What started out as an off-hand remark by James Fleming of St. Johnson, Donegal has got me doing some serious thinking. He told John and I a story passed down by his mama about a cigar factory which operated in the 1700's on a spot near his engineering plant. Was this just a bit of local lore or did the story have "legs"? Another fellow from the Scotch-Irish list e-mailed me about his Thompson ancestors and indicated that they were always around the Pattons and that one of the Patton boys was involved in the shipping of tobacco. I consulted my first edition, signed copy of Howard McKnight Wilson's "Tinkling Spring: Headwater of Freedom" and found the following: "William Patton appears as early as 1626 as Rector of the Parishes of Ramoigh, Aughanish, and Clonmany, Diocese of RAPHOE (pronounced Ra-fo with accent on the fo), county Donegal, Ireland. He was the progenitor of the Irish branch of the Patton family. William Patton's grandson, Henry Patton, Esq. only son of Henry Patton, Sr., married Sarah Lynn, almost certainly of the Lynn family seated in county Donegal, Ulster, an ancient and prominent English family. James Patton, born 1692, was the fourth son of the younger Henry Patton and Sarah Lynn Patton. His sister was Mrs. John Preston. For his services to the King, Henry was awarded the Manor of Springfield, Parish of Clondevaddock, Barony of Kilmacrenan, county Donegal. This estate adjoined the "Croghan" estate of his father, Henry Patton, Sr. In accordance with frequent custom in the case of younger sons in that period, James Patton was placed at an early age in the Royal Navy and is said to have taken part in the War with France known as "Queen Anne's War." In the period of quiet after the Treaty of Utrecht James Patton resigned the service and engaged in PRIVATE SHIPPING enterprises. His title of Captain evidently came from his service as a shipmaster, for the Royal Navy's list of officers does not include his name. He married Miss Osborne during this time and is said to have resided either a t Kirkcudbright, Scotland or Whitehaven, county Cumberland, England. From both of these ports a growing trade was developing with the British settlements in North America, and especially the Colony of Virginia where exports of tobacco had early in its history caused it to be dubbed "The Tobacco Kingdom." How many trips Patton made to America is a matter of speculation but the facts remain: Here is a guy whose family is from Raphoe parish doing private shipping trade in tobacco at the same time a cigar factory existed in his own back yard. Imagine that. Patton and Preston are important names closely associated with many of us. They located in one of the settlements adjacent to the tinkling spring and were among those who in the fall of 1738 formed the Triple Forks of the Shenando Congregation-the southern section of which later became the Tinkling Spring Meeting House where these two families were outstanding leaders." Patton and Preston chartered the "Walpole" to carry out their part of the joint venture with William Beverley. During the sailing season of the following spring, the "Walpole" voyaged back to Great Britain under a different master, carrying a cargo of ninety-five hogsheads of tobacco. Regards, Robert Cowan Marlboro Man