EARLY HISTORY - The Kilpatrick/Kirkpatrick family dates back to 860 A.D. in the Country of Albin, or, as it was later named, Scotland.  The old castle took its name, Closeburn, from Clota near the source of the river Clyde, where the founder of the family was born sometime during the reign of King Donald I who took the throne in the year 860 A.D. The name originated in this manner:

Donald Kirk was a soldier in the King's Service and noted for his fearless deeds.  He had, one day, saved the life of Donald I. The king rewarded him with a large estate of land in Dumfriesshire.  Since Kirk means church, a lot of people in the area had this name.  Donald, wanting to be a chieftain in his King's Service, wanted a more impressive name. His mother was of Irish descent and her maiden name was Patrick.  He conceived the idea of combining his father's name, Kirk, with his mother's name, Patrick, to become Kirkpatrick . . . thus, honoring both his father and mother.

History further states that Donald had a son or grandson named Ivone who lived on the estate granted to Donald by the king.  It is said that Ivone's son, Roger Kirkpatrick, was engaged with Sir William Wallace in an effort to drive out of Scotland the roving bands of English troopers murdering innocent women and children and burning and destroying everything in their path.  During this time, his father and mother were murdered and their house burned.  Roger made a vow to his brothers and sisters that he would avenge the murder of his parents.  With the murder of his father, the young Roger assumed the title and inherited the estate.

In 1232 A.D. the Kilpatrick/Kirkpatrick coat-of-arms was authorized by King Alexander II of Scotland.  The crest of the coat-of-arms, a hand holding a dagger dripping with blood represents the instrument used by Sir Roger Kirkpatrick when he went to the Church of Grey Friars and killed the tyrant Comyn, thus ending his rule and saved Scotland for King Robert the Bruce.  The motto on the coat-of-arms, "I Make Sure" also refers to this same circumstance, meaning, of course, that he had made sure that Scotland's arch enemy was dead.

In this family, it is said the names were spelled according to their profession:

Kilpatrick denoted the soldiers, warriors.
Fitzpatrick denoted doctors, lawyers.
Kirkpatrick denoted the ministers. clergy. etc.

COMMENTARY by James W. Howard, Sr. -  My great-great-great-great grandfather was Joseph Milton.  It seems he used both names, Kilpatrick and Kirkpatrick.  He was born about 1766 and the first documented record found is his marriage to Martha Harrison (8-4-1789) in Rutherfordton, North Carolina.  He used the name Kilpatrick on the license.  They moved to Chester County, South Carolina and then about 1808-1810 to Haywood County, North Carolina.

There he bought land and used the name Kirkpatrick.  He died there and was buried at Mount Zion Methodist Church as a Kirkpatrick.  Joseph and Martha had 10 children, 8 boys and 2 girls.  Five of his boys used the name Kilpatrick and three the Kirkpatrick name.  Their fifth child, Balis Jackson, was my great-great-great grandfather who married Mary Plott (or Hunter).

COMMENTARY by Shirley B. Keasler Reed - Nobody knows for sure when Joseph Milton Kilpatrick died.  He was on the census (1850) with his son Silas Fain in Haywood County.  Martha was not. In 1840, Joseph was in Union County, Georgia, and Martha was living then.  Unknown whether she died in Georgia or in North Carolina.  Old Joseph's tombstone was unreadable, broken or something; so, many years ago Handy Kilpatrick put up a new one,  but he could not remember Joseph's date of death, so he just guessed at it.