Patras, born in Grenoble, Isère, France, was a nephew of governor Abraham Patras. In 1729 and under the advice of his uncle, Abraham Patras, Anthony was sent to Geneva to study. He left Geneva for Amsterdam in December 1733. In 1734 Anthony arrived in Batavia in the Dutch East Indies. When his uncle, the governor, died in 1737 the young man inherited his immense fortune, the collection of books, and art. In 1738 he married a daughter of Isaac van Schinne, member of the Council of India. After the 1740 Batavia massacre he returned to the Dutch Republic. In 1743 he tried to become a member of Sloten's vroedschap, which refused to appoint him. After two years he suddenly became burgomaster of the Frisian town, succeeding Onno Zwier van Haren. He was a States General representative for this small city until his early death. (In Wijckel he bought which was built for Menno van Coehoorn.) Patras died early and probably hardly lived in his new house on Lange Voorhout. His widow was forced to sell the property in 1778 and in the next years it had three different owners.