Joseph Cathcart
B. C1809, SC -- D. 1894, IN

Many online family trees suggests that this is Joseph Nathaniel Cathcart, son of John and Mary Boulger Cathcart.  This is almost certainly incorrect, as Joseph Nathaniel Cathcart was born about 15 years earlier, and lived most of his life in Louisiana--where he was buried in 1868.

Click here for Joseph's page on ancestry.com

Highlights

All records indicate that Joseph was born in South Carolina in about 1809.  That estimated birth year is derived from a series of census enumerations--from 1840 through 1880, and all in Washington County, Indiana:

1840
Males: 1 <5 (Hugh), 1 20-30 (Joseph); F: 1 <5 (Nancy), 1 20-30 (Matilda)

1850
Joseph Cathcart 37 SC
Matilda Cathcart 32 IN
Nancy Cathcart 13 (all children b. Indiana)
Hugh Cathcart 12
Joseph Cathcart 7
Matilda Cathcart 5
Jemimah Cathcart 3
John Cathcart 4/12

1860
Joseph Cathcart 49 SC
Matilda Cathcart 45 KY
Joseph Cathcart 17 (all children b. Indiana)
Matilda Cathcart 15
Jemina Cathcart 13
John Cathcart 10
William Cathcart 8
Mary J Cathcart 6
Amanda Cathcart 3.12
William Tipps 25 farm laborer IN
Matilda E Tipps 2 IN

1870 (204/204)
Cathcart, Joseph 60, SC (cannot write)
Matilda, 53, keeping house IN, "
John 20
William 18
Jane 15

1880
Josep Cathert 67 SC (Ireland/Ireland)
Ella M. Tipss 21
Robbert Nichols 13

Note that although the ages given for Joseph in each census are somewhat inconsistent, these enumerations do not support his birth year being 1794.

Although this Joseph--who married 1) Matilda Johnson in about 1833, and 2) Elizabeth Nichols in July 1880-- is almost certainly not the son of John and Mary Boulger Cathcart; he very well might be John's nephew. Another possibility is that Joseph is the grandson of Joseph Cathcart, the Revolutionary war spy.

However, more research is needed to confirm either of these hypotheses.