Cynthia and Joan
I have been doing a little research in the census records of SC this
week and have come up with the following.
The William Cato (235) of Orangeburg Dist. 1790 census seems to be
probably the William Cator in Edgefield Co. in 1800, the William
Cater in Barwell Co. in 1810 and the William Cater in Barwell Co.
1820 censuses. From data on the Cato home page the William Cater of
Barwell Co. apparently is a descendant of the Thomas Cater who
received a land grant on the Ashley River in 1681. So there seems to
be no connection of William in the 1790 census in Orangeburg Dist and
our Cato's.
I looked up Hester and Edmund Deason in the census records. I found
the following:
1810- Edmund Deason, 12010-2001 (This is the given name in the index.
I could not decipher the first name but could read the last name.
Hester was b. 1765-1784)
1820- Edmund Deason 010101-21001 (Hester b. before 1775)
1830- Hester Deason 000001-000001001 (Hester b. 1760-70)
According to the combined census records Hester was born 1765-70.
According to the obituary she was born on Little Lynches Creek in SC
in 1758. Obviously something is wrong. If she was born in 1758 or
even in 1768, she was born in Virginia. On the other hand, if she was
born in SC she was born after 11/23/1771 when Henry sold the land "he
now lives on" in Brunswick Co., Va. I am inclined to believe the
place of birth more than the date of birth as found in the census
records or obituary. Moreover the dates of birth of children suggest
a later birth for Hester. According to the 1820 census she had 2
children born after 1810, certainly ruling out the 1758 date of birth.
Taking all the facts into consideration, it is my opinion she was
born after 11/23/1771 and before 1775. I tend to favor the date 1774.
According to the 1850 census she was b. 1774/5. This seems to place
her as a daughter of Henry rather than Sterling who I think was born
a little too late (after 1755) to be a father in 1774 or earlier.
Henry Brackin