*****James M. Patterson Abducted from TX by Grandparents!**** *************DESTINATION AND FATE UNKNOWN!************* ******DISTRAUGHT MOTHER NEVER SEES HER CHILD AGAIN!***** ***************REWARD FOR INFORMATION***************** According to DODD folklore, the mother took the child to see his grandparents. When she returned to pick him up, they had moved to parts unknown with him, and she never saw him again. Only recently have we discovered his name and his whereabouts in 1870. We still do not know what happened to him. He would have been 18 in 1880 and presumably his grandparents in their 60s and 70s, if they were still alive. We have no death nor burial information for them. Is anyone on this list descended from JAMES M. PATTERSON, born in TX, in Sabine Parish in 1870? In the 1870 Census Plesent W. and Matilda Patterson are shown in Sabine Parish with an 8-yr child. This child is the subject of a massive "missing child" hunt by a fairly large group of researchers from three family names: Patterson, Webb (Matilda's maiden name), and Dodd, the child's mother's maiden name. The reward is our gratitude in solving this 130+ year old mystery! Thank you! Anne Webb Nelson

Anne, My name is Wes Patterson, and I recently purchased the entire 1880 US census for $40 on 55 CDs, published by the Mormon Church. Not without error, it is a tremendous resource. I believe I found your James M. Patterson, age 18, in 1880 in Tx. You'll probably need to do some other research to confirm it's the same James M. Patterson, but nonetheless, maybe this will help put you in the right county in 1880. Erath county, Texas, Precinct 8, page 38C of the 1880 census has a FIDCOCK household, where James is a laborer. They are as follows: Census Place: Precinct 8, Erath, Texas Source: FHL Film 1255302 National Archives Film T9-1302 Page 38C Relation Sex Marr Race Age Birthplace Lylee FIDCOCK Self M M W 25 TX Occ: Laborer Fa: MS Mo: MS Ann FIDCOCK Wife F M W 25 TX Occ: Keeping House Fa: TN Mo: GA Pearl FIDCOCK Dau F S W 1 TX Fa: TX Mo: TX Cora FIDCOCK Dau F S W 9M TX Fa: TX Mo: TX J. M. PATTERSON Other M S W 18 TX Occ: Laborer Fa: --- Mo: --- When searching for James you don't find anything that matches, but many of the 1880 census takers just put initials, so this is very likely to be your James M. Patterson. See if you can find any of the surrounding households from this 1880 record in the same area where JM was in Sabine in 1870. He may have travelled with them to Erath county after his grandparents died, perhaps. By the way, Erath county is in central Tx, about 3 counties west of Dallas, and then 1 county south, if that helps. Wes Patterson http://wespatterson.com/gen.html AWNRDC@aol.com wrote: > *****James M. Patterson Abducted from TX by Grandparents!**** > *************DESTINATION AND FATE UNKNOWN!************* > ******DISTRAUGHT MOTHER NEVER SEES HER CHILD AGAIN!***** > ***************REWARD FOR INFORMATION***************** > > According to DODD folklore, the mother took the child to see his > grandparents. When she returned to pick him up, they had moved to parts > unknown with him, and she never saw him again. > > Only recently have we discovered his name and his whereabouts in 1870. We > still do not know what happened to him. He would have been 18 in 1880 and > presumably his grandparents in their 60s and 70s, if they were still alive. > We have no death nor burial information for them. > > Is anyone on this list descended from JAMES M. PATTERSON, born in TX, in > Sabine Parish in 1870? > > In the 1870 Census Plesent W. and Matilda Patterson are shown in Sabine > Parish with an 8-yr child. This child is the subject of a massive "missing > child" hunt by a fairly large group of researchers from three family names: > Patterson, Webb (Matilda's maiden name), and Dodd, the child's mother's > maiden name. > > The reward is our gratitude in solving this 130+ year old mystery! > > Thank you! > > Anne Webb Nelson > > ============================== > Search over 1 Billion names at Ancestry.com! > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/rwlist1.asp