From "Death Notices and Other Gleanings from the Western Weekly
Review 1831-1840 " abstracted by Jonathan Smith. (The Weekly Review was a newspaper
established 1831 in Franklin, TN, which is just outside Nashville in Williamson County):
Issue of 2 Jan 1835. "" Hardy Robertson found dead near Hightower's Store,
Franklin Tennessee, 25 December 1834. Appeared to have died from exposure and
intoxication. "
The old Christmas spirits strike again.
This is the husband of Matilda Cato, who I believe to be a daughter of Vincent Cato of
Lancaster County SC (my 4g-grandfather, died about 1820 in SC). Matilda (and some of her
younger siblings) are said to have gone to Williamson County TN after the death of their
parents Vincent and Sophia Cato, "with the Hortons, who were relatives of her mother
Sophia". I don't know which Hortons, but perhaps the Henry Cato Horton or
Claiborne Horton family who are also in Williamson County TN could be the ones.
Matilda had two children with a man named Henry Wynn about 1829/1830 ( "without the
inconvenience of marriage", as I've heard it said). She next married Hardy
Robertson/Roberson in February of 1832 in Williamson County TN. Hardy died Christmas
1834, as reported above. There is record of the estate settlement of Hardy Robinson
(widow Matilda) in January of 1835. I can barely read the buyers of the estate on the
crummy scan at ancestry and I can't read the final settlement paper (1840) at all.
But on the list of buyers at the estate, you can make out the name "Horatio
Smithson".
In 1840, Matilda Robinson (indexed as Halelda Robinson) is in Williamson County TN... her
neighbor is "Horatio Smithson".
1 female 30-40 (Matilda)
1 male 20-30 (??maybe Matilda's younger brother Williiam H. Cato?? Or maybe
Matilda's next husband? )
2 males 10-15 (born 1825-1830, and probably the two boys Matilda had with Henry Wynn who
were named Henry Vincent Cato Wynn and Luther Wynn)
1 female 5-10 (child with Hardy Robertson)
1 male 5-10 (child with Hardy Robertson)
In November of 1843, there is a TN marriage bond for William CATES to Matilda Roberson.
This marriage certainly looks like our Matilda, as Wm Cates and Matilda are shown on the
1850 Williamson County TN census with same next door neighbor (Horatio Smithson) as in
1840...... they apparently were living on the same piece of property Matilda lived on in
1840 as a widow. Also around them are the same people who were involved in setting out
her widow's provision allotment after Hardy died in 1834.
1850 Williamson County TN
Wm L. Cates 32 TN
Matilda Cates 43 SC
Martha A. Robertson 17 TN (her daughter with Hardy)
Thomas Robertson 14 TN (her son with Hardy)
Emeline Cates age 6 TN (child with Wm L. Cates)
John Cates age 4 TN (child with Wm L. Cates)
James Dean 21 TN
Her two older children with Henry Wynn (Henry Vincent Cato Wynn and Luther) are over in
Dyer County TN with their father.
I can't find Matilda and William Lee Cates on the 1860 census. If anyone knows where
they are, would you please let me know?
In 1870, they are in McNairy County TN. This is where Pleasant Cates, brother of William
L Cates, lived in 1860. Pleasant Cates went down to Itawamba Mississippi and there is
some interesting information on his life there.
The "Jillon" or Jilton/Gilton household Wm and Matilda Cates are living within
is said to be the household of their married daughter, who also ends up eventually in
Itawamba MS.
1870 McNairy County TN
William Jillon 36 AL ( he is a boatman)
Amanda 23 TN
Marietta 8 TN; Lucinda 5 TN; William H. 3 TN; Fannie L. 2 TN;
Flora 5 TN
Wm Cates 55 TN
Matilda Cates 50 SC
I am confused by the online info for this Jilton family......researchers tell me that
this Amanda Jillon or Gilton (wife of John William Gilton) is a Cates, but I find a
marriage bond in McNairy County TN for Miss Amanda FORTUNE to John William Gilton in 1866.
So I don't know, but Amanda does end up going down to Itawamba County Mississippi
with the Cates family. Researchers there tell me she was "married a few
times".
1880 McNairy County TN
Wm Cates 58 TN NC NC
Matilda Cates 75 wife SC SC SC
Flora Ryan 14 grand-daughter TN Ireland TN.
Flora Ryan must be the Flora listing as Flora Jillon, age 5, in the 1870 census. I can
find no record that seems relevant of marriage between a Robertson/Robinson or Cates
daughter of Matilda to a "Ryan" male in Tennessee. So I don't know who
Flora belongs to.
Matilda Cato Roberson Cates died between the census in 1880 and 1885, as
William Lee Cates married in September 1885 in McNairy County TN to RosieLee Curtis.
Can anyone tell me where Matilda Cato Robertson Cates was buried?
Her last husband William Lee Cates (1818-1900) and his second wife Rosa L. Cates (1856! -
1946) are buried at Mount Zion Cemetery, Stantonville, McNairy County TN. But I find no
record of Matilda.
Also, if anyone has run across the bonds ("bastardy bonds") filed by Henry
Wynn and Matilda Cato of Williamson County TN, re: the two sons born to them, I would love
to know where they can be found.
Best,
Cynthia Benua
P.S.
Matilda Cato likely had a sister, Elizabeth Cato, who married 1841 in Williamson County TN
to John J. Robinson/Robertson, perhaps a relative of Hardy..... Does anyone know what
happened to them? They seem to be in Maury County TN in 1850, and then they disappear.