Both Uses of

patron
in
The Mill on the Floss

And I'd take you in, if I saw you swimming," he added, in the tone of a benevolent patron.†
Chpt 1.6

But older even than this old hall is perhaps the bit of wall now built into the belfry of the parish church, and said to be a remnant of the original chapel dedicated to St. Ogg, the patron saint of this ancient town, of whose history I possess several manuscript versions.†
Chpt 1.12 *

patron saint = saint who supports or looks after

Definitions:

(1) (patron as in: a patron of the arts)
a regular customer; or someone who gives money or support to an organization, cause, or person
(2) (meaning too rare to warrant focus)
meaning too rare to warrant focus:

In ancient Roman history, patron referred to the more powerful person in a complex client-patron relationship. The term is still used in some cultures today to describe a property owner who is in charge of workers.

Also see patron saint.

Much more rarely, a patron is the proprietor of an inn.