Bonnie,
Although the 1860 census may have James Cato born in NC, the 1850
census has him born in SC, so we cannot be sure where he was born.
However I suspect that the people in Lancaster Co., SC were moving
around a lot and some of the time were over Mecklinburg Co., NC. We
know that Needham was in NC in 1800. I also continue to believe that
James was a son of Sterling. If he is not a son of Sterling, he is a
son of Daniel. He apparently was in Stewart Co., Tn. when a James
Cato served on a jury 1815 in Stewart Co., Tn. and then he apparently
was taxed along with Sterling Cato in 1815 in Cape Girardeau Co., Mo.
He is probably the James Cato, age 54 yrs., b. in S.C. in who is in
the Hamilton Township of Prairie Co., Ark census of 1850 with wife
Nancy, b. 1812 in Ky. He and Ransom Cato 1/30/1819 signed a petition
for a settlement on land purchased fron the Quapaw Indians. In the
Rev. War pension application of John Weldon (#832053) is listed the
marrige of a daughter Nancy Weldon to James Cato 2/9/1830 in
Independence Co., Ark., Bk. 1, p. 11. John Weldon died 3/3/1835,
widow Nancy. Weldon was born 8/17/1759 in Halifax Co., Va. was living
in St. Mark's Parish, Craven Co., SC during the early part of the War
where he was commissioned a 1st Lt. In 1778 he moved to Wilkes Co.,
Ga., to Christian Co., Ky. in 1796, to Johnson Co., Ill in 1814 and
to the Ark. Territory in 1818 where he lived in Independence Co.
until his death.
Until we have more evidence I must continue to think that Henry Cato,
b. 1786, who was in Wayne Co., Mo. was Henry, son of Henry and
Tabitha Brewer Cato. He may have been born in NC but I suspect that
the census is wrong.
As far as Tabitha Cato having a dower in the estate of William
Bayliss, it would suggest to me that Henry Cato had married the widow
and she was receiving her widow's dower from the estate. This seems
to me the most likely. Since Bayless had minor children in 1834, he
was probably a middle aged man and his widow would have been an
appropriate age to marry Henry Cato who was 57 yrs. old at the time.
If Henry's daughter was marrying a Bayliss and Henry was paying a
dowry to the estate, then money would be going into the estate. So a
more complete copy of the document could help make this determination.
However the use of the word dower indicates to me a widow's dower.
Henry Brackin