A thought about Adruain's request for information on the Wayne Co.,
Mo. Cato's. He says that they came from Christian Co., Ky. Some
definitely did come from Christian Co. but I don't think they all did.
Some came from Mississippi and some came from S.C. I believe, but I
think they knew they were kin, surely most or all having roots in S.C.
I agree wholeheartedly with Bonnie that Mary Catour who made the will
in Norfolk Co., Va. in 1752 was probably not the widow of George Cato.
If she can get some idea where Virginia got her information of a
second marriage, please post it as soon as possible because I am
going to Richmond next week for 4 days of research on several
families and the Cato family will be one of them.
I have a problem in seeing Daniel as a brother of John who married
Jane Cooke for this following reason. John who died in 1788 named
John, son of his brother Daniel as his executor. I do not think that
that John was the husband of Jane Cooke. I think that John, husband
of Jane Cooke, went to Lancaster Co., S.C. If he is not the John in S.
C., who was that John. To say that John remarried after Jane died and
had all those children named in the will of 1788 by the second wife
is possible but I am disturbed by his not mentioning that he had
other children. Such a will surely could have been contested.
Bonnie apparently is saying that since Sterling witnessed the deed of
gift from John to Henry Cato in 1769 that he had to be born at least
21 years before, at least by 1748. However I am not sure that one had
to be 21 years old to witness a document or give a deposition. It
would be worth checking with some attorneys who have some historical
knowledge before using this as proof of age. Moreover the Sterlings
we have to work with seem to be younger. Do you think that a man born
on or before 1748 would be on spy missions in Georgia in 1794 at the
age of 46 years or more? The Sterling in Lancaster Co, S.C. was
definitely younger and the Sterling in the 1783-87 tax list (1790
census) of Pittsylvania Co., Va. would appear to be younger. Where
did this older Sterling go if one existed?
Henry Brackin