Hi:
List members will recall my gggrandfather was Eli B. Cate b. 25 Apr
1813 in TN who married Sarah Tunnell. No one has yet identified the
parents and siblings of Eli. Often, then, I am more of an observer on
Cate-L than most others.
However the search for the parents of John Cate, Sr. and for the
surname of his wife, Mary, is of interest. There is letter which may
solve the second question but not the first. The letter was from Elijah
Cate (son of John, Sr.) to "James Lawrence and Family, also George". It
was dated April 19, 1850 McMinn Co., TN.
In the letter , Elijah quotes "Mother" several times re her
ancestry. The statement about which she indicated firm knowledge was
that her father's name was Thomas Lawrence. The letter contains a
number of references which may be helpful.
Our copy is xeroxed from "Our East Tennessee Kinsmen" Is this not
acceptable identification?
Orvis