1998

David Patterson Little
Born (living)
Conor Patterson Little
Born (living)


The Owners

Gus Patterson

Augustine “Gus” Little Patterson

1815-1897

Nellie Paterson Little

Eleanor “Nellie” Patterson Little

1858-1948

Gus Little

Augustine “Gus” Patterson Little

1891-1971

Pat Little

Augustine Patterson “Pat” Little, Jr.

1914-1944

Pat Little

Augustine Patterson “Pat” Little III

1939-1998

David Little

David Patterson Little

Living

Conor Little

Conor Patterson Little

Living

Children of Louisville

Going through old family photos I found these two of my great-grandfather and his friends from the end of the 19th century in Louisville, Ga.

One Cent Band
The Ebenezer ARP Church One Cent Band around 1896

The One Cent Band was the youth group at the Ebenezer ARP Church in Wrens, Ga.

  1. Fannie Whigham
  2. Emma Little
  3. Bob Barron
  4. Albert Stone
  5. Emily Mills
  6. Augustine Patterson Little
  7. Spencer Mills

  1. Marguerita Hopkins
  2. Susie Mills
  3. Henry Hopkins
  4. Eleanor Little Patterson Little
  5. Louisa Mary Wright
  6. Edith Little
  7. Ruth Abbot
  1. Robert Mills
  2. Mary Mills
  3. Malcolm Edgeworth Little
  4. Louise Stone
  5. Nell Barron

Louisville Class Picture 1898
Louisville Class Picture 1898
  1. Miss Mary Lizzie Breeden
  2. Wright Abbot
  3. Leslie W. Murphy
  4. Fred Murphy
  5. Willie Rhodes
  6. Augustine Patterson Little
  7. Spencer Mills
  8. Malcolm Edgeworth Little
  1. Robert Mills
  2. Hill Hudson
  3. Mary Phillips (Tinkler)
  4. Louisa Mary Wright
  5. Julia Battey Warren (Yearns)
  6. Ruth Abbot (Burton)
  7. Harriet Lucille Gamble (Thompson)
  8. Bess White
  1. Jane Marion Kelley (Pilcher)
  2. Phillips Abbot
  3. Margueretta Hunter Gamble (Nininger)
  4. Nell Barron
  5. Marie Farmer
  6. Screven Farmer
  7. Mary Louise Stone (McLain)

James Cain Little

James Cain “Jimmy” LITTLE was born on 7 Feb 1846 in Louisville, Jefferson, GA. The Little family had been in the area around Louisville and Queensborough since the early 1700’s. They were Ulster-Scots originally from the Borders of Scotland and came to Georgia to raise cattle and farm.

As a boy, he lived on his father’s farm in Louisville and enlisted on 4 Aug 1863 in the Confederate cavalry. He served as a private in Company F of the 8th Regiment Georgia Cavalry, Deering’s Brigade. On returning home he joined a mercantile company in Louisville and swore an oath of allegiance to the United Sates following the Reconstruction Acts of 1867 and qualified to register to vote on 18 Jul 1867.

In Feb 1904 James founded Little & Clark Company, a mercantile concern, in Louisville with his long-time friend Samuel Clark. This grew to be the largest mercantile house in Jefferson County.

He also maintained a large farm and was the founder and first President of the Louisville & Wadley Railroad.

He was a member of the Ebenezer Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in Wrens, Georgia, and was known to be very pious. He would not even allow a paper to be delivered to his home on Sunday. He died on 5 Nov 1917 and is buried at Ebenezer ARP Church.

James was married twice. First to Mary Virginia “Jennie” Fleming from Columbus, Ga on 9 May 1872. Together they had eight children but Jennie died young in 1886.

Nellie Paterson Little

Jimmy then married Eleanor “Nellie” Little Patterson (yep, her full name was Eleanor Little Patterson Little … they were actually second cousins … and why my father always said “we didn’t have a family tree as much as a family grapevine”). Together they had six more children. Nellie passed away in 1948, thirty-one years after Jimmy.

The Grand Order of Naughty Nobodies

My cousin recently sent me this photo of my great-grandmother, Laura Landrum Lee Little, and her friends. We believe it was taken when she was at Bessie Tift College around 1910. I am hoping to find descendants of any of these woman and perhaps more information about this self-described “Grand Order of Naughty Nobodies.”

Grand Order of Naughty Nobodies
Reverse of the photo

The names written on the reverse are as follows …

Grand Order of Naughty Nobodies

Top Row: left to right

  1. Frances Carswell, Waycross, Ga.
  2. Marie Green, Waynesboro, Ga.
  3. Mae Tweedy, Dawson (?), Ga.
  4. Janie Hill, Greenville, Ga.
  5. Ensie (?) Martin, Newnan, Ga.
  6. Laura Lee [my great-grandmother]
  7. Pearle Hall, Leesburg, Ga.

Bottom Row: left to right

  1. Katie Will McNealy, Buena Vista, Ga.
  2. Jennie (?) Thompson, Decatur, Ga.
  3. Sue Cates, Waynesboro, Ga.
  4. Marguerite Montfort, Reynolds (?) Ga.
  5. Nelle Cruson (?) Newnan, Ga.
  6. Adela Thomas, Valdosta, Ga.