DR HENRY B BRACKIN JR wrote:
Bonnie,
Will you send me a copy of the land descriptions of Nehemiah's land
and Needham's land or post it on the Cato rootsweb. address.
Henry Brackin
Nehemiah Cato recieved in 1825 a bounty grant for SW Sect. 24, Twp. 7 N,
R 11 W (160 ac.) I believe this is the land that Needham Cato is listed
as owning (adjoining Amos).
Book J, Page 41, Conway Co., Ark. deeds:
Know all men by these presents that I Amos Catoe of the County of
Conway... sale unto the said Jams R. ELLIOTT a certain tract or piece of
Land and described as follows, the NW 1/4 of the E 1/4 of Sect. 24 in
Twp. 7 N, R 11 W, also the NE 1/4 of NE 1/4 of Sect. 24 in Twp. 6 N of R
11 W, the south boundary line known by Jas. R. ELLIOTT and Laney?
HERROD, A. Catoe, Needham Catoe...Amos Catoe do covenant with the said
Jas. R. ELLIOTT ....In witness whereof the said Amos Catoe have hereunto
set my hand and seal this April the 3rd day, 1859. Amos (X) Catoe..
The following is from where Amos had just moved to White Co. from Conway
Co.:
Book J, Page 556, Conway Co., Ark. deeds:
Know all men by these presents that I Ammus Cato of the County of Conway
and State of Ark. for and in consideration of the sum of $700 to me in
hand paid J.M.BLASSINGAME of county and State aforesaid the ... whereof
is hereby acknowledged have granted bargained and soled do by these
presents do bargain and sell unto the said J.M.BLASSINGAME... the S 1/2
of the NE 1/4 of Sect. 24 in twp. 6 N of R 11 W W & the SE 1/4 of Sect.
24 in 6 N of R 11 containing 240 ac. with all appertanances ...A. Cato
covanant with the said BLASINGAME his heirs and assigns... I the said
Ammus Cato have hereunto my hand and seal this 18th December 1866. Amus
(X) Cato Signed & delivered in the presents of J.?M.BLEDSLOE,
J.W.ACKLIN, State of Arkansas, County of *White*. Be it remembered that
this 18th day of Dec. A.D., 1866... one of the Justice of the Peace for
the County of White and St. of Ark. Amis Cato as said county to me well
known as the person whose name appears upon the foregoing deed of
conveyance acknowleged that he executed the same the consideration
aforesaid and the same to be certified and I so certify given under my
hand as such Justice this date first above written. John P. HELM
OK, to sum up the situation in Ark.! There were essentially 2 families
in the same general area there... One was in Sect. 12 & mine was in
Sect. 24 of Conway Co. This is where Nehemiah got his grant in 1825,
although his was the SW 1/4 of this section & township whereas Amos
(Needham's son) is selling out part of the NE part of this Sect. &
township & later the NE part of the township below this but it's
adjoining Needham's line. I have not yet found the rest of the deeds
for where Needham or Nehemiah sold out or transferred their land, but
I'm trying to get a plat map from the area from before Needham's death
to try to determine for sure what was happening with the land, but
considering they were sold or granted originally in 160 ac. chunks, one
would assume that they were at the very least next door neighbors...
This land was also on a creek that goes directly up through Van Buren
Co., where Needham & James were listed in 1836-38. We know that James
had a son who was a trader in this area in Conway Co. early on (Cato,
Ark. named for him) & also that James was here in the area (Pulaski Co.
at that time) in the late 1820's because he's listed in the newspaper
there as having found a stray. (Remember that part of Conway came from
Pulaski & later Faulkner Co. was cut out of Conway.)
I've also determined that the only male who's the correct age to fit in
as Needham's oldest son would be the James Cato who's living in the
household with the young Nelson Cato in 1850... The rest I've pretty
much accounted for.
Best,
Bonnie