The phrase "in the room of" was a common expression meaning "in place of", (Paul Drake. What Did They Mean By That?: A Dictionary of Historical Terms for Genealogists. Bowie, MD: Heritage Books, Inc., 1994. p. 118.) which infers that Patrick had been a surveyor up to this point. The primary fact to consider here, however, is that Patrick was 69 years old in 1753. (REF: 1683/84) Undoubtedly, he had not been up to the rigor of being a surveyor in Colonial America for some time. This leads one to believe that this entry actually refers to Patrick, Jr.