I have gotten a copy of a "Combined History of Randolph, Monroe & Perry
Counties of Illinois" by interlibrary loan, for 2 weeks. It lists some
Cathcarts I'm interested in. Some I recognize as my line, some I do not.
I will quote the Cathcart parts below: (my comments in parentheses)
"The settlement in the lower end of Flat prairie was strengthened by the
arrival, in 1820, of David Cathcart, John Dickey, & John McMillen, & the
next year of Ebenezer Alexander & James Anderson. ....." (pg 74)
A Joseph Cathcart is listed as occupying land in Randolph County in 1820,
N.W.,35, 160 acres. (pg 98)
In a Randolph County census, dated 25 Nov 1825, there is David Cathcart
listed as head of family in Plum-Creek Township. (pg 116)
"David Cathcart and his son-in-law, William Campbell, from South
Carolina, came in the spring of 1819, and settled in the lower end of
Grand Cote Prairie (Randolph County)." (pg 243)
David Cathcart is listed among others as subscribing $10 attached to a
call for a Rev. J. Wylie to serve as pastor of their newly organized
Associate Reformed/Covenanters congregation. (pg 243)
"All the names of those contributing for ministerial support on the
former call (of Mr Wylie) are .....William Cambell, who came in the
spring of 1819 with his father-in-law, David Cathcart, and James
Mcwillan, also from South Carolina.... " (pg 244)
"On the 5th of May 1865, Hugh Mathews, John Houston, and Wm J.S. Cathcart
were invested with the office of ruling elders (of Old Bethel
congregation in Sparta, IL, I believe). (pg 247) [This Hugh Mathews
(1826-1906) is brother to my gg grandmother, Jannet Mathews(1831-1915),
who married Robert Beattie Cathcart(1820-1900). Wm J.S. Cathcart is I
believe William John Staveley Cathcart (1823-1901) who was a brother of
Robert B Cathcart.]
"In March 1858 a unanimous call was made upon Rev. David Steele to become
pastor, the congregation asking for one half of his time. The call was
signed by 23 members as follows: James Elder, Jenny C. Holmes, Mary
Fowlds, Ellen Cathcart, Joseh Lynn, William R. Lynn, Nancy Lynn, Joseph
Keys, Ellis Keys, John Cathcart, Mary Cathcart, Hugh Tweed, Jennet Tweed,
Jane Cuthbertson, David Tweed, Amelia J. Tweed, James E. Wilson, Ann
Wilson, John J. Marshall, Elizabeth Marshall, John Tweed, Nancy Tweed and
Robert J. Ritchie." (pg 248) [Several of these names are inter-related
to my line.... John & Mary Cathcart would possibly by my ggg
grandparents, John Cathcart (1789-1864) and Mary (Harper) Cathcart
(1789-1873) who were both buried in HIll Prairie cemetery, in Sparta IL.
]
There is a Robert Cathcart invested with the office of deacon at Church
Hill congregation near Eden, IL. (pg 249)
"The earliest settler to locate in what is now known as Coulterville
precinct (Randolph Co.) was David Cathcart. He made a trip to the county
in 1818, and selected & entered a tract of land consisting of 160
acres--the N.W. 1 of section 35, T.4, R.5 W., December 3, 1818--which was
entered in th name of his son, Joseph. Mr. Cathcart was a native of
Ireland, and came here from South Carolina early in the spring of 1819.
He built his rude log cabin in the end of the timbr, near the present
residence of Mrs. John Edgar, his grand-daughter. He brought his family
with him. His children were: Mary, who married James Munford; Rosanna,
who became the wife of William Campbell in South Carolina; Elizabeth
married William Stormont, and one son Josephn. They are all deceased.
(book published 1883) Joseph reared a family, of whom Robert, Francis,
Margaret, the wife of William Woodside, and Agnes, the wife of John
Edgar, are living in the vicinity. Mr Cathcart was a weaver by trade,
and followed that occupation in the Carolinas. He improved a good farm,
where he died about 1845, over 90 years of age. (therefore born before
1755). William Campbell, his son-in-law, who came with the family to
Illinois in 1819, located about a mile south of Mr. Cathcart, in section
2, of T.5, R.5, where he made a farm and resided until his death. James
Munford, also a son-in-law of Mr. Cathcart, arrived & made a settlement
in the same neighborhood, in December 1819. He died in January, 1840 at
the age of 76 years.
Hugh McKelvey, the 2nd pioneer of Couterville, like Mr. Cathcart, had
visited the county in 1818 & purchased land. He came in the same spring &
about the time of Mr Cathcart's arrival, & located on section 26, their
cabins being about one mile distant from each other. ..... (pg 369)
I apologize for this being so long ... and I apologize for ommitting what
may be of interest to some. I would be glad to send other large portions
(especially lengthy histories of the various churches & covenanters,
which some of you might be interested in) either by fax or scanned into
text documents.
I am very interested in knowing more about this David Cathcart, if there
is any connection to our John & Mary (Harper) Cathcart line.
Thank you, Diane Eden, dianemail2(a)juno.com
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