Dear John,
I think I can help you on one point but I cannot answer the question of who
was the father of Betsy Cato Johnson. I still think it could be either Sterling
or Henry Cato both of who I believe were in Christian Co., Ky. in 1809 and
both had daughters born at the time of 1784. As for as the Frizzell family,
after Sterling went to Missouri he married what I think was his third wife on
7/10/1829 in Madison Co. Jemminah Frizzell. I do not think they had any children.
Was she the daughter of Thomas Frizzell?
First let me say that I think there were two Elizabeth Cato's in Christian
Co., both being in my opinion widows of a John Cato. There was Elizabeth Moss
Cato, widow of John Cato, oldest son of Daniel Cato of Brunswick Co., Va. who
sold her land and left Brunswick Co. in 1808 after her husband had died in 1795
and moved to Christian Co., Ky and I think it was her that was on the tax list
of 1809 with 100 acres. I doubt that she would have moved to Christian Co.
without there being some family already there. Her husband and Henry Cato were
1st cousins. Her husband was the executor of the will of Henry's father, John
Cato. She left a will in 1812 in Christian Co. naming a granddaughter Susan
Cato., daughters Polly Knox, Sally Smith and Elizabeth Shelton. John Cato when he
died in Brunswick Co., Va. in 1796 named wife Elizabeth, daughters; Elizabeth
Shelton, Lucy Hart, and Polly Cato, William Smith husband of dau. Sally, and
grandson Harris Avent. The will of Daniel Cato revealed the name of husband of
Elizabeth Shelton as Buckner Shelton who was to receive the land Daniel had
given John's widow if she was to remarry. Later in Christian Co. Buckner
Shelton was one of the co-heirs of Elizabeth Cato in a law suit.
The Rev. John Cato who I think was either the first or second son of Henry
Cato died in Lancaster Co., SC in 1810. However I think he was planning to move
to KY. and I think he is the John Cato on the 1810 tax records of Christian
Co., Ky. with 200 acres and no blacks or farm animals. I supect he had bought
land there that he had not occupied. The next year he is absent but there is an
Elizabeth Cato with 450 acres and 3 blacks and 2 horses. I suspect that this
was the widow of Rev. John Cato. She disappears in 1813 so this could be
Elizabeth Moss Cato but this Elizabeth Cato had a lot more land in 1811 than the
Elizabeth Moss Cato had in 1809. She seemed to be well to do like the Rev. John
Cato was in Lancaster Co., SC. Moreover the Elizabeth Cato in the 1809 record
held land on the Ford River whereas the Elizabeth Cato with the 450 acres was
on the Tradewater River, again indicating a different Elizabeth Cato.
Incidentally Henry Cato's land was also on the Tradewater River. A lot of the others
lived on the Tidewater River and some on the Muddy Fork of the Little River.
That you do not find a person on a tax list list does not mean that the
person was not there. In fact more than one Cato was called up for not paying his
taxes at various times. It is clear that Nathan Cato had left the area of SC
well before 1809 as his oldest son Wiley was born in Tennessee (Smith Co.
probably) in Jan. 1802. Nathan apparently was not in SC at the time of the 1800
census and was in Smith Co., TN records between 1806 and 1808. Henry (100 acres),
John (200 acres), Nathan (200 acres), Starling (200 acres), Richard (200
acres) and Henry (200 acres) were on the 1810 tax list of Christian Co. I have
been unable to locate deeds of purchase for all of this land, or in fact for any
of this land, but I doubt that they had just arrived in 1810. Only one Henry
is on the lists after 1810. I suspect that is when Henry Sr. died but I have
been unable to find any probate records on him. It is clear that they all did
not move together as Sterling' son Lewis was still in SC at the time of the 1
810 census. Claiborn Henry Cato who I think was a son of Sterling was born in SC
in Dec. 1802. As I see it the jury is still out as to who was the father of
Betsy.
Henry Brackin