Ann Cornwell Patten History

ANN CORNWELL PATTEN

         Ann was born in New Castle, Delaware 8 September 1774, and two years before the Revolutionary War began. She married John Patten in 1796, at Chester, Pennsylvania.

She was the mother of at least three children. William Cornwell Patten, Christiana Gray, and Ann White. Her husband John died about 1830. Her son William Cornwell married twice in Pennsylvania, first to Elizabeth Cooper who died at childbirth after having a daughter and then Juliannah Bench who died giving birth to her third child who also died with her. When Juliannah died Ann helped William take care of the three little children. Mary Ann (by Elizabeth Cooper) was thirteen, George was seven and Ann was four. She evidently continued taking care of William’s children until his marriage to his third wife, Jane Crouse, in Nauvoo.

According to the early Membership Records of the Church, Ann was baptized 13 May 1838 when the first missionaries came into the Chester Co. and Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania area. There is conflicting information as to when her son William Cornwell was baptized, some records stating 1838/9 others 1841. So Ann either was baptized several months before her son William or at the same time. Because the history of George Patten was about his life and his accomplishments, it did not mention his wife Mary Jane nor his grandmother and their influence of his life. Many of the records of the Patten Family did not recognize Ann as having joined the church but we find her on the Nauvoo Ward records where she is baptized for her mother and father, her husband and daughter Ann White. (A female being baptized for a male was incorrect so the ordinance had to be done over again later but because of this error we do identify Ann in Nauvoo). She had a patriarchal blessing given to her by John Smith on 20 Jan 1845.

It is important for us to pay tribute to Ann because of her diligence and also because she may have been the first instrument for the Patten Family’s church affiliation.

The 1850 census of Deseret, Salt Lake City has Thomas Gray age 27, joiner, born PA; Christiana age 29 PA; Charles age 9 MO; and Ann Patten age 72 born Delaware. When William Cornwell reports in his history that he goes to St. Louis to work to earn the money to come west and stays with a sister, it is Christiana Gray. What happens to Ann after the census is taken is not known. She may have died soon after and it is reported Thomas and Christiana go on to CA. Ann was a faithful member of the Church from the time she was baptized until her death and needs to be recognized.