Charlie,
I don't think I'd call this a controversy... maybe more like confusion.
If you are saying that the Richard Cate who died in about 1806 was the son
Richard & Emelia Cate, I don't agree with that. Data for Richard Cate Jr. of
Richard & Emelia Cate per Dr. Banks Cates include the following:
1810 Orange County Census - RICHARD CATE 26-45, 2 females 16-26, 1 slave.
28 Aug 1810 - RICHARD CATE conveyed to Thomas Cate his right to certain
negroes via the will of Richard Cate given to Benjamin Cate & Milly Cate wife
of Richard, deceased, and to be divided at their death to the other children
of Richard. Witness: Thomas Brewer.
From this it appears he was alive and well in 1810 and therefore could
not be the Richard Cate who passed in 1806. Richard Cate Jr. would have to
have been born sometime after 1765 if one believes in the census cited above.
In my opinion, some of us have confused the families of Richard & Amelia
Cate and that of Richard Cate & Elizabeth unknown. They do not appear to
live in the same area of Orange County either. The Mary Cate who married
Thomas Hunt does appear to me be the daughter of Richard Cate & Elizabeth
Unknown. I am not sure of her birth date. Little work if any has been done
on this Mary Cate. Her brothers, John, Abner & Ephraim, and sister, Nancy,
who married Thomas Dossett, people know more about. John, Abner & Nancy who
married Thomas Dossett are found in Hopkins County, KY. See Buddy Dosset's
October, 1999 post to the Dossett Genforum Board for a particularly
interesting Rev. War pension application by Thomas Dossett and accompanying
testimony by Abner Cates, his brother-in-law. Ephraim Cate(s) goes to
Caldwell Co., KY initially but then removes to Bradley County, Tennessee.
As to the parentage of the Richard Cate who dies in 1806 in Orange
County... I don't know who they were and have yet to see any proof of who
they were. Someday... we hope!!!
Allan H. Baumbach
810 East Shady Way #309
Arlington Heights, IL 60005
Al in IL