W.D. Bostick
Last Rev. 3/2003
CATHEY
The
earlier generations of the CATHEY family in America is well-researched and
documented. One major source for the
Cathey family is: Cathey Family History and Genealogy Volume I (1700-1900)
by Boyt Henderson Cathey (BHC), 1993.
This brief annotation of information is drawn from this source, “Cathey
Kith and Kin” (Cathey Reunion Organization Newsletter), and other sources as
noted.
Note:
this summary only includes detailed information for the direct descent for our
branch of the family.
Early history of the Catheys, from “Maury County TN
History and Families” (Turner Publ., 1998), pp 221-2: The ancestry of the Maury
County Cathey family goes back to the ancestral home on the island of Colonsay
and Oronsay off the western coast of Scotland.
In 1493, the Cathey family, members of the McFie clan, were driven from
the islands to Galloway and Carrick in the lowlands of Scotland after their
land was taken away by the Scottish Crown.
Between 1611-1618, the Cathey’s migrated to Ulster, North Ireland, after
powerful landlords confiscated their lands.
Mary Cathie Gillis, of Glasgow, Scotland, wrote: “The process was aided
by the English Crown persecution, killing and banishment of many who would not
deny their Presbyterian beliefs.. the Cathey’s took to Ireland and to America,
their religion, their firm belief in a good education, and a character to work
and to prosper..” The Catheys remained
in Ireland 90-100 years before migrating to America.
Edna
Carson Cathey Trotter (Columbia “Daily Herald”, 29-Jul-1971; reprint 1972
“Cathey Kith and Kin”, p. 4) writes: “Tradition says that the Catheys lived on
an island off the coast of Scotland, that they owned two islands and used one
for a burying ground. Later they lived
on the Scottish mainland. They went from Scotland to Ireland, didn’t remain
there long and came to this country soon after 1700. There were possibly four brothers and their families who came
together and settled in Pennsylvania.
The one that we are directly descended from is John Cathey.”
The
Catheys came to County Monaghan, Ireland, from Isle of Colonsay, Scotland,
after the chief of their Clan MacPhie was killed in 1623. Archibald Cathey b. 1660, John Cathey b.
1668, and Alexander Cathey b. 1675, were all born in Monaghan. William
Moorhead, John May, and Samuel Given married some of the children of Arch, John
and Alex. The Catheys emigrated to Lancaster, Pennsylvania about 1720, many of
them moving south to Virginia and North Carolina by 1740. So they could have
lived in Monaghan from about 1625 to 1720.
James
Leyburn wrote an excellent social history, entitled “The Scotch Irish” (UNC
press, 1962). He describes the abject
poverty and lawlessness prevailing in Scotland in the seventeenth century and
earlier. There was much then to induce
the tenent farmers of the Scottish lowlands to emigrate to the Ulster
“Plantation,” established in northern Ireland after 1610. Later religious and poltical turmoil induced
further migration of the Scots Irish to America, beginning in 1717/8. A second, larger wave of Scots Irish
migrated during 1725-1729.
From:
http://www.cagenweb.com/mariposa/cathey.htm
CATHEY
FAMILY CHRONICLE
The
Origins of the Cathey Family Family Name: The derivation of the Cathey family
name is believed to be from the Clan McAfie (Scotland). The Gaelic spelling is
MacDubhSithe" meaning 'Son of the Dark Fairy or Elf'. The ancestral home
of the Macfies was on the Island of Colonsay, off the coast of Scotland. They
were descendants of “low land Scots.” In a rebellion against King Malcomb of
Scotland in 1615, the Chief of the Clan was killed. He was murdered at the
Standing Stone. The lordship of the Isles changed in the fifteenth century. The
name “Macfie” was changed into many different spellings over the years. Our
family kept the Anglo spelling of “Cathey”.
It
is believed many of the Catheys emigrated to Monaghan County, Ulster, Northern
Ireland, perhaps as early as 1611-1618. The Catheys lived there approximately
ninety to one hundred years before immigrating to America. The earliest known
“Cathey” descendant in America was James Cathey, born in Ulster, North Ireland
in 1685. He was a millwright. At the age of thirty-three, he married a woman
known only as “Ann” in 1708. James’ records show that he purchased land in
Cecil, Maryland in 1718 and remained there until 1724.
In
a peace agreement with the Indians, James Cathey was issued 200 acres of land
that was recorded in the Samuel Blunston Register under Thomas Penn in 1732. It
did not take long for the Catheys to learn Virginia and North Carolina were
where they wanted to settle--there was better and cheaper land. They moved
their belongings by wagon and oxen over the Great Wagon Road to the great
valley of Virginia, along the Shenandoah River near Staunton, where they lived
between 1730-1743. James was deeded 1,350 acres by King George II for the sum
of “sixteen pounds, 15 shillings.”
After
leaving Augusta County, West Virginia, a road crosses the Yadkin River leading
to the Irish settlement near Mills Bridge, Salisbury, North Carolina. By 1760,
Salisbury had been settled. James Cathey’s deed shows the Cathey household in
Anson County colony of North Carolina. It was known as the “Cathey Settlement,”
an Irish enclave of fourteen families, ten miles west of Salisbury. The Catheys
were the first English-speaking settlement. Here in the Cathey Settlement,
James was granted 3,752 acres. Soon thereafter, he became ill, and left
one-half of his plantation to his wife, Ann, and one-half to a nephew, John Branden.
Records show that later, his two grandsons were deeded the original mill site.
James knew how important it was for the people of the wilderness to be able to
mill and grind their own grain.
E.
H. Cathey, in the year 2000 edition of “Cathey Kith and Kin Newsletter,” makes
a case that the brothers John and James Cathey (sons of Alexander and Margaret
Cathey), of Clones Parish in western County Monahan, Ireland, were in this
first or second wave of emigration. If
so, the John Cathey listed in Generation 2 (below) [RN = 301 in the Boyt Cathey
enumeration] would have been about 66 years old when he settled on the frontier
at Conodoguinet Creek in present day Cumberland County, PA, in 1733. He would have been the patriarch of the
American Catheys.
Boyt
Cathey writes (Sept. 2000):
“James
Cathey born c. 1685 Ulster died c. 1757 Rowan Co., NC. Recently we have
concluded that he was the son of Alexander Cathey and wife Margaret who never
came to America.
“John
Cathey b. 1667 Ulster died 1743 in PA was his (James') older brother. John's
second wife was Ann ???? who apparently had a Cathey husband prior to marriage
to John. John had a will that has been a great help.
“There
was a George Cathey b. c. 1700 who was a son of Ann by her first husband. This
George came to America & died in Rowan Co., NC (we think). His widow Jean
and grown sons moved to Mecklenberg Co., NC where Jean died in 1777. She is
buried at Steele Creek Pres. Ch. near Charlotte Airport.”
M.
R. Long (1942), in “General Griffith Rutherford & Allied families,” writes
that King George II granted a tract of land in Mecklenburg, NC, to John Alexander Cathey. The Catheys, among the first settlers of
North carolina, received grants of land as early as 1742.
Much
of the summary information for Generations 1-4, presented below (exclusive of
NOTES), is taken from the CATHEY Genealogy prepared by Marty Gant[1],
and retains his Record Number (RN) annotation.
Also given are Boyt H. Cathey’s reference number (BHC RN).
Generation 1
1. 1
Cathey [10270], born in Ireland. He
married unknown.
Children
of CATHEY were as follows:
+ 2 i John2 Cathey
[8502] (BHC RN=403), born in Ulster, Ireland. He married Ann (---) [7378].
+ 3 ii James2 Cathey [6437] (BHC RN=401),
born 1680/89 in Ulster, Ireland. He married Ann (---) [6438].
?{+ 4 iii Sarah2 Cathey [10341] (BHC RN =
7566), born abt. 1700 in Ulster, Ireland. She married (1) Samuel Givens
[10340]. She married (2) Robert Allen [10329]}.
+ 5 iv Elizabeth2 Cathey [16652], born
abt. 1691 in Ulster, Ireland. She married John Brandon [16653]. (John Brandon,
Sr, b. abt 1691)
+ 6 v Mary2 Cathey [16659] married John
Brandon (Captain) [33817].
+ 7 vi 2 Cathey [33834] married Ann (---) [7378].
Notes:
Boyt
Cathey lists Sarah [his RN = 7566] as the daughter of John Cathey in Generation
#2. (Q.v.).
E.
H. Cathey lists as children of Alexander and Margaret Cathey (of Clones Parish;
both died in 1698):
Jean,
b. Abt 1665;
John,
b. Abt 1667;
Margaret,
b. Abt 1677;
Katherine;
b. Abt 1677;
Ann,
b. Abt 1679;
{Mary
Elizabeth, b. Abt 1684, married a John Brandon}
James,
CHR 3-Jul-1694.
E.
H. Cathey writes in the 2002 edition of “Cathey Kith and Kin”: James Cathey
(BHC RN 401) and family (about 8 individuals total) arrived first, perhaps with
the Brandons. The earliest documented
date for a Cathey in America was October 1, 1720. According to record, James landed at Philadelphia. He lived first, as far as known, in Milford
Hundred, Cecil County, Maryland and then East Tottingham Township, Chester
County PA. Later, other groups would
arrive. It is likely that many of the Cathey’s (including John Cathey’s
daughters, Hannah and Maley) arrived in America as indentured servants, to pay
for their transportation. EHC estimates
that about half of the Scotch-Irish immigrants came to America indentured.
Billy
Kennedy, "The Scots-Irish in the Carolinas, Causeway Press (1997), p. 162
: The Catheys.
This
family moved from C. Monagham in Ireland about 1718 and settled in south
western Pennsylvania. James Cathey is
recorded in 1719 as owning land on the Delaware River in Cecil County,
Maryland; by 1724 he resided in Chester County, Pennsylvania and in 1733 held
200 acres at Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania.
Five years later his son William owned 466 acres in the Beverly Manor of
the Shenadoah Valley and by 1743 the Cathey Virginian land holdings (at Beverly
Manor and Orange County) had reached 2,350 acres. James and George Cathey moved to Rowan County, North Carolina in
1749, settling west of the Yadkin River in the area known as the "Irish Settlement". The Catheys were a typical Scots-Irish
Presbyterian family whose prosperity came about through sheer determination and
hard work.
R.W.
Ramsey, “Carolina Cradle” (UNC Press, 1964). Pages 37-8 (see also “Cathey Kith
and Kin”, 1969); “By the spring of 1749, the Irish settlement consisted of at
least fourteen families, including those of James Cathey, George Cathey, ..”
“with respect to the settlement process, few names carry more significance than
that of James Cathey. He and his son
George were the leaders in what was probably the first English-speaking
settlement to be established in North Carolina (or, indeed, in the entire
South, exclusive of Virginia) so far from a navigable river. .. it was on
George Cathey’s land that the settlers constructed the earliest known religious
edifice west of the Yadkin - Thyatira Presbyterian church.” By 1736, James and George were in Lancaster
Co., the home of John Cathey (brother of James and father of Alexander Cathey). John Cathey died in Lancaster county in
1743, whereupon his son Alexander joined the other Catheys in Virginia. ..
Sometime prior to 1751, William Cathey died, leaving his land in the Shenandoah
to an older brother (John) still living in Ireland. The latter came to America to claim the land, but moved to North
Carolina upon discovering that the rest of the family had done so.
Re:
James Cathey, from http://www.martygrant.com/gen/cathey.htm
“My
Cathey line begins with James Cathey, born ca 1680 in Ulster, Ireland. He and
several of his siblings came to Pennsylvania (Lancaster and Chester Counties)
before ca 1724. He and his wife Ann left there for Orange (later Augusta) Co,
VA in the 1730's. They remained there until ca 1750 or so when they moved to
Rowan Co, NC where he died in 1757, and Ann shortly afterwards”.
Generation 2
2.
John2 Cathey [8502]
(Cathey1), born in Ulster, Ireland; died 1743 in Lancaster Co, PA.
He married abt. 1700 in Ulster, Ireland, Ann
(---) [7378].
Children
of John CATHEY and Ann (---) were as follows:
+ 8 i Alexander3 Cathey
[Grant: 6455; BCH RN = 303], born 1707 in Ulster, Ireland. He married Elizabeth
Pinkney [6456].
+ 9 ii Eleanor3 Cathey [7366], born in
Ulster, Ireland. She married (1) William Moorhead [7359]. She married (2) John
May [5714].
+ 10 iii Hannah3 Cathey [10326] married
Richard Graham [10325].
+ 11 iv ?3 Cathey [10327] married Brendle
[10323].
Notes:
Boyt
Cathey includes as children of John Cathey:
Sarah,
b. Abt 1700, m. Samuel Givens (b. Abt 1693) in 1718;
Alexander,
b. Abt 1707, m. Mary Elizabeth Pinkney;
Eleanor,
b. Abt 1711, m. (1729) William Moorhead;
Hanna,
b. Abt 1718, m. (1736) Richard Graham;
Maley
(Mary?), b. Abt 1721, m. John Brandon, Jr., in 1739; and
unk
female, m. ?? Trindle.
Another
source (Bbrown6575@aol.com) lists additional children of John and Ann Cathey
including Mary and George (the latter
b. 1692 in “Managham”(sic), Ulster, Northern Ireland). Ann is likely the second wife of John
Cathey. E.H. Cathey lists children of
John of Clones: Mary (CHR 1685), Ann (CHR 1695), and Katherine (CHR 1703)
Edna
Cathey Trotter writes that after the death of John Cathey, Alexander, the other members of the family left PA and
moved to the Shenandoah Valley in VA, and later to Salisbury, Rowen Co., NC. The middle branch of the Shenandoah was at
one time called Cathey’s Creek.
Col.
John Cathey’s widow later married Tom DeArmond, who was not considered the
equal to the family into which he married. The older children soon married and
took the younger children to live with them.
Generation 3
8.
Alexander3 Cathey [6455]
(John2, Cathey1), born 1707 in Ulster, Ireland; died 7
Apr 1766 in Rowan Co, NC. He married bef. 1740 in DE, Elizabeth Pinkney
[6456], died aft. 1768 in Rowan Co, NC.
Children
of Alexander CATHEY and Elizabeth PINKNEY were as follows:
+ 48 i Alice4
Cathey [6462], born bef. 13 Sep 1742 in PA. She married (1) John Locke [8505].
She married (2) Benjamin Robinson [6463].
+ 49 ii John4 Cathey [6458], born bef. 13
Sep 1742 in PA. He married Mary Erwin [5704].
+ 50 iii William4 Cathey
(Major) [6457], born 16 Jan 1747 in Anson Co, NC. He married Alice "Else"
Hagan [6436]. He died 1827 in Sumner
Co., TN.
51 iv Margaret4 Cathey [6461], born bef.
6 Apr 1766 in Rowan Co, NC.
+ 52 v James4 Cathey (Captain) [4350],
born 1750 in Anson Co, NC. He married Jane Rutherford [4349].
+ 53 vi Richard Alexander4 Cathey [6460],
born abt. 1745/50 in Anson Co, NC. He married Elizabeth Giles [6464]. (R.A.
CATHEY was a gunsmith and soldier)
NOTES:
E.
H. Cathey (2002) writes that Alexander Cathey, born 1707, married Elizabeth
Pinkney. He appears in the Cumberland
Valley in 1734. EHC speculates that
Alexander, an indentured servant, met and married Ms Pinkney when he and his
master were located near Annapolis, MD. Later, in the McFarland neighborhood on
Conodoguinet Creek (near the present day Pennsylvania Turnpike, I-76),
Alexander lived across the creek from his uncle James Cathey. It is believed that Alexander left Lancaster
Co., PA, for Virginia after his father’s death.
In
1753 Alexander Cathey was a Justice of the Peace in Salisbury, NC. He presided over the first courts of Rowan
County which were held in 1755. He was
a friend and neighbor of Squire Boone, father of the famous Daniel Boone. He is buried near Salisbury in the Thyatira
Cemetery, formerly Catheys Meeting House; his monument states “Alexander Cathey
who died 1766, age 59 years.” Most of the Cathey clan migrated from Rowan to
Mecklenburg County, NC, before the American Revolution.
Heritage
of Rowan County, NC, Vol. 1, 1991: Alexander Cathey is described as “a typical
Scots; he was loud, rowdy, hard-working, loved his family and liked a good
drink and a good fight.”
“Maury
County TN History and Families” (Turner Publ., 1998), p. 222: John Cathey, born
in Ulster, Ireland, came with his family to Lancaster County, PA, where his
will was recorded in 1742. His son,
Alexander, is the progenitor of the Maury County branch of the Cathey family. Alexander (b. 1707 in Ulster, Ire.) married
Mary Elizabeth Pinckney. After his
father’s death, his family traveled down the Great Wagon Road, stopping for a
short time in Augusta County, VA, before they journeyed on to Rowan county, NC.
.. Alexander was a leader of the Cathey (Scots-Irish) settlement in Rowan
County. He died in 1766 and is buried
in the Thyatira (Old Cathey Meeting House) Church cemetery in Rowan County.
The children of Alexander and Mary
Elizabeth Pinckney were: John, James, William, Richard, Margaret, and
Alice. Nine years after the death of
Alexander Cathey, the Revolutionary War started. This writer has not documented a service record for John, but
William served as a Major and James served as a Captain during the war. Richard served in the NC Militia. William received a land grant for 4,000
acres of land on the south side of Duck River in Tennessee Territory, and James
received 2,000 acres of land in West Tennessee. Richard was also granted land in Tennessee. Before James died in NC in 1791, he traded
his land to his brother, William, for 2,000 acres of land on Duck River so that
their children could be neighbors in the new land. The Cathey brothers started disposing the land their father had
left them and looked westward to Tennessee Territory. By 1800 there was but one Cathey family on the Federal Census for
Rowan County. {Much of the Cathey data came from Boyt H. Cathey}”
Abstr.
Of Wills & Estates Records of Rowan
Co., NC (1980), p. 3: ALEXANDER CATHEY. 6 Apr. 1766. Prb. July 1766. Wife, Elizabeth. Youngest sons, James Cathey and Richard Cathey, to have homeplace
at death or remarriage of their mother.
Son James to have negro wench Sal after mother’s death or
remarriage. Son Richard to have negro
boy Tom after mother’s death or remarriage.
Sons William and John. Daughter
Margaret Cathey to have note on Richard Lyon at cross creek. Once beloved daughter Alei Robinson, wife of
Benjamin Robinson. Grandson, Alexander
Lock. Grist mill, tract adjoining John
Brandon, tract at Fair Forest, entry & survey of land on the Cataba River
near Quaker Meadows -- all to be sold.
Exrs: son John and Francis Lock.
Wit: John Frohock, Jno Brandon, Fergus Graham.
Generation 4
50.
William4 Cathey (Major)
[6457] (Alexander3, John2, Cathey1), born 16
Jan 1747 in Anson Co, NC; died 1799 in Sumner Co, TN. He married on 7 Dec 1772
in Rowan Co, NC, Alice "Else"
Hagan [6436], born 10-Apr-1747
(Note: Cathey Bible[2] lists her
birth as 10-Apr-1754); died 6-Mar-1822 in Maury Co, TN, daughter of John Hagan
[4283] .
Children
of William CATHEY (Major) and Alice
"Else" HAGAN were as
follows:
116 i Alexander5 Cathey
[10314], born 9 Nov 1774 in Rowan Co, NC; died 1861 in Marshall Co, MS.
117 ii Elizabeth5 Cathey [10309], born
abt. 1775 in Rowan Co, NC.
118 iii William5 Cathey [10313], born 16
Jan 1779 in Rowan Co, NC; died 1844 in Marshall Co, MS.
119 iv James5
Cathey [10312], born Nov 1782 in
Sumner Co, TN; died 18 Apr 1832 in Maury Co, TN.
120 v Matthew Brandon5 Cathey [10311],
born abt. 1782 in Sumner Co, TN; died 1854 in Marshall Co, MS.
121 vi Thomas Dickey5 Cathey [10310],
born 15 Mar 1795 in Sumner Co, TN; died 16 Jun 1872 in Maury Co, TN.
122 vii John5 Cathey [10308]
123 viii Martha5 Cathey [11487]
NOTES:
Boyt
Cathey (1993): William Cathey (RN = 309) - Treasurer and Elder
On
12-May-1779. William was elected Treasurer of the Salisbury District for the
state of NC and served 1779-1781. He was an elder of the Thyatira Presbyterian
Church of the Cathey Settlement located west of Salisbury, Rowan Co., NC. He was elected State senator and served in
the 1794-1795 assembly. During the
period 1795-1799, he moved his family to Sumner Co., TN. He died intestate there in 1799. About 1805, William's widow Alice and her
sons moved from Sumner Co. to what is now Maury Co., TN
Holcomb,
Marriages of Rowan Co., NC 1753-1868: CATHEY, William and Else HAGAN,
24-Oct-1772; John Hagin, bondsman.
M.
R. Long (1942): The Catheys went with General Rutherford’s party to Tennessee
in 1792.
Edna
Cathey Trotter writes that William Cathey was a Major during the American
Revolution and afterward a civil officer in Salisbury, NC. As a result of this service, he was given
grants of land in what is now Tennessee.
He and his brothers, who also had land grants, moved overland to the
present site of Nashville, TN with Gen. James Robertson. The Catheys owned land in Davidson,
Williamson, Rutherford, and Sumner Counties.
He died in Sumner County, TN, and is buried there. After his death, his widow and his sons
claimed the grant[3] of 4,000
acres of land on what is now known as Cathey’s Creek in Maury County, TN, named
for William Cathey. Alice (Else) Hagan
Cathey lived on the property until her death in 1822; she is buried in the Old
Cathey cemetery.
A
chronology of significant events for the life of William Cathey - Soldier,
Planter, Statesman and Frontiersman - (1747-1799) is presented in the 1991
edition of “Cathey Kith and Kin” , pp. 4-5. The first U.S. census in 1790 shows
the following household (Salisbury District, Rowan Co., NC): 2 free white males
age 16 and above (William, head of household, and son, Alexander), 3 free white
males under 16 (James, Matthew, and ?), 2 free white females (wife, Alice,
& dau. Elizabeth), and 6 slaves. In
1794, William served in the NC State Senate.
L.M.
Bates, “Roster of Soldiers and Partiots in the American Revolution Buried in
Tennessee,” Tennessee Soc. NSDAR (1974): “CATHEY, William (b. 1747 Rowan Co.,
NC/ d 1827 Sumner Co.). Patriot. Auditor, Treas., Justice of the Peace. M.
10-7-1772 to Alice HOGAN (HAGIN) b. 4-10-1754 Rowan co., NC/d 3-6-1822 Sumner
Co., TN. Ch.: Alexander b 1774 m Nancy Sanders; William b 1779 m Elizabeth
Gale; James b 1782 m Honor B. Carson; John m Jane Rutherford; Thomas D.; Martha
B.; Elizabeth b 1775 m Thomas Walker; Matthew Brandon m Matilda Dalton. Ref.: DAR # 447550; NC Col. Record vol 19 p.
364, vol. 24 p. 387-322, vol. 18 pp 804-06, vol. 29 p. 22, NC Booklet.”
W.S.
Ray, Tennessee Cousins” (1971), p. 675: One of the first land warrents issued
in Davidson Co. Was to Wm. Cathey, 640 acres on Richland Creek,
27-Dec-1784.
B.G.C.
Cartwright & L.J. Gardiner, “North Carolina Land Grants in Tennessee,
1778-1791 “ (Memphis, 1958): p. 61: to Wm. Cathey: military warrent #2934 -
4,00 acres on the south side of Duck River on Cathey’s creek”; p. 102: #1029 -
640 acres on the east fork of Stones River.
"War
of 1812: Soldiers of Maury Co. TN"
CATHEY: Alex, Matthew B.;
Wm. Alexander
Wm.
A.: Jusice of Peace, Maury Co., 1810-11.
Matthew Brandon Cathey: b. 1782, son of Wm and Alice Hagen Cathey, m. Matilda
Dalton, moved to MS in 1836 and died there;
Wm.
Cathey: two contemporaries of this name:
1. Wm. Cathey , one of 5 sons of Wm. Cathey {1747-1799}; these
sons were: Jas. {Father of A.B. Cathey}; Dickey; Wm; Alexander; Matthew.
2.
Wm. Cathey, son of Griffith Cathey (1776-1854), who married his cousin Susannah
Cathey (d. 1833) and Rebecca Finley.
Griffith Cathey's childern were: Rutherford; Wm; John G.; Jas.; Polly;
Alice A. (1836-1855). Children of this Wm. Cathey were: Jethro; Rutherford; Jim
A. (m. L. Worley); Olivia; Sara Jane; and Billie.
A.
B. Cathey (Maury Democrat, 16-Apr-1908)
wrote: In 1836 Alexander Cathey moved to Mississipi. He had been a Justice of the Peace in Maury County for about 25
years; he died in 1836, about 88 years of age. (The death date given is
apparently in error; if born in 1774, Alexander would have been age 88 about
1862).
J.
Garrett, "Maury Co. TN Historic
Sketches"
p.
28: Matthew B. CATHEY was in the Battle of New Orleans (8-Jan-1815).
p.
115: Thos. D. (Uncle Dickey) Cathey
(abt 1796-1872); b. in a fort near Nashville.
p.
27: Cathey's Creek named after Wm.
(rec'd 4,000 acre land grant in 1785); Wm. d. in Sumner Co. TN - his sons: Alex., Wm., Matt B.; Thos. D. (p.31:
"a fine scholar"), and dau. Eliz.
J.
Garrett, Columbia, TN, “Daily Herald” (27-Apr-1974): “History Comes by the Inch on Cathey’s Creek.” (Reprinted in 1974
“Cathey Kith and Kin”, pp 10-11): The land was surveyed in March, 1784. Alice Hagan Cathey, widow of William Cathey,
and four of their sons, Alexander, William, James, and Thomas Dickey Cathey,
settled there. Griffith R. Cathey,
William’s nephew, was also an early settler and signed the petition to form
Maury Co. (From Williamson Co. And Indian Territory) in August 1807. The Cathey boys all built homes along the
creek - Alexander near Taylor’s store; William, now the Fred Kennedy home;
James, near the present Kittrell Cemetery; and Thomas, the present Brown Cathey
Grimmett home. (James’ house was one of
the handsomest in the county, boasting a staircase of solid cherry, stained
glass windows and some very beautiful furniture).
Thomas (“Uncle Dickey) never married,
but built a roomy log cabin; his nephew A.B. Cathey moved in when he
married. The home had several famous
visitors, including Davy Crockett (a former neighbor in NC), and later Susan B.
Anthony (famed suffrage reformer and a Cathey relation).
Cathey’s Creek Church of Christ is one
of the oldest congregations in the County; Alice Hagen Cathey was baptized at
the first meetings held there. (A.B.
Cathey wrote a brief history of the Congregation).
Boyt
Cathey (“Cathey Family History and Genealogy”) gives a history of the Old
Cathey Homeplace at Cathey’s Creek (pp. 121-2): 1087 - Alice Hagen Cathey,
widow of William, arrived at Cathey’s creek where she lived with 3 of her sons
(James, Matthew, and Thomas Dickey).
1810: James married Honor Biggs Carson; they built a house on the land
at Cathey’s creek. 1822: Alice Hagan
Cathey died, leaving Thomas Dickey Cathey (a bachelor called “Uncle Dickey”) as
the sole occupant of the homeplace.
1849: the James Cathey land was sold; it belonged to Alexander Blair
Cathey and Nancy Elizabeth Isom.
Alexander B. Moved to the “Uncle Dickey Place”. In 1872, Uncle Dickey died, and the place
became the Alexander B. Cathey home (1872-1923). In 1923, the homeplace became the home of Everett Grimmitt and
his wife Susan Walker Cathey. In 1950,
it became the home of Brown Cathey Grimmitt.
Generation 5
James Alexander CATHEY (BHC RN = 337), born Nov 1782
in Sumner Co, TN; died 18 Apr 1832 in Maury Co, TN. He married Honor Biggs Carson on 18-Jan-1810. James and Honor Cathey are buried at the Old
Cathey Cemetery, near Isom community.
Their
Children:
1.
William Stuart Carson Cathey (b. 1810; d. 17-Aug-1827; BHC gives death 1826)
2.
James Decatur Cathey (b. 9-Nov-1815; d.
26-Feb-1849; BHC gives “James Dickey Cathey”).
3.
Alice A. Cathey (b. 16-Sep-1823; d. 21-Aug-1844); m. Thomas MOORE.
4. Alexander Blair Cathey (b. 25-Jun-1826;
d. 18-Jan-1916); m. Tennessee Ella SMITH.
5.
Rachel T. Cathey (b. 28-Oct-1834; d. 28-Oct-1834); m. Oct-1831 to Jesse HART.
6.
Nancy (or Mary) Elizabeth Cathey (b. Nov-1827; d. 3-Aug-1863); m. 28-Sep-1845
to Newton A. ISOM.
Notes:
“Maury
Co., Cousins - Bible & Family Records,” MCHS (1967), p. 317-8: “Cathey
Bible” (Publ. 1814): Records birth/death dates; e.g., Honor B. Cathey d. 23-Sep-1844.
Edna
Cathey Trotter writes "James (Cathey) married Honor Biggs Carson in
1810. From her name and that of her
niece whom she raised, Harriet Blair, we get the names of Honor, Carson, and
Blair.[4],[5] These names are found in every Cathey family
today. James died in 1832 when his son,
Alexander Blair, was only six years old.
His widow lived until 1844. They
are both buried in the old Cathey cemetery.
Their tombs are still there but this cemetery is being so constantly
destroyed that our family put a marker in our lot in Kittrell Cemetery giving
their dates and telling where they are buried (“Cathey Bible”: Hariett, b.
27-Sep-1819, was the daughter of A. Blair). Ms Trotter (on the occasion of the
1971 Cathey Family Reunion; Daily Herald, 29-Jul-1971) writes that a true
Cathey “has a high forehead, steel gray eyes that are so dark they are often
considered brown, a long waist, and straight, strong backs that refuse to bend
even in adversity or illness. The
Cathey’s are intellegent and usually have mathematical minds. They are honest. Don’t ever call one of them a liar. They are unasssuming. If
he’s bragging, he’s not a Cathey. They
are procrastinators, which is a polite way of saying that they are just a
little bit lazy. They are all
absent-minded. It is been said that no Cathey has ever made a million dollars
and that no Cathey ever went to jail.”
Generation 6
Alexander Blair CATHEY (BHC RN = 341)
Born:
25-Jun-1826 on Cathey’s Creek, Maury County, Tennessee.
Married:
27-Sep-1859 to Tennessee Ella Smith (12-May-1838 to 8-Feb-1923). Tennie was the
daughter of Mumford Smith and Elizabeth R. Bynum.
Died: 18-Jan-1916 (buried in Kittrell Cemetery,
Isom community, Maury Co., TN)
Children:
1. William Alexander CATHEY (26-Sep-1860
to 26-Jan-1942); m. (1) 28-Dec-1882 to Margaret Caroline SHANNON; m. (2)
Apr-1900 to Ida Ethel WILLIAMS.
2.
Elizabeth Blair CATHEY (26-May-1862 to 23-Nov-1951); m. 19-Nov-1879 to R. A. KENNEDY.
3.
James Dickey CATHEY (21-Aug-1865 to 23-May-1945); m. 4-Nov-1894 to Martha P.
GALLOWAY.
4.
Mary Alice CATHEY (29-Apr-1867 to 10-Mar-1945); m. 6-Dec-1894 to John A. DELK.
5.
Margaret Ella CATHEY (8-Jan-1869 to 17-Jan-1972); m. 1-Sep-1887 to Thomas
Jefferson KIRK.
6.
Candace Smith CATHEY (14-Jul-1870 to 15-Dec-1940); never married.
7.
Ida Hatcher CATHEY (7-Feb-1872 to 9-Oct-1958); m. 14-Feb-1892 to Dick WHITE.
8.
Tennie Carson CATHEY (9-Feb-1874 to 9-Oct-1958); m. 23-May-1909 to Robert KIRK.
9.
Honor Biggs CATHEY (1-Jun-1876 to 11-Dec-1879).
10.
Annie Mai CATHEY (11-Apr-1878 to 18-Nov-1947); m. 30-Oct-1901 to Edward
TARPLEY.
11.
Thomas Decatur CATHEY (29-Feb-1880 to 24-Oct-1966); m. 18-Apr-1911 to Ophelia BLACKBURN.
12.
Susan Walker CATHEY (11-Apr-1883 to 22-Jul-1956); m. 9-Dec-1906 to Everett
GRIMETT.
13.
Mumford CATHEY (4-Nov-1885 to Jun-1975); m. 10-Jun-1917 to Willie Matt
SPARKMEN.
In the 1870 Census for Maury Co., Tenn., A.B. and
family are enumerated in the household of his uncle, Thomas Dickey Cathey:
Household #102: CATHEY, T.D. 73 M, farmer b. TN; A.B. 40 M, farmer b. TN; T.E.
30 F, keeps house; W.A. 10 M, student;
E, 8, student; JD 6 M; MA 4 F; EC 1 F.
1880 Census for Maury Co., TN
(LDS transcription)
Name Relation Marital Status Gender Race Age
Birthplace Occupation Father's Birthplace Mother's Birthplace
A. B. CATHEY Self M
<Married> Male W <White> 53 TN Farmer
NC NC
Tennie E. CATHEY Wife M Female
W 42 TN Keeps House TN TN
Willie A. CATHEY Son S Male
W 19 TN Farm Laborer TN
TN
Jimmie CATHEY Son S Male
W 14 TN Farm Laborer TN
TN
Mary A. CATHEY Dau S Female
W 13 TN At Home TN
TN
Margaret E. CATHEY Dau S Female
W 11 TN At Home TN
TN
Candis S. CATHEY Dau S Female
W 9 TN TN TN
Ida H. CATHEY Dau S Female
W 8 TN TN TN
Tennessee CATHEY Dau S Female
W 6 TN TN TN
Anna May CATHEY Dau S
Female W 2
TN TN TN
Thos. D. CATHEY Son S Male
W 3M TN TN TN
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source
Information:
Census Place District 16, Maury, Tennessee
Family History Library Film 1255271
NA Film Number T9-1271
Page Number 405D
Above:
scan from B.H. Cathey, “Cathey Family History and Genealogy. Volume I”
(courtesy Lou Midgett, 2000).
NOTES:
A.B.
(age 34, farmer) and new wife T.E. Cathey (age 23) first appear in the 1860
Census for Maury County, TN (Household # 1686; adjacent at household # 1687 is
T. D. (“Uncle Dickie”) Cathey (age 60, farmer).
“Maury
Co., Cousins - Bible & Family Records,” MCHS (1967), p. 146: A.B. Cathey
Family Bible (then-owned by Ralph Kennedy): gives family Birth/Death records.
"Century
Review of Maury Co. TN (1807-1907)": p. 149 (Isom, on Cathey's Creek): A.B. Cathey: elder of Christian
Church; b. 25-Jun-1826, son of Jas. and Honor B. (Carson) Cathey;
resides on 2,000 acres. Father Jas.
located at Cathey's Creek in 1807. A.B. m. Lennie E (sic), dau. Mumford and
Eliz. R. Bynum Smith). They have 10 children residing in TN and TX.
Tennie
Smith was the daughter of Mumford Smith II (27-Sep-1805 to 26 Jul-1866; buried
at Hunters Cemetery, Mt. Pleasant), who was married 25-Dec-1828 to Elizabeth
Rickman Bynum (11-Jan-1815 to 24-Mar-1862).
Her father, Mumford Smith II was sheriff of Maury Co. 1846-1850. Her brother, Mumford Smith III (1842-1923),
served with the CSA during the Civil War (Company C, 3rd Tenn Volunteer
Infantry), and later was elected to the 50th Tennessee State General Assembly
(1897-1899) as the Representative from Maury County. For a more extensive biography of Mumford Smith III, see (a)
Goodspeed Histories of Maury, etc., Counties, Tennessee (originally publ. 1886;
reprinted 1971, Woodward & Stinson, Columbia, TN), p. 954; or (b) McBride,
Biographical Directory, Tennessee General Assembly, Vol. II (1842-1923), p.
839.
On
20-Oct-1862 Alexander B. Cathey (then age 35) joined Co. E,, 9th (Gantt's)
Battalion, Tennessee Calvary, C.S.A; he
was enlisted (term: 1 year) at Hampshire TN by Lt. Patton. According to Co records, he was present
16-Mar-1864 at Tunnel Hill GA, and paroled at Charlotte NC 3-May-1865 (when
Gen'l Joseph E. Johnston surrendered to Gen'l W.T. Sherman). Many Cathey kin were in the same unit
(including Jame A. Cathey, Griffith R. Cathey, and William M. Cathey - see
“Tennesseans in the Civil War” (1965)).
“Cousin”
Edna Cathey Trotter of Columbia, TN, took inspiration from an old family
tradition to write (in 1976) her poem “The Enemy”. – “When my grandfather,
Alexander Blair Cathey (1826-1916) was away from home during the Civil War
fighting Yankees, grandma (nee Tennessee Ella Smith 1838-1923) rode horse-back
from their home on Cathey’s Creek to Mt. Pleasant, carrying her baby boy
(William Alexander Cathey) in her lap.
On the way, Union Soldiers took her horse and left her and the baby
beside the road. Their captain came
riding up and made them give the horse back to her.”
“The Enemy” - Edna Cathey
Trotter
To Mt. Pleasant from
Cathey’s Creek was a long way to ride
On horseback carrying a baby
boy through lonely countryside.
Her slaves were sad to see
her go, knowing they must stay
To hide the stock and guard
the house from men in blue that day.
But she must take her
painful trip to see her brother “Mum”
To seek advice, her men
away, for dreaded days to come.
Almost there and not too
tired when came the frightening sound
Of riding men who grabbed
her horse and dragged her to the ground.
“Where is your husband?
Where do you live?” No Answer.
Then, “we spare your life
but take your horse.”
No friend was hers. No House was near. She shivered through and
through.
Around the bend a horseman
came, a Captain dressed in blue.
“Give back the horse and
help her mount,” she heard the Captain say.
This done he smiled and
touched his hat then quickly rode away.
A.B.
Cathey wrote a series of historic sketches for the Maury Democrat in1908. Several of these were reprinted in B. Patton
(ed), "Hampshire - Then and Now"; e.g., on p. 21 of the latter
reprint, he wrote a history of his Company during the War. Many of his sketches were also reprinted in
Boyt H. Cathey, “Cathey Family History, Vol. I”, who writes ( p. 122):
"Alexander Blair Cathey was born on 25 June 1826 in Maury County, Tenn.,
at a unique time in history. He knew
the early settlers of Tennessee and lived into the twentieth century, dying in
1916. A.B. was an excellent observer of
the times in which he lived and wrote of the interesting events during his
lifetime in Maury County. James Cathey,
A.B.'s father, died when A.B. was 6 years old.
His mother, Honor Biggs Carson, died in 1844 when A.B. was 18 years
old." [photo of A.B., wife Tennie, and several of their children is given
in Fig. 14, p. 123, of the Boyt Cathey text, reproduced above].
Obituary
for A.B. Cathey, from "Columbia Herald", 21-Jan-1916:
Born,
Lived 90 Years, Died on Same Tract of Land;
Unusual Career of A.B. Cathey, of Cathey’s Creek, comes to end. He was A Splendid Citizen. Survived by Wife and Twelve Children and was
Probably the Oldest Resident in His Section of the County; Funeral Tomorrow.
A.B. Cathey, probably the oldest resident of
the Cathey’s creek section of Maury County, died this morning in his ninetieth
year. Mr. Cathey was born, lived all of
his life and died upon the same tract of land that was entered from the state
by his father, the late James Cathey and his brother, more than a century
ago. There are very few instances where
this has occurred in the history of the county. The house in which he died was not very far from the place where
the house of his birthplace stood.
Mr. Cathey was one of the best men in this
community, leading an exemplary life, being a pillar in the Christian Church
and for years a leader in the community.
He is survived by twelve children and his wife, the latter being
seventy-eight years of age. She is a
sister of former Representative Mumford Smith, of Mt. Pleasant.
The following children survive Mr.
Cathey: W. A. Cathey, James Cathey,
Mumford Cathey, Tom Cathey, Mrs. John Delk, Mrs. Anderson Kennedy, Mrs. Alec
Grimmett, all of this county, and Mrs. R.C. White, of Texas; Mrs. T.J. Kirk, of
Texas; Mrs. Robert Kirk, of Texas, and Mrs. E.M. Tarpley, of Franklin,
Ky."
Mr. Cathey lived all of his life a true and
consistent christian and was a loyal husband, a devoted father, and enjoyed the
respect of all his neighbors.
The funeral services will be held tomorrow
morning at 11 o’clock at the Cathey’s creek Christian church and will be
conducted by Elder W.S. Morton.
Obituary,
Columbis "Daily Herald" (9-Feb-1923):
MRS.
TENNIE CATHEY ENTERS INTO REST
Beloved
Woman Dies at Her Home Near Isom at Ripe Old Age of Eighty-Four.
Mrs. Tennie Ella Cathey, aged eighty-four
years, wife of the late A.B. Cathey, and mother of former Deputy Trustee James
D. Cathey, died at 11 o'clock Thursday night at her home near Isom.
Mrs. Cathey had been in failing health for
some time and her death was not wholly unexpected, but it proved a severe shock
to her family and host of friends. She
was one of the oldest and most highly respected women of the county.
Since girlhood, Mrs. Cathey had been a
devoted member of the Christian church, and was an exemplar of its
teachings. She was recognized as a
splendid woman and mother, she having reared a large family.
Surviving are twelve children, Mrs. R.A.
Kennedy and Mrs. J.A. Delk, Kettle Mills; Miss Candace Cathey, Mrs.E.P.
Grimmett, of near Isom; Mrs. E.M. Tarpley, Franklin KY; Mrs. T.K. Kirk and Mrs. Robert Kirk,
Waxahachie, Texas; Mrs. R.C. White, Texico, New Mexico; W.A., A.B., and J.D.
Cathey, of Columbia; one brother, Mumford Smith, of Mt. Pleasant; one sister,
Mrs. J.H. Bond, Stillwater, OK.
Fifty-eight grandchildren and fifteen great
grandchildren also survive. Her husband
preceeded her to the grave seven years ago.
The funeral was conducted this afternoon at
2 oclock by Elder W.S. Morton at the Isom Christian Church. Interment was in the church cemetery. The Maury Undertaking Company in charge.
Generation 7
William Alexander CATHEY
Born: 26-Sep-1860, Cathey’s Creek, Maury
Co., TN.
Married:
(1) 28-Dec-1882 to Margaret Caroline SHANNON (24-Aug-1863 to 25-Nov-1898); m.
(2) 21-Mar-1900 to Ida Ethel WILLIAMS (3-Dec-1874 to 1943).
Died:
26-Jan-1942. Buried in Rose Hill
Cemetery, Columbia, TN.
Children:
1.
Amanda Ella CATHEY (1-Dec-1887 to Aug-1988); m. 12-Oct-1915 to John C. Finley
(25-Dec-1883 to 11-Jan-1971).
2. Bessie Blanch CATHEY (1-Aug-1890 to
20-Sep-1961); m. (1) 9-Jan-1909 to Marvin
Amis BOSTICK (1877-1926); m. (2) F. L. NICHOLSON (1871-1949).
3.
Daniel Blair CATHEY (2-Oct-1892 to 31-Dec-1961); m. (1) Fanny Minor
(1887-1930); m. (2) Edith M. Nichols (b. 1904; d. 21 Mar 1996).
4.
William Callie CATHEY (25-Oct-1898 to 27-Apr-1985); m. 19-Nov-1921 to Charlotte
Peery (b.7-Jan-1900; d. 24-Sep-1995).
5.
Lillian Dixie CATHEY (18-Jul-1901 to 5-Feb-1906).
6.
Annie Mai CATHEY (b. 17-Feb-1903; d. 13-May-2003); m. Charles B. Corcoran
(1896-1978).
Family
of William A. Cathey (From 1941 Reunion):
from W.A. (center), clockwise: Ella, William, Annie Mae, Dan, Bessie,
wife Ethel.
Above:
Early photo of Annie Mae (L) and Bessie Cathey (R)
Notes:
Margaret
Caroline SHANNON was the daughter of Daniel J. SHANNON (23-Nov-1817 to
7-Mar-1906) and Amanda NOLES (14-May-1832 to 21-Mar-1910), who were married
28-Oct-1847. Amanda was the daughter of Butler and Elizabeth Rappe Noles.
Generation 8
Bessie Blanch CATHEY (1-Aug-1890 to
20-Sep-1961); m. (1) 9-Jan-1909 to Marvin
Amis BOSTICK (1877-1926); m. (2) F. L. NICHOLSON (1871-1949). Bessie is buried in the Bostick plot, Rose
Hill Cemetery. Children were:
1.
William
Whaley Bostick, b. 10-Oct-1911; d. Jan-1991. W.W. Bostick's first wife was Mary
Love Smith (divorced). His second wife was Dorothy Ogle (divorced). He also
married a third time, to Wanda Waters. By these various marriages, he had a
daughter, Michelle (Mrs. Charlie Talbot); three sons, Billy Bostick, Robert Bostick, and Ronnie Bostick; and four
step daughters.
2.
Marvin Cathey Bostick, b. 28-Sept-1914; d.
15-Oct-1986 in Nashville, TN. Buried Rose Hill Cemetery, Columbia, TN. He married Babette Molly Friedlob on
4-Jul-1936, in Birmingham, AL. They had three children, one of who died at
birth.
Maury
Co., TN, burials of note, from “They Passed This way,” by Lightfoot &
Shackelford, 1964:
CEMETERY
ON ALEXANDER CATHEY FARM, on CATHEY’S CREEK, TN
1792-1844
Honor
Biggs (Carson) CATHEY (wife of James CATHEY)
1815-1847
James
D. CATHEY
1823-1844
Alice
(CATHEY) Moore (wife of Thomas Moore)
1782-1823
James
CATHEY, husband of Honor B.
1831-1843
Mary
M. CATHEY
JONES
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH CEMETERY, ON OLD ROBINETTE FARM, CATHEY’S CREEK
1863-1898
Margaret
Shannon CATHEY, wife of W. A. CATHEY
CATHEY’S
CREEK CHURCH OF CHRIST, on CATHEY’S CREEK at ISOM:
1826-1916
A.B.
CATHEY
1838-1945
(sic) Lennie E. (sic. Tennessee Ella
Smith, wife of A.B. Cathey, 1838-1923)
1865-1945
James
Dickey CATHEY
1869-1954
Martha
Galloway CATHEY
1896
James
Dickey CATHEY, Jr.; d. 1896
1870-1940
Candace
Smith CATHEY
CATHEY
FAMILY CEMETERY, on FARM of B.C. CATHEY, LOVES BRANCH, MAURY CO., TN
1756
Jane
Rutherford CATHEY, b. 1756
1776-1854
Griffith
CATHEY
1780-1833
Susannah
CATHEY
1796-1872
Thomas
D. CATHEY
1804-1874
James
CATHEY
1809-1858
Polly
CATHEY
1807-1856
W.G.
CATHEY
1826-1839
Alexander
A. CATHEY
1828-1837
Mary
A. CATHEY
1836-1855
Alice
G. CATHEY
1831-1847
Susan
CATHEY
1840-1853
John
R. CATHEY
1844-1851
Honor
B. CATHEY
1849-1855
James
N. CATHEY
1861-1942
Mannie
CATHEY
1846-1855
Manervy
CATHEY
1867-1868
Hallie,
dau. of J.K. and E.S.
1859-1903
Johnnie
CATHEY
1871-1943
Dell
CATHEY
1876-1879
Honor
B. CATHEY, dau. J.B and T.E.
Matt CATHEY, d. aged 71 years
1895-1911
Glenn
A. CATHEY
Several
other Catheys are buried at Neopolis Methodist Church Cemetery, between Spring
Hill and Columbia, TN. At ROSE HILL
CEMETERY, Columbia, TN, are buried William Alexander Cathey (1860-1942), his
second wife, Ethel Williams Cathey (1874-1943), and several other kin.