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This series of purchases occurs in Dallas County Alabama, between 1832 and 1837. We know that David Cathcart bought land and then sold it to his brother Samuel before he left for Bloomington, Indiana. These purchases are certainly between these two brothers.
Given that David Cathcart's 1830 census listing includes a 60 to 70-year-old male, I'm pretty much convinced that the John Cathcart in the land sales below is the father of Samuel and David: John Cathcart, Sr. (one of the "big four" Cathcart brothers).
Furthermore, many records indicate that Samuel and David had a brother named John; but he is said to have disappeared (i.e. died) in a in South Carolina swamp when he was a teenager. It is therefore unlikely that it is Samuel and David's brother, John, was the one making the transactions below.
More research is needed to confirm this hypothesis!
From Bureau of Land Management Records Website
| Image | Accession |
Names |
Date | Doc # | State | Meridian | Twp - Rng | Aliquots | Sec. # | County |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
AL0310__.423 |
 CATHCART,
DAVID |
8/8/1832 | 9522 | AL | St Stephens | 017N - 009E | W½SW¼ | 9 | Dallas |
 |
AL0560__.064 |
CATHCART,
DAVID |
4/10/1837 | 21388 | AL | St Stephens | 009N - 017E | W½NW¼ | 14 | Crenshaw |
|
|
AL0470__.221 |
CATHCART,
JOHN |
10/21/1834 | 17322 | AL | St Stephens | 015N - 007E | W½SE¼ | 29 | Dallas, Wilcox |
|
|
AL1640__.387 |
CATHCART,
JOHN |
5/20/1837 | 26242 | AL | St Stephens | 015N - 007E | W½SE¼ | 17 | Dallas |
|
|
AL1670__.456 |
CATHCART,
JOHN |
8/2/1837 | 27819 | AL | St Stephens | 015N - 007E | E½NE¼ | 30 | Dallas, Wilcox |
|
|
AL1670__.457 |
CATHCART,
JOHN |
8/2/1837 | 27820 | AL | St Stephens | 015N - 007E | SE¼SE¼ | 19 | Dallas |
|
|
AL1750__.243 |
CATHCART,
JOHN |
8/15/1837 | 31682 | AL | St Stephens | 015N - 007E | W½SW¼ | 20 | Dallas |
|
|
AL0330__.488 |
CATHCART,
SAMUEL |
6/4/1833 | 10581 | AL | St Stephens | 015N - 007E | SW¼ | 29 | Dallas, Wilcox |
|
|
AL0590__.492 |
CATHCART,
SAMUEL |
4/15/1837 | 23320 | AL | St Stephens | 015N - 007E | SE¼NW¼ | 29 | Dallas, Wilcox |
|
|
AL1750__.133 |
CATHCART,
SAMUEL |
8/15/1837 | 31572 | AL | St Stephens | 015N - 007E | NE¼NW¼ | 29 | Dallas, Wilcox |
|
|
MW-0707-272 |
GREGORY,
RUFFIN, CATHCART,
JOHN G |
6/1/1853 | 66648 | AL | St Stephens | 011N - 018E | SW¼SW¼ | 13 | Crenshaw |
Chart copied from BLM website (https://www.blm.gov/sites/blm.gov/files/uploads/IB2013-057_att1.pdf)
- Cathcart House -- Alabama Historical Society PDF
| Name: | DAVID CATHCART | |||||||||
| Land Office: | CAHABA | |||||||||
| Document Number: | 9522 | |||||||||
| Total Acres: | 80 | |||||||||
| Signature: | Yes | |||||||||
| Canceled Document: | No | |||||||||
| Issue Date: | August 08, 1832 | |||||||||
| Mineral Rights Reserved: | No | |||||||||
| Metes and Bounds: | No | |||||||||
| Statutory Reference: | 3 Stat. 566 | |||||||||
| Multiple Warantee Names: | No | |||||||||
| Act or Treaty: | April 24, 1820 | |||||||||
| Multiple Patentee Names: | No | |||||||||
| Entry Classification: | Sale-Cash Entries | |||||||||
| Land Description: |
|
| Name: | SAMUEL CATHCART | |||||||||
| Land Office: | CAHABA | |||||||||
| Document Number: | 10581 | |||||||||
| Total Acres: | 159.68 | |||||||||
| Signature: | Yes | |||||||||
| Canceled Document: | No | |||||||||
| Issue Date: | June 04, 1833 | |||||||||
| Mineral Rights Reserved: | No | |||||||||
| Metes and Bounds: | No | |||||||||
| Statutory Reference: | 3 Stat. 566 | |||||||||
| Multiple Warantee Names: | No | |||||||||
| Act or Treaty: | April 24, 1820 | |||||||||
| Multiple Patentee Names: | No | |||||||||
| Entry Classification: | Sale-Cash Entries | |||||||||
| Land Description: |
|
| Name: | JOHN CATHCART | |||||||||
| Land Office: | CAHABA | |||||||||
| Document Number: | 17322 | |||||||||
| Total Acres: | 79.84 | |||||||||
| Signature: | Yes | |||||||||
| Canceled Document: | No | |||||||||
| Issue Date: | October 21, 1834 | |||||||||
| Mineral Rights Reserved: | No | |||||||||
| Metes and Bounds: | No | |||||||||
| Statutory Reference: | 3 Stat. 566 | |||||||||
| Multiple Warantee Names: | No | |||||||||
| Act or Treaty: | April 24, 1820 | |||||||||
| Multiple Patentee Names: | No | |||||||||
| Entry Classification: | Sale-Cash Entries | |||||||||
| Land Description: |
|
| Name: | DAVID CATHCART | |||||||||
| Land Office: | CAHABA | |||||||||
| Document Number: | 21388 | |||||||||
| Total Acres: | 80 | |||||||||
| Signature: | Yes | |||||||||
| Canceled Document: | No | |||||||||
| Issue Date: | April 1, 1837 | |||||||||
| Mineral Rights Reserved: | No | |||||||||
| Metes and Bounds: | No | |||||||||
| Statutory Reference: | 3 Stat. 566 | |||||||||
| Multiple Warantee Names: | No | |||||||||
| Act or Treaty: | April 24, 1820 | |||||||||
| Multiple Patentee Names: | No | |||||||||
| Entry Classification: | Sale-Cash Entries | |||||||||
| Land Description: |
|
| Name: | SAMUEL CATHCART | |||||||||
| Land Office: | CAHABA | |||||||||
| Document Number: | 2332 | |||||||||
| Total Acres: | 39.92 | |||||||||
| Signature: | Yes | |||||||||
| Canceled Document: | No | |||||||||
| Issue Date: | April 15, 1837 | |||||||||
| Mineral Rights Reserved: | No | |||||||||
| Metes and Bounds: | No | |||||||||
| Statutory Reference: | 3 Stat. 566 | |||||||||
| Multiple Warantee Names: | No | |||||||||
| Act or Treaty: | April 24, 1820 | |||||||||
| Multiple Patentee Names: | No | |||||||||
| Entry Classification: | Sale-Cash Entries | |||||||||
| Land Description: |
|
 |
||||||||||
| Name: | JOHN CATHCART | |||||||||
| Land Office: | CAHABA | |||||||||
| Document Number: | 26242 | |||||||||
| Total Acres: | 79.31 | |||||||||
| Signature: | Yes | |||||||||
| Canceled Document: | No | |||||||||
| Issue Date: | May 2, 1837 | |||||||||
| Mineral Rights Reserved: | No | |||||||||
| Metes and Bounds: | No | |||||||||
| Statutory Reference: | 3 Stat. 566 | |||||||||
| Multiple Warantee Names: | No | |||||||||
| Act or Treaty: | April 24, 1820 | |||||||||
| Multiple Patentee Names: | No | |||||||||
| Entry Classification: | Sale-Cash Entries | |||||||||
| Land Description: |
|
| Name: | JOHN CATHCART | |||||||||
| Land Office: | CAHABA | |||||||||
| Document Number: | 27819 | |||||||||
| Total Acres: | 80.325 | |||||||||
| Signature: | Yes | |||||||||
| Canceled Document: | No | |||||||||
| Issue Date: | August 02, 1837 | |||||||||
| Mineral Rights Reserved: | No | |||||||||
| Metes and Bounds: | No | |||||||||
| Statutory Reference: | 3 Stat. 566 | |||||||||
| Multiple Warantee Names: | No | |||||||||
| Act or Treaty: | April 24, 1820 | |||||||||
| Multiple Patentee Names: | No | |||||||||
| Entry Classification: | Sale-Cash Entries | |||||||||
| Land Description: |
|
| Name: | JOHN CATHCART | |||||||||
| Land Office: | CAHABA | |||||||||
| Document Number: | 2782 | |||||||||
| Total Acres: | 40.19 | |||||||||
| Signature: | Yes | |||||||||
| Canceled Document: | No | |||||||||
| Issue Date: | August 02, 1837 | |||||||||
| Mineral Rights Reserved: | No | |||||||||
| Metes and Bounds: | No | |||||||||
| Statutory Reference: | 3 Stat. 566 | |||||||||
| Multiple Warantee Names: | No | |||||||||
| Act or Treaty: | April 24, 1820 | |||||||||
| Multiple Patentee Names: | No | |||||||||
| Entry Classification: | Sale-Cash Entries | |||||||||
| Land Description: |
|
| Name: | SAMUEL CATHCART | |||||||||
| Land Office: | CAHABA | |||||||||
| Document Number: | 31572 | |||||||||
| Total Acres: | 39.92 | |||||||||
| Signature: | Yes | |||||||||
| Canceled Document: | No | |||||||||
| Issue Date: | August 15, 1837 | |||||||||
| Mineral Rights Reserved: | No | |||||||||
| Metes and Bounds: | No | |||||||||
| Statutory Reference: | 3 Stat. 566 | |||||||||
| Multiple Warantee Names: | No | |||||||||
| Act or Treaty: | April 24, 1820 | |||||||||
| Multiple Patentee Names: | No | |||||||||
| Entry Classification: | Sale-Cash Entries | |||||||||
| Land Description: |
|
| Name: | JOHN CATHCART | |||||||||
| Land Office: | CAHABA | |||||||||
| Document Number: | 31682 | |||||||||
| Total Acres: | 79.25 | |||||||||
| Signature: | Yes | |||||||||
| Canceled Document: | No | |||||||||
| Issue Date: | August 15, 1837 | |||||||||
| Mineral Rights Reserved: | No | |||||||||
| Metes and Bounds: | No | |||||||||
| Statutory Reference: | 3 Stat. 566 | |||||||||
| Multiple Warantee Names: | No | |||||||||
| Act or Treaty: | April 24, 1820 | |||||||||
| Multiple Patentee Names: | No | |||||||||
| Entry Classification: | Sale-Cash Entries | |||||||||
| Land Description: |
|
Census Listings:
1820 |1830 | 1840 | 1850 | 1860 | 1866
| Name | Free White Males | Free White Females | other free |
slaves | Page | Image | Notes | ||||||||
| <10 | 10-15 | 16-25 | 26-44 | >44 | <10 | 10-15 | 16-25 | 26-44 | >44 | ||||||
Dallas Co. |
|||||||||||||||
Notes:
- No Cathcarts found in this census year (see SC census page for Cathcarts)
1830
| Name | Free White Males | Free White Females | Ag |
Slaves M/F/T |
Page | Image | Notes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| < 5 | 5-10 | 10-15 | 15-20 | 20-30 | 30-40 | 40-50 | 50-60 | 60-70 | 70-80 | 80-90 | 90-100 | ≥ 100 | < 5 | 5-10 | 10-15 | 15-20 | 20-30 | 30-40 | 40-50 | 50-60 | 60-70 | 70-80 | 80-90 | 90-100 | ≥ 100 | ||||||||
|
Dallas County |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| David Cathcart | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 65/84 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| James Miller | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 72 | 13/84 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Notes:
- David Cathcart, (son of
John of Big4) b 1790,
so age works for the male in the 40-50,.
- Unless there was an error in the enumeration, the male aged 60-70 (1760-1770) cannot be David's brother Samuel, but I now believe that this is David's father, John (b.1764)
- See land sales above involving a John Cathcart in 1832 and 1837.
- James Miller, Jr. (1790-?) was brother to Nancy and Elizabeth Miller. His sister Nancy (1796-1831) married David Cathcart in about 1823 in South Carolina and is the 30-40 -year-old female depicted in the census listing above for David Cathcart. His sister Elizabeth (1791-1876) married David Junkin (1791-1873). David and Elizabeth, in turn, had a daughter: Mary Junkin (1812-1887) who married David Cathcart about 1832--after the death of her aunt, and first wife of David Cathcart!
| Name | Free White Males |
Free White Females |
Slaves |
Page | Image | Notes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| < 5 | 5-10 | 10-15 | 15-20 | 20-30 | 30-40 | 40-50 | 50-60 | 60-70 | 70-80 | 80-90 | 90-100 | ≥ 100 | < 5 | 5-10 | 10-15 | 15-20 | 20-30 | 30-40 | 40-50 | 50-60 | 60-70 | 70-80 | 80-90 | 90-100 | ≥ 100 | |||||||
|
Dallas County |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Saml Cathcart | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 87/99 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
- Samuel Cathcart's age matches, as does the ages
of his two sons: Samuel and William. Since his daughter Ann is not
present in this enumeration, we must assume that she has
either married, died, or perhaps gone off to college.
- There is some confusion as to whether or not the 15-20-year-old male listed is indeed William Cathcart. This is because William's last name is enumerated as Chestnut for all subsequent censuses in which he appears.
- Samuel's brother, David—born in 1790, and
head of household in the above 1830 census—has by this time moved to
Monroe County, Indiana.
(click here to see the 1840 census listing on my Indiana page)
1850 Census (Federal and State)
Federal (both in Cahaba Beat, Dallas County)
- Samuel age 65, and SG age 20 male. both b. SC, both farmers (click for census image)
- Wm age 30, blind. Living w Robert
Chestnut (click
for census image)
- In the 1850 census, William appears at the bottom of the household—normally an indication that he is not part of the family.
- Although his last name is changed to Chestnut in subsequent census enumerations, William is easy to find as he is consistently listed as being blind. This name change makes it difficult to prove that he is Samuel Cathcart's son. However, it's certainly believable that after the death of Samuel's wife, it would be quite difficult for a busy farmer to be able to properly care for his son, and that he might be found with a family/friend who could more easily take care of him. More research is needed.
Alabama State Census, Dallas County:
-
Samuel
Cathcart: males 1 <21, 1 > 21, 1 18-45, 1 > 45; no females; 14 slaves;
total 16
- Since 16 total less 14 slaves = 2, we know there are only two white males in the household
- Samuel is over 45, which he certainly is, being born about 1784.
- Samuel his son falls into two categories above, so that narrows is age between 18-21. Since Samuel was born in 1829, this matches with our data.
Not transcribed yet
- State Census has T. Cathcart in Township 17,
Range 7E of Dallas County
- Males 2 <10, 1 >20; Females: 2 <10, 1 >20
- My image | Ancestry.com link
- Not sure where/how T fits in. Perhaps it's Theodore K. Cathcart
- Ebenezer "Eber" Cathcart, Calhoun County
- Males 1 <10, 2 10-20, 1 50-60; Females: 1 40-50
- Eber likely descends from Samuel and the "Spartanburg Cathcarts"
Dallas County, Alabama; circa 1820
Saint Stephens—originally Fort St. Stephen's, inhabitants petitioned recognition from the Mississippi Territorial Legislature, and town was chartered in January of 1807. Alabama Territory capital 1817-1819. Click here for Wikipedia article
Cahawba was for a short time the capital of the state of Alabama (1820-1825), and subsequently the County seat for Dallas County—until 1865, when Selma became this County's seat.
Land Act of 1820—federal law active 24 April, 1820 Click here for Wikipedia article