John,
I received your letter to Bonnie and Adruian via rootsweb. I have been
researching the Cato family for about 20 years and seriously about 4 or 5
years ago with Bonnie and Adruian, both of whom have been in my home. I am
interested in what you have dug up this family and will especiially be happy
if you will share with me the information that you may get from this
descendant of Sterling that you mention in your letter.
You write in your letter "I have searched out her stone and Elizabeth
"Betsy" Cato was born January 26, 1784, and died February 4, 1878, in
California, as her son Joseph D. Johnson took her with him when the family
moved west. So Nathan would be the next child of Sterling Cato as he was born
June 16, 1786, assuming the usual
pattern of childbearing." I believe you mean Lewis (Louis) rather than
Nathan. Lewis was born on the date of 6/16/1796. Nathan was born in 1778
according to the 1850 census and had a son (Wiley C. Cato) born 1/18/1802.
Nathan was the great great great grandfather of my wife. Her family lived in
the Christian-Trigg Co., KY neighborhood from about 1803 until the present.
My wife is now deceased. We did and I do now live in Nashville, Tn. Bonnie
lives in College Station, TX and Adruian lives in Bowling Green , Ky.
In my writeup on the Cato family I note that both Sterling and
his father, Henry Cato, had a daughter in 1800 that was 10-16 years old so it
is possible that Betsy was the daughter of either of them. The census record
for them is:
Henry Cato: 01001-11201.
Sterling Cato: 22010-21210.
Both Henry and Sterling were in Christian Co, Ky in 1810. The record is:
Henry Cato : 00001-10101
Henry (Jr.) Cato : 10100-00100
Sterling Cato : 21101-10001.
So the daughters born in 1784-1800 in both families are gone. The youngest
daughter of Henry was probably the Tabitha Cato (b. in 1794 according to the
1850 census of Wayne Co., Mo.) who married Frances Ladd on 1/18/1810. Henry's
son Henry (Jr.) married Polly Ladd on the same day of 1/18/1810. However I am
inclined to believe that Betsy was a daughter of Sterling but I have no
proof. Do you?
Henry Brackin
Subj: [CATO] Elizabeth "Betsy" Cato, Christian County, KY
Date: 8/13/02 2:35:34 AM Central Daylight Time
From: <A HREF="mailto:CoarseAU@aol.com">CoarseAU@aol.com</A>
To: <A HREF="mailto:CATO-L@rootsweb.com">CATO-L@rootsweb.com</A>
Sent from the Internet (Details)
Bonnie and Adruain,
This is my first post on the Cato Mail List after browsing the site for the
first time last week. Cato is not one of my direct lines, but because
Elizabeth "Betsy" Cato married a brother of my 4 g Grandfather Noble Johnson,
I have accumulated some information that may be of interest.
Although I have not searched for an estate in Missouri for Sterling Cato, it
appears to be that Elizabeth is the daughter of Sterling Cato. She married
Davis Johnson August 17, 1809, in Christian County, Kentucky, by Thomas
Woods. JP. This was pursuant to a marriage bond signed by Davis Johnson and
his brother William Johnson which was dated August 8, 1809. I know that many
researchers and some books cite her husband as David Johnson or David
Johnson, Jr., but rest assured that it is Davis Johnson, son of David Johnson
and Margaret _?_ who moved from Christian County to Cape Girardeau County,
Missouri by 1812, as by then they are members of Old Bethel Baptist Church in
Jackson. Some researchers believe that Margaret's maiden name is Ladd.
Through marriages my Johnson line is mixed with Ladd, Frizzell, Baker, Moss,
Burns, McGehee/McKee, as well as Cato and others that are names in common in
Christian County as well as in the Lancaster County/Anson County area of
SC/NC, and later in SE Missouri. A good example is the Madison County 1860
census for Rev. Joseph D. Johnson, son of Davis Johnson and Elizabeth Cato
Johnson. Included in the household is his wife Maria L. Johnson, daughter of
Noble Johnson (a cousin marriage and her 2nd marriage); Maria's daughter by
her 1st marriage, Mary Jane Moss; Salathel Frizzell age 9; David Frizzell,
age 8; and Maria's two grandchildren William Johnson age 6 and Louisa Johnson
age 4. Last we have Elizabeth Johnson ("Betsy" Cato), widow of Davis Johnson,
age 74 born SC. (age off by 2 years by whoever in the household gave the
information to the enumerator).
I have searched out her stone and Elizabeth "Betsy" Cato was born January 26,
1784, and died February 4, 1878, in California, as her son Joseph D. Johnson
took her with him when the family moved west. So Nathan would be the next
child of Sterling Cato as he was born June 16, 1786, assuming the usual
pattern of childbearing.
I would appreciate a direct e-mail from Bonnie and/or Adruain as I have
located a direct descendant of Sterling Cato who is still in the environs of
where all this family history took place, and an oral history interview may
provide some important information. Being new to this List, I am not sure who
may be located in the area of our research, but I did note that Adruain was
in Hopkinsville on a research visit in the past and perhaps with the help of
Bonnie we could put our heads together on this item.
Thank you all for sharing your research . . . .and with kind regards,
John