As many of you have noticed, I've been offline still & have yet to
update the CATO pages. I've made it through about 100 e-mails & have a
little over 400 to go so it's still going to take a while!
Anyhow, I did make it back to the FHC & have been going through the
Miss. info that I ordered in. The following CATO/CATER stuff is from
that info. By the way, does anyone know who in the heck Cato WEST is?
He's right there where the CATO family shows up later in Jefferson Co.,
but apparently there bef. 1800, whereas the CATO family isn't there
until later. He's apparently be-bopping around with the CATO's early on
& in 1802 is old enough to have a son-in-law, so he was most likely b.
ca 1760 or before. If his mother was a CATO (highly likely), she would
have been born ca 1740 or before (just as an estimate). Could his
mother have been one of John & Jane's children??? (He's hanging out
with others from the John/Jane line.)
(No matter which county all the following give, they're all in the
Jefferson Co., Miss. deedbooks!)
Deed Book A-2, p.2:
Cato WEST to J.A.DAVIDSON, conveyance, registered 7-24-1802, dated
6-2-1802...indenture between Cato WEST of Jefferson Co., in the Miss.
Territory...& John A. DAVIDSON...son-in-law of the said Cato WEST...as
well for & in consideration of the affection which he hath & bearith
unto the said John A. DAVIDSON...and his family...that tract of land
whereon the said John A. DAVIDSON now lives, orig. granted to Stephen
SORIBER & by him conveyed to Narsworthy HUNTER...to the said Cato WEST,
lying in...Jefferson Co. on the S side of the N fork of Cole's Creek &
containing 350 French acres...grant made by Spanish govmt... Signed
Cato WEST; wit: John C. SCOTT & K. BOULAND.
Deed Book A-2, p.3:
A. HUNT to Cato WEST, bill of sale, registered 7-24-1802, dated
12-1-1800...I Abijah HUNT of the County of Adams Mississippi Territory
for...$1,300...hand paid to me by Cato WEST of the County of Pickering
in Territory aforesaid...2 men slaves, one a mulatto called Perry about
17 & the other black named Ned about 20 years of age...Signed Abijah
HUNT; wit: Wm. KENNER, Dan'l. JAMES. J.GIRAULT, clk.
Deed Book A-2, p.4:
J. COLLIER to Cato WEST, sale, registered 7-24-1802, dated
5-12-1801...Isaac H. COLLIER, late of the State of
Tenn...for...$1,800...paid by Cato WEST of the Territory & County
aforesaid (doesn't say where aforesaid!)...sold...unto the said Cato
WEST 3 negro women slaves with each a child, to wit, Esther & child
called Plato, Thomer & child named Jenny & Nan & child named Nelson...
Signed Isaac H. COLLIER; wit: Parker CARRADINE Sr., Geo. R. CARRADINE,
Parker CARRADINE Jr.
Deed Book A-2, p.5:
Executors of GRIFFING to Cato WEST, sale, registered 7-24-1802, dated
10-19-1797...Jeremiah COLEMAN & Elijah SWAZAY as executors to the last
will & test. of the late Gabriel GRIFFING...do sell...unto Cato WEST,
esq. of the District of Villa Gayodo?, the following negro slaves, to
wit, Bob aged 40, Flora aged 30, Peggy aged 5, & Hector aged 2
years...for $800...Signed Jeremiah COLEMAN, Elijah SWEZEY; wit: John
FOSTER, John GIRAULT. Before me Dr. Stephen MINOR Capt. in the Royal
armies, & Major of the Dist & Governor for the time being of the Nachez
& its dependancies...appeared Jeremiah COLEMAN & Elijah SWAZEY...Sept.
19, 1797...John GIRAULT, recorder, John HOPKINS, J.P.(proven 1802)
Deed Book A-2, p. 19:
James CAGE to Cato WEST, registered 7-28-1802, dated 5-13-1801...James
CAGE, late of Tennessee State...for...$1,825...paid by Cato WEST of the
Territory & Co. aforesaid (no county & Territory mentioned aforesaid!)
...[for] the following negro slaves to wit, Edward or Ned about 25 years
old, Lidde his wife about 23, Sophia her dau., about 7 years old & Sarah
or Sally about 16 years old... Signed James CAGE: wit: Edward HALL &
John FAKE. Acknowlegement signed Wilson CAGE, L.S.; wit: John FAKE,
William STAMPLEY. Proven in court by John FAKE. Signed Jno. GIRAULT,
clk.
Deed Book A-2, p. 20:
Jesse LUM to Cato WEST, registered 7-28-1802, Mississippi Territory,
Pickering Co., dated 2-4-1800...Jesse LUM of the Territory & County
aforesaid...[for] the sum of $600...paid...by Cato WEST of the aforesaid
Territory & County...a negro man slave named Jacks about 28 years of
age...Signed Jesse LUM; wit: John MITCHELL, Elisha MOSS. Jno GIRAULT,
clk.
Deed Book A-2, p. 21:
David FERGUSON to Cato WEST, registered 7-28-1802, Mississippi
Territory, Adams Co, dated 1-29-1800...David FERGUSON of the Territory &
County aforesaid for...the sum of $1,100...paid by Cato WEST of said
Territory...2 negro slaves, one of yellow complexion named Nelson about
21 years old, the other black named Prince about 25 years of
age...Signed David FERGUSON; wit: Jno M. CABB & John FAKE; proven by
John FAKE. Jno. GIRAULT, clk.
(Note! I haven't checked the indexes for Cato WEST's name - the above
were just some that I stumbled across. I only looked at the "C"s in the
deed index.)
Deed Book B, p. 312 (Note! This is very faded & hard to read!)
Elisha JACOB to CLARK & wife: Recieved for record & recorded Nov. 2,
1829. Know all men by these presents that I Elisha JACOBS and child and
firmly bound to Thomas CATER & John H. CLARK in the sum of $600? for the
faithfull payments of which I bind myself & my heir in testimony whereof
I have hereunto set my hand & seal this 4th day of Nov., 1829. The
condition of this obligation is such that if the said Elisha JACOBS
shall pay unto W. H. CLARK & Polly D. CLARK, ---(wife???) of the minor?
heir of David CLARK, decd. $150 cash on their arriving at their legal
age at time this? obligation to be null & void? otherwise to remain in
full force & virtue. Signed sealed delivered & acknowledged before me
this 4 day of Nov. 1829. R.- ADAMS? & P. L?EFF-? Signed Elisha JACOBS.
Deed Book B., p. 518:
Daniel McEACHEM & wife to Henry CATO, deed, Rec'd. 2-6-1832, dated
12-22-1831...David McEACHEM & Mary his wife for...10 bales of cotten
secured to be paid to the said Daniel McEACHAM by the said Henry CATO
(of the county & state aforesaid)...all that tract or parcel of Land
being in the NW quarter of sect. 26 in T 9 of R 5 E containing 160 ac. &
70/100 ac....sold to said Henry CATO. Signed Daniel McEACHEM & Mary
McEACHEM. Test: Burrell CATO.
Deed Book B., p.533:
James CATOR & wife to John BURNS, rec. 4-2-1832, dated 12-23-1831
(note! this is one day after Henry CATO's deed!)...James CATOR &
Margarett CATOR, his wife of the County of Jefferson & State of Miss...&
John BURNS of the same place...the said James CATOR & Margarett his wife
for...$270...paid by the said John BURNS...have...sold...unto the said
John BURNS...a certain tract of land lying & being in said Co. & State
near the Red Lick which was granted by the General Government by patent
bearing date 1-29-1831...containing 175 ac granted to the said John
BURNS & James CATOR as tenants in common...174 ac & 56/100 ac...all the
rights...of said James CATOR to this whole tract...unto the said John
BURNS...Signed James (X) CATOR & Margarett (X) CATOR. Philip DIXON,
Chief Justice of the co. ct. Margarett CATOR is examined away from her
husband (gives up dower rights). 4-2-1832.
Deed Book D., p. 181:
Lewis CATO & wife to GARRETT & OSTEEN, rec'd. 9-24-1838, dated
5-5-1838...Lewis CATO of Jefferson Co., Miss. & Mary CATO his
wife...Isaac GARRETT & John J. OSTEEN...Lewis CATO & Mary
CATO...for...$-(there is no dollar amount given here - just a
dash)...sell...unto said Isaac GARRETT & John J. OSTEEN...all that tract
of land in said co. containing 162 ac & 52/100 ac...the NW Q of the SW Q
of sect. 18 in T 8 of R 4 E & E Q of sect. 13 of T 8 of R 3 E, also -/3?
ac. in sect. 13 of R 3 E in the NE corner of the tract road from thence
S 87 E 11.26 to a sweet gum, from thence S 22 E 15 ch to a --- in T
line, from thence N to the beg. in district of Lands West of Pearl
River... (Mary CATO also gives up her dower right) Signed Lewis CATO &
Mary CATO
Deed Book D., p.246:
Phillip O. HUGHES, admin. to Jno. EWING to deed Lewis CATO, rec'vd.
10-29-1838, dated 5-3-1838...Philip O. HUGHS of Jefferson Co.,
Miss...admin. of John EWING, deceased who died intestate...Probate Court
of Adams Co. & in pursuance of & obediance to said order granted in the
petition of Lewis CATO at the Mar. term...sell...unto the said Lewis
CATO...all that tract of land in said county containing 162 ac. & 52/100
ac...the NW Q of the SW Q of sect. 18 of T 8 of R 4 E & the SW Q of the
NW Q of the same sect. & the E 1/2 of the NE Q of Sect. 13 of T 8 of R 3
E & also all right...in the Estate of the said John EWING...unto the
said Lewis CATO...Signed Philip O.HUGHES. E.DUGGAN, J.P.
(Book E & later ones have many other deeds, but they haven't come in yet
at the FHC.)
I also spent almost 2 hours reading (ha! it was painful deciphering!)
through the minutes of the Salem Bapt. Church (around the Cole Creek
area) & the only thing I found at all was written in a time-line after
the actual minutes & it doesn't even give a 1st name!
"1844 - Serepta was dis. by letter to join Miss. Assn. (torn) sent up
this request: A letter was presented & read for (torn) ---port --- 3
bap, 3 dis, 2 ex., 3 died. Got? 16 white males (torn)--nted 20 min. &
contributed $2. Jesse YOUNG, Pastor. (torn) some old Miss. Mins. for
Bro. CATER."
Also, last trip to the FHC, I found 1 thing in the Jefferson Co. Circuit
Ct. Min. on Thomas CATER that I don't think I sent in yet. (I still
have a LOT of court records to go through, but they're not indexed &
hard to read so this will take a while to get through!)
(This is from the loose records so there are no page numbers)
The St. of Miss., to the Sheriff of Jefferson Co; Greeting. We command
you that the goods & chattels, lands & tenements of Thomas CATER late of
your county, you cause to be made the sum of $148.83 which HARRIS &
JORDAN lately in our Circuit Court, has recovered against him for their
damages which they have sustained, by reason of the non-performance of a
certain promise & assumption by the said Thomas CATER to the said HARRIS
& JORDAN lately made, (with interest in the rate of 8%...from April 1828
until paid) Also the sum of $15.76? for their costs... Thomas CATER is
convicted, appears to us, of record; and that you have the said sum of
money before the judges of the state aforesaid, at a Circuit Ct., to be
holden in & for the Co. of Jefferson, at the courthouse thereof, on the
2nd Mon. in April next, to answer to said HARRIS & JORDAN of their
damages & costs aforesaid...Joshua Child, presiding Judge. Issued Dec.
10, 1828. On the opening page is a break-down of the costs & it says
Rec'd. Jan. 9, 1829. R. HARRISON, shff. - No property found. Rd.
HARRISON shff.
(There were also circuit ct. records for Wm. IVY, dec'd. in addition to
records for Richard, Chas. & Benj. F. WEST.)
Later!
Bonnie