The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-04-23
Tobacco Magnate Left
Estate to Wife and
Six Children.
PROPERTY WORTH
NEARLY A MILLION
Document Drawn in 1901 Adj
mitted to Probate in Henrico,
A. w. Patterson Qualifying
as Sole Executor Under
Bond Of $500, ooo-Left
Valuable Real Estate.

The will of Dr. r. A. Patterson. be-
uueathlns fortune conservatively cs-
timatsd at $4,000 10 his wife and six
children, was admitted TO PROBATE yes.
terday morning in the Circui, Court Of
Henrico county. The tcstator named
his two sons r.. Fuller Patterson and
a. w. Patterson. executors, but Il. Full.
Ter Patterson, be.ag in bad health. de.
clIned 10 serve, and a. w. Patterson
qualified as sole executor b. furnishing
bond IN the sum OF 100000.
The home place OF the Puttersons,
"Reveille.' consisting OF seventy
acres, is not "a part OF the estate 10
pass By tho Will, having been settled by
Dr. Patterson many years ago upon his
wife and six children. The value OF
"kevsil!e' is approximately 100000.
which brings inc total OF DR. Patter-
sons fortune TO 5i,U0G goo or more.
Children share E1uulI..
The estate is made UP OF about ono.
half or more real estate holdings IN
Iicnrico. Chesterfield aud Richmond.
and tho other hal; 81 persona. prop
crty. By tho terms of the Will the tes-
tator dev!scs and hequeathes TO his
wife. in addition to her interest IN
''Raveille." her dover interest in his
real estate holdings aud her widow's
share of his personal property in ici
simple. The residue OF the estate Is
divided equally among the six children
r. Fuller, j. r.. Malvern e.. W. T.,
Elizabeth O. and =. W. Patterson on
her death Mrs Patterson dover ia
tercst in tho real estate rcverts TO the
estate proper. but ne: widows interest
In the personal property becomes hers.
70 be passed on - her own children.
MIS- Patterson receives the larger share
OF the estate. approximately 100000 OF
which amount $4,000 will on her
death revert to the estate for division
among the sI% children.
VIII Drawn In 1901.
The will was drawn b., a r. Court
nay on December -. 1901. and wit
ncy. II appears to be unquestionabiy
the last will and testament ana al
though during recent years Or Pat
tcrsOn suffered some brain ansction. IL
IS believed that the document was
signed while he Was yet in full pos
session OF his faculties, The VIII.
though containing no codic!ls, Is
rather lengthy document anu is com
posed of great number of clauses
The length OF the Will Is due mainly to
the fact that there were seven heirs.
among whom the inheritance had - be
evenly appoTtioned His four children
by his first wife and the two from nis
second marriage were treated oil the
same terms in the Will.
Estimates as to the value OF the Pat
terson estate are necessarily snecula-
tive 10 great extent. as SO mucn OF
the property is in real estate. In
statement given out yesterday by Pros
ton Cooke. OF the law iirn OF Meredith
G. Cooke. II was avcrred that the real
estate would be worth not less than
$500. o0Q-eXclusive OF "Reveille," of
course-but 1t is understood tina, this
estimate is based upon the ASSESSED
valuation OF the realty 70! taxation.
May Rcach $i,0oO.OOo.
1t Is more probable that the value
OF the estate which passed by will Is
nearer 100000 than 100000 Tile
bulk of the real estate holdings of DR..
Patterson are in Hcnrico county lands
situated on In = Cary Street Road, just
beyond the city limits. although hc
owned extensive property in Richmond
and Chesterfield. One single holding.
the land adjoining "Eeveill.,' is csti-
mated TO be worth about $500, 900 be-
ing In the line of western development
of the city. The assessed valuation OF.
his entire real estate holdings is only
bout SG5c00o. so 1t will he aeen chat
the actual value OF his realty viii be
nearly double It's assessed value
Romantic Life story.
The life story of Dr. Patterson is
thu romance OF man who built up
O great fortune with a capital of
brains and grit His achievement of
success was particularly remarkable
because he lost one fortune during the
Civil War. and was forced 10 make u
fresh start when the conflict came to
an end and he was mustered out OF
the Confederate ranks. He was born
In Caroline county, Va, March II, 1926
into a family which was in very mod
crate circumstances. His father moved
to a farm, which Is now Wasthamp-
ton. in 1894. and died suddenly the
following year. After very meagre
training in an "old field" school. Dr.
Patterson entered the medical depart
ment of IIampden Sidney ColIege, ut
the age of twenty. being graduated in
His rise from an obscure country
boy to the head of one of the greatest
tobacc> concerns IN America began in
1850, whan he gave up the pursuit of
his chosen profession to enter the to-
bacco business with James Thomas.
Jr.. In Richmond. He married Miss
Margarc, l.. Courtney in 1851. Out
growing his first undertaking. Dr.
Patterson Joined hands with Thomas
C. Williams in 1853 In an independent
tobacco manufacturing venture, fast
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