Hi all,
You may have seen on this list messages re: the David Johnson family of Ky and Mo. David
Johnson and wife Margaret apparently joined the Bethel Baptist Church of Jackson,
Missouri, about 1812. David Johnson died about 1823 in Mo, and his estate settlement
lists children William, Davis, Jonathan, Noble, Constant, Ransom, Sally and heirs of
deceased daughter Willie Elmey Baker.
Betsy CATO married Davis Johnson August 1809 in Christian County Ky. Security by William
Johnson.
Henry CATO married Polly Ladd Jan 1810 in Christian County Ky. Security by Charles
Johnson.
William Johnson married Jane "McGeehee" 1 April 1808 in Christian County KY.
(Don't know Security and not sure if Jane wld be part of the McGee family who came to
MO)
And back in Lancaster SC, DB C&E p 94, recrd 17 Feb 1794. A Deed from Wm Brewer to
William Horton is for land "joining lands said Horton now lives on...to head of
William Johnson's Branch...to Henry Cato's Branch."
So the Johnsons and the Catos go way back. Anyway, I wondered if there were any Catos
listed in the records of the Bethel Baptist Church, so I contacted a man named Robert Webb
of the Primitive Baptist Library, and he checked the records for Cato. He did not find
any, but did direct me to an interesting blurb about the Bethel Baptist Church. It says
that the log building of the Bethel Baptist Church (organized 1806) was the first Baptist
meeting house west of the Mississippi and east of the Pacific Ocean.
There was a huge increase in the membership of the Church in 1811-1812, and here's
what the website says about it:
"Churches have always been places of gathering for mutual support in times of
community trouble....Here is the church record entry to December 10, 1811, following the
first of the New Madrid earthquakes: 'On Monday at 3 o'clock in the morning a
great and tremendous earthquake commenced which broke many places of the earth at New
Madrid County. It continued shaking very hard all this winter....shocks are sensibly felt
this spring (1812).' In the days following the New Madrid Earthquakes of 1811-1812, it
seems our forebearers had the same need for support, as membership of the Church increased
from 73 to 142."
Since they joined about 1812, I wonder if the Johnson family were inspired by the
earthquakes!
The Missouri Baptist Historical Society is trying to reconstruct the church using some of
the original logs on the site.
A transcript of the records of the Bethel Church exists, and may at some point be posted
on the Internet.
Just thought this was interesting.
Best,
Cynthia