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Author: CBenua
Surnames:
Classification: queries
Message Board URL:
http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.cato/454.1.1.1.1/mb.ashx
Message Board Post:
Hello,
Debora, I wish that we knew everything that is posted in your message, but we just
don't, and I thought it might help you and other researchers to talk through the
things that we know---- and don't know---so that we can all work together to solve
some of the long-standing Cato questions. The internet is a great thing, but so much
false information gets passed around!! When it becomes accepted as fact, then we just
don't make any progress with the family research! So I hope this helps.
First, it must be said that, as far as I have seen, there is not even ONE proven child of
Henry and Tabitha Cato. There are lots of possible children, and you list some of them,
but NONE have been proven. Even the lineages found in the records of the DAR do not stand
up to scrutiny.
We also do not know when or where Henry Cato and Tabitha Cato married, when they died or
where they are buried.
One of the big questions is the identity of Tabitha Cato. She could be a Brewer, but she
is just as likely to be a Johnson or something completely different. The theory that she
was a Massey is from one of the books by Judge Massey, and there is no documentation.
There was a rumor floating around that Tabitha was named in the will of "her father
William Brewer" but no one has ever some up with a copy of that will, or a location
of the will, or even a transcript of ANY will which names Tabitha Cato.
If anyone knows of any will which names a Tabitha Cato, it would be great to hear about
it!!!
I have never seen anything which shows that Tabitha died "8 May in Drowning Creek,
NC" (or anything that shows exactly when and where she died.) The last we hear from
Tabitha is when she is signing deeds as Henry's wife in Lancaster Co SC.
Regarding Henry and Tabitha's possible children:
Possible son Burrell Cato you refer to in your message (born 1764 Drowning Creek NC)
definitely does NOT go to Wayne County, Missouri. He goes to Mississippi and files an
application for a pension based on his revolutionary war service from Mississippi.
Possible son Vincent Cato (my gggg-grandfather) did not die in Alabama...he died in
Lancaster County SC.
One of the William Catos who MIGHT be son of Henry did go to Alabama and died there.
There are quite a few Williams and it's hard to keep them all straight, but we
don't know which one (if any) was a son of Henry and Tabitha.
Possible son Needham did die in SC about 1831. We don't know that he was born at
Drowning Creek NC, but there is an estate for Needham in Kershaw County SC, I believe. I
haven't seen that estate settlement.
I have seen possible daughters Hester, Rhoda, Rachel, etc mentioned in online databases,
but have never found one shred of proof that any one of them belong to Henry and Tabitha.
If I am wrong about that, I sure wish someone would tell me.
It is true that the father of Henry Cato was a John Cato of Brunswick County VA. There is
a deed which proves it. And it's very likely that Jane Cook is Henry's mother, as
we can prove that John Cato was married to Jane Cook. However, the info that John CATO
the father of Henry died in South Carolina has NEVER been proven. That speculation came
from a book in which the author assumes that the Rev. John Cato of Lancaster Co SC is the
SAME John Cato who is Henry's father. But there has never been any proof found, and
it seems much more likely to me that Henry's father died in Va. But I don't know
for certain.
I would like to know where the list of John Cato and Jane Cook's children came from.
As far as I know, there are three proven children of John: Sterling Cato, Henry Cato and
Mary Cato who married Peter Lee. The Daniel Cato of Greensville County VA mentioned in
that list is the BROTHER of a John Cato of VA, not a son of Henry Cato.
And last but not least, George Catour has never been proven as the father of John Cato and
Daniel Cato of Virginia. It's possible that he is, but George CATOUR's will
written 1732/probated 1734 in VA names no children. It would be great to find something.
One avenue for research along those lines is to figure out what happened to his widow
Mary CATOUR. Maybe she had a will. I've never been able to track her down.
So I hope this helps....there are so many good primary source records available now, many
of them online, and I hope that we can solve some of these puzzles!!
Best Regards,
Cynthia Benua
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