John Patton Erwin

John Patton Erwin was born on January 8, 1795, in Wilkes County, North Carolina. His father was Col. Andrew Erwin, a land speculator, and his mother, Jane Patton. He had nine siblings. His brothers-in-law included John Williams, U.S. Senator from Tennessee, Lewis Williams, a U.S. Representative from North Carolina, and Thomas Lanier Williams, Justice of the Tennessee Supreme Court. ==Career==

In 1817, he became an alderman in Nashville and in 1820 he was admitted to the bar. He also served as Principal Clerk of the Tennessee House of Representatives as well as editor of the Nashville Whig. He was opposed to Andrew Jackson. Later, he served as Cashier at the Yeatman & Woods Bank. In 1830, he became Justice of the Peace for two terms. From 1834 to 1835, he served as Mayor of Nashville a second time. ==Personal life==

He married Frances Lanier Williams (1796–1872), a member of the Lanier family, in 1815. They had four daughters, Ellen, Mary Caroline, Rebecca and Amelia. In his last years, he was paralyzed. In 1831, he bought the "Buena Vista" mansion. ==Death and legacy==

He died on August 27, 1857, and he is buried in the Nashville City Cemetery. After his death, his widow sold them "Buena Vista" mansion to the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia. ==References==