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General Information

My genealogical interest in Illinois is focused on the southwestern most part of the state—Randolph County. David Cathcart (born about 1765) is mentioned in several historical sources as one of the earliest settlers in the Plum Creek and Grand Cote Prairie regions of that County. Records indicate that David arrived in Grand Cote Prairie—known today as the town of Coulterville—in about 1818.The movements and record left by David and his family are outlined in the census and land transaction sections of this page.

John Cathcart (1789-1864, the eldest son of my third great-grandfather, James Cathcart, Sr.) moved from South Carolina to Randolph County, Illinois in about 1846. The reason given for the move is his opposition to slavery. It is perhaps only coincidence that there were other Cathcarts living in this area of Illinois before John Cathcart's arrival; but there are many reasons to believe that there is a connection between these two Cathcart lines.

Other Information

Excerpts from History of Randolph/Monroe Counties
Illinois Cathcarts of my line
- These are descendants of John Cathcart, son of James Cathcart, Sr. (of "Big 4") mentioned above.
Reformed/Covenanter Church information

Outside Links

Land Transactions

Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales Database

(http://cyberdriveillinois.com/cgi-bin/archives/land.s)

STATE WIDE

                    Sale Legal       Sect- Twn- Ra- Meri- Acres   Price     Total Soc.    Date       Co. or State of
Name of Purchaser   Type Description ion   ship nge dian Bought Per Acre Price Stat    Purchased   Purchaser             Vol. Page
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
CATHCART C W          FD W2NE          28   16N 08E 4    26.66    1.25     33.33 UNKWN   06/17/1836 UNKNOWN               708 084 BUREAU

CATHCART CHARLES W FD SE 03 15N 08E 4 80.00 1.25 100.00 MALE 04/28/1836 UNKNOWN 708 069 BUREAU

CATHCART CHARLES W FD E2SW 03 15N 08E 4 80.00 1.25 100.00 MALE 04/28/1836 UNKNOWN 708 069 BUREAU

CATHCART CHARLES W FD SWSW 21 16N 08E 4 13.33 1.25 16.66 MALE 06/17/1836 UNKNOWN 708 082 BUREAU

CATHCART CHARLES W FD E2SW 21 16N 08E 4 26.67 1.25 33.34 MALE 06/17/1836 UNKNOWN 708 082 BUREAU

CATHCART CHARLES W FD NW 21 16N 08E 4 53.33 1.25 66.67 MALE 06/17/1836 UNKNOWN 708 082 BUREAU

CATHCART CHARLES W FD W2SE 15 16N 08E 4 80.00 1.25 100.00 MALE 04/28/1836 UNKNOWN 708 081 BUREAU

CATHCART CHARLES W FD SENW 01 17N 09E 4 40.00 1.25 50.00 MALE 05/23/1836 UNKNOWN 708 128 BUREAU

CATHCART CHARLES W FD NENE 01 17N 09E 4 40.75 1.25 50.94 MALE 05/23/1836 UNKNOWN 708 128 BUREAU

CATHCART CHARLES W FD E2NWVOID 32 17N 03W 4 40.00 1.25 50.00 MALE 04/01/1836 UNKNOWN 710 044 ROCK ISLAND

CATHCART CHARLES W FD SWVOID 32 17N 03W 4 80.00 1.25 100.00 MALE 04/01/1836 UNKNOWN 710 044 ROCK ISLAND

CATHCART CHARLES W FD W2SEVOID 31 17N 03W 4 40.00 1.25 50.00 MALE 04/01/1836 UNKNOWN 710 044 ROCK ISLAND

CATHCART CHARLES W FD W2NW 05 16N 03W 4 82.96 1.25 103.70 MALE 04/15/1836 UNKNOWN 710 035 ROCK ISLAND

CATHCART CHARLES W FD W2SW 36 17N 04W 4 80.00 1.25 100.00 MALE 04/15/1836 UNKNOWN 710 063 ROCK ISLAND

CATHCART DAVID FD NWDSIC 35 04S 05W 3 160.00 2.00 320.00 MALE 04/30/1819 RANDOLPH 009 470 RANDOLPH

CATHCART JOHN FD NENE 09 04S 06W 3 40.00 1.25 50.00 MALE 06/08/1848 RANDOLPH 032 062 RANDOLPH

CATHCART JOHN FD W2NE 09 04S 06W 3 80.00 1.25 100.00 MALE 06/08/1848 RANDOLPH 032 062 RANDOLPH

CATHCART JOSEPH FD W2NE 35 04S 05W 3 80.00 1.25 100.00 MALE 07/07/1820 RANDOLPH 031 001 RANDOLPH

CATHCART JOSEPH FD SENE 34 04S 05W 3 40.00 1.25 50.00 MALE 02/02/1837 RANDOLPH 031 086 RANDOLPH

CATHCART JOSEPH FD E2NE 02 05S 05W 3 73.30 1.25 91.62 MALE 09/21/1838 RANDOLPH 031 131 RANDOLPH

CATHCART MATHEW FD NWNE 18 26N 02E 4 40.00 1.25 50.00 MALE 08/31/1844 UNKNOWN 713 042 JODAVIESS

CATHCART MATHEW FD SWNE 18 26N 02E 4 40.00 1.25 50.00 MALE 04/07/1849 UNKNOWN 713 042 JODAVIESS

CATHCART ROBERT FD NENE 34 04S 05W 3 40.00 1.25 50.00 MALE 02/19/1853 RANDOLPH 032 151 RANDOLPH

CATHCART WILLIAM J FD NWSE 15 04S 06W 3 40.00 1.25 50.00 MALE 09/05/1849 RANDOLPH 032 087 RANDOLPH

Illinois Census Listings

1820 | 1825 | 1830 | 1840 | 1850 | 1855

1820

Name	Free White Males						Free White Females						Ag	Slaves	Image	Notes
	< 10	10-16	16-18	16-26	26-45	>45	< 10	10-16	16-18	16-26	26-45	>45	Ag	Slaves
Randolph County
David Kithcart (Cathcart)				1		1	1		1				12		3/4	Plumb Creek Twp. 1
James Munford	2	1				1			2	1					"	2
William Campbell				1			1			1					"	3

This is almost certainly David Cathcart (c1763-c1845). David would be the male >45; his son, Joseph the male aged 16-26. Melissa died onboard ship heading to the US from Antrim, so she is not listed. This census page also includes several related surnames: Campbell, McDill, McKelvey, Munford, Weir (families that came from South Carolina to become some of the earliest settlers in this section of Illinois).
James Munford (1766-1842), married David Cathcart's daughter, Mary Cathcart (12 Apr 1789-3 Oct 1876).
William Campbell (b. 1791-1797 - d. 1835), married David Cathcart's daughter, Rosanna Cathcart (c1797-Jul 1865)

1825

State Census, Randolph County, Township Plum-Creek (http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilrandol/1825census.htm)

James H. BEATTY Jane BEATTY John BEATTY John BOYD, SR William BOYD Alexander CAMPBELL, SR John CAMPBELL William CAMPBELL	David CATHCART Joseph CATHCART William ELLIOT David FERRIS Robert FOSTER John McDILL Thomas McDILL William McDILL	James MUNFORD James REDPATH Samuel STORMANT William STORMANT Samuel L. WEIR

1830

Name	Free White Males													Free White Females													Slaves/Img/Notes
Name	< 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	Slaves/Img/Notes
Randolph County
Joseph Cathcart	2					1			1					1					1									37/56	1

This is David Cathcart's son Joseph and family. See David's page for more information
1. Joseph Cathcart (1797-1876) is appropriately listed in the 40-50 age group. His father, David (1763-1845) would be the mail in the 70-80 age group.
2. Other heads of household on same page: Alexander McKelvey, Alexander Campbell, James Munford, William Campbell.

1840

Name	Free White Males													Free White Females													Slaves			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	M	F	T
Randolph County
Joseph Kithcart		1	2				1			1				1	1	1				1										59/85	1
Rosanna Campbell		1		1											1	1	3			1										59/85	2
Alexander Campbell					1		1			1								1				1								59/85

This is certainly Joseph Cathcart, son of David & Melissa Hollinger Cathcart. The ages for David and Joseph would be correct, as well as for Joseph's wife Nancy [Sinclair]. The 70-80 year old male would be Joseph's father, David.
Rosanah [Cathcart] Campbell [widow of William Campbell, who died 1835 and daughter of Joseph Cathcart] and family. So, after her husband, William's death, she is living next door to her father and her fatherIL.

1850

Ancestry.com search results: all Cathcarts in Randolph County. Clicking on "view image" will open a window on the ancestry.com website (subscription required).

Name	Home in 1850 (City, County, State)	Birth Year	Birthplace	Gender
Nancy Cathcart	Township 4 S R 5 W, Randolph, Illinois	abt 1793	Ireland	Female
Mary Cathcart	Township 4 S R 6 W, Randolph, Illinois	abt 1795	Ireland	Female
John Cathcart	Township 4 S R 6 W, Randolph, Illinois	abt 1795	Ireland	Male
Joseph Cathcart	Township 4 S R 5 W, Randolph, Illinois	abt 1797	Ireland	Male
James Cathcart	Township 4 S R 6 W, Randolph, Illinois	abt 1815	Ireland	Male
Ellen Cathcart	Township 4 S R 6 W, Randolph, Illinois	abt 1825	South Carolina	Female
Margaret Cathcart	Township 4 S R 5 W, Randolph, Illinois	abt 1827	South Carolina	Female
David Cathcart	Township 4 S R 5 W, Randolph, Illinois	abt 1827	Ill	Male
Robert B Cathcart	Township 4 S R 6 W, Randolph, Illinois	abt 1828	South Carolina	Male
Robert Cathcart	Township 4 S R 5 W, Randolph, Illinois	abt 1829	Ill	Male
Richard Cathcart	Township 4 S R 6 W, Randolph, Illinois	abt 1830	South Carolina	Male
Ellen Cathcart	Township 4 S R 6 W, Randolph, Illinois	abt 1832	South Carolina	Female
Charles M Cathcart	Township 4 S R 6 W, Randolph, Illinois	abt 1834	South Carolina
Agnes Cathcart	Township 4 S R 5 W, Randolph, Illinois	abt 1836	Ill	Female
Frances Cathcart	Township 4 S R 5 W, Randolph, Illinois	abt 1837	Ill	Female
Thomas Cathcart	Township 4 S R 6 W, Randolph, Illinois	abt 1844	South Carolina	Male
Mary Cathcart	Township 4 S R 6 W, Randolph, Illinois	abt 1848	South Carolina	Female

1855 Illinois state census

Name																					Notes
	<10	10-20	20-30	30-40	40-50	50-60	60-70	70-80	80-90	90-100	<10	10-20	20-30	30-40	40-50	50-60	60-70	70-80	80-90	90-100
Randolph County 1
James Cathcart	2	1			1						1			1							2
William Cathcart	1			1							1	1									3
Robert Cathcart	1	1		1							1		1								4
John Cathcart			1			1							1			2					5

All for listings below appear on one page of Township 4 Range 6 West, Randolph County, Illinois. Click here for image.
1. included on this page:
  1. James Mathews (1818-1900), whose daughter Nancy would marry William George Stavely Cathcart
  2. Thomas Mathews (1782-1874), whose daughter Janet White Mathews would marry Robert Beattie Cathcart (see note 4 below)
  3. Robert Lyons (circa 1816-1900), whose son Robert, would marry Mary Harper Cathcart (1854-1876), daughter of Richard and Margaret Redpath Cathcart.
James G Cathcart
William John Stavely Cathcart ()
Robert Beattie Cathcart (1820-1900)
John Cathcart

Maps

Cemeteries

Bethel Reformed Presbyterian Church—Sparta

A very interesting page from the Presbyterian Church of America (PCA) Historical Center's website outlines the church's history.
- The article mentions the churches first pastor, Rev. Samuel Wiley in the movements of the churches earliest congregants—including David Cathcart, mentioned above.
- Other surnames mentioned: McKelvey, McDill, Wilson, Munford, McClurkin.

Hill Prairie Cemetery Listings

(http://www.iltrails.org/Randolph/hillc.htm)

Campbell, Agnes 26 Sep 1866 15 Oct 1900
Campbell, Emma C 20 Jan 1860 27 Mar 1936 w/o Geo Cathcart
Campbell, Francis 13 Jul 1854 1905
Campbell no dates d/o James & Laura
Campbell, Isabelle 14 Mar 1868 07 Apr 1949
Campbell, James C 01 Dec 1857 30 Jul 1917
Campbell, Jane "Jenny" 20 Oct 1831 29 Oct 1903 w/o Thomas
Campbell, Jane 19 Feb 1827 16 Feb 1889 w/o John
Campbell, Jane 17 Mar 1854 66y w/o Thomas
Campbell, John C 07 Jan 1824 28 Mar 1896
Campbell, Margaret 16 May 1871 20 Jul 1947
Campbell, Martha Boyle 09 Jul 1876 23 Jun 1945 w/o Thomas
Campbell, Sarah J 11 Mar 1882 50y 23d w/o James
Campbell, Thomas 09 Aug 1827 27 Sep 1901
Campbell, Thomas 01 Feb 1873 08 Jan 1962
Campbell, Thomas 1857 66y
Campbell, Wallace G 1915 1977
Cathcart, Bertha A 1876 1951
Cathcart, Charles Madden 01 Sep 1833 08 Jun 1913
Cathcart, Elisabeth 02 Jun 1837 06 Oct 1884 w/o W
Cathcart, Elizabeth 1872 1955 w/o John R
Cathcart, Ella J 18 Jan 1824 24 Nov 1903 w/o James G
Cathcart, Elmer 17 Jun 1866 13 Jul 1901
Cathcart, George 12 Sep 1866 04 Mar 1957
Cathcart 26 Aug 1851 4d inf of WJ & M
Cathcart 23 Dec 1811 s/o John H & Jane L
Cathcart, James 07 Jan 1889 74y
Cathcart, James M 1856 1917
Cathcart, Jane L 19 Apr 1845 26 Nov 1931 w/o John H
Cathcart, John 07 Mar 1864 75y
Cathcart, John 1917 twin of Mary
Cathcart, John E 30 Jun 1853 9m 22d
Cathcart, John H 04 Mar 1849 20 Apr 1904
Cathcart, John Moffett 1944 79y
Cathcart, John R 1863 1937
Cathcart, Margaret 16 Jan 1832 12 Aug 1892 w/o Richard
Cathcart, Margaret 17 Sep 1842 27 Jun 1912 w/o Charles
Cathcart, Margaret J 15 Mar 1861 3y 4m 6d d/o John & Nancy
Cathcart, Mary 1917 twin of John
Cathcart, Mary Ann 1852 26y
Cathcart, Mary Eleanor 18 Nov 1859 08 Aug 1860 d/o Charles & Mary
Cathcart, Mary H 05 Oct 1873 84y
Cathcart, Mary Isabella 10 Oct 1837 25 Jan 1861 w/o CM
Cathcart, Mattie R 1879 24y
Cathcart, May 13 Jan 1897 32y
Cathcart, Minnie A 1873 1918
Cathcart, Nancy 09 Apr 1857 5m 22d
Cathcart, Nancy R 19 Apr 1854 5m 22d
Cathcart, Richard 20 Mar 1827 06 Feb 1879
Cathcart, Richard C 28 Mar 1868 22 Feb 1899
Cathcart, Riley N 1905 1919
Cathcart, Robert 01 May 1853 23 Jan 1854 s/o Richard & Margaret
Cathcart, Sarah 25 Jul 1860 1y
Cathcart, Thomas K 02 Jun 1864 19y killed in Battle s/o James
Cathcart, W 20 Jan 1828 29 Jun 1901
Cathcart, Will R 20 Dec 1871 15 Feb 1903
Cathcart, William James 1854 1933
Chassels, Angus M 13 Apr 1817 19 Jul 1889
Chassels, Jone M 25 Apr 1817 19 Jul 1897 w/o AM
Chassels, Margaret M 14 May 1848 06 Jul 1862 d/o AM & JM
Colby, Carl N 17 Jun 1905 26 Jun 1977
Colby, Mary R 31 Dec 1904 08 Nov 1972 w/o Carl
Cox, Ethel M 04 Jun 1896 24 May 1980 w/o Shelton J
Cox, Shelton J 20 May 1886 10 Jul 1953
Curry, Jane Elizabeth 29 May 1870 22y 11m 14d w/o Samuel B
Curtis, Americus no dates
Curtis, Myrtle May no dates
Cuthbertson, Alexander 17 Mar 1813 17 Apr 1860
Cuthbertson, Janet 28 Apr 1814 14 Feb 1903 w/o Alexander
Cuthbertson, Janet 19 Sep 1848 w/o William
Cuthbertson, Margaret
Cuthbertson, Margaret 1852 72y
Cuthbertson, William 31 Dec 1852 47y

Notes

Excerpts from Combined History Randolph/Monroe/Perry Counties

From: Diane E Eden
Subject: [Cathcart] Illinois Cathcarts, Randolph County
Date: Fri, 6 Jun 2003 11:51:51 -0500

I have gotten a copy of a "Combined History of Randolph, Monroe & Perry
Counties of Illinois" by interlibrary loan, for 2 weeks.  It lists some
Cathcarts I'm interested in.  Some I recognize as my line, some I do not.
 I will quote the Cathcart parts below:  (my comments in parentheses)

"The settlement in the lower end of Flat prairie was strengthened by the
arrival, in 1820, of David Cathcart, John Dickey, & John McMillen, & the
next year of Ebenezer Alexander & James Anderson.  ....."  (pg 74)

A Joseph Cathcart is listed as occupying land in Randolph County in 1820,
N.W.,35, 160 acres.  (pg 98)

In a Randolph County census, dated 25 Nov 1825, there is David Cathcart
listed as head of family in Plum-Creek Township.  (pg 116)

"David Cathcart and his son-in-law, William Campbell, from South
Carolina, came in the spring of 1819, and settled in the lower end of
Grand Cote Prairie (Randolph County)." (pg 243)

David Cathcart is listed among others as subscribing $10  attached to a
call for a Rev. J. Wylie to serve as pastor of their newly organized
Associate Reformed/Covenanters congregation.  (pg 243)

"All the names of those contributing for ministerial support on the
former call (of Mr Wylie) are .....William Cambell, who came in the
spring of 1819 with his father-in-law, David Cathcart, and James
Mcwillan, also from South Carolina.... " (pg 244)

"On the 5th of May 1865, Hugh Mathews, John Houston, and Wm J.S. Cathcart
were invested with the office of ruling elders (of Old Bethel
congregation in Sparta, IL, I believe).   (pg 247)    [This Hugh Mathews
(1826-1906) is brother to my gg grandmother, Jannet Mathews(1831-1915),
who married Robert Beattie Cathcart(1820-1900).  Wm J. S. Cathcart is I
believe William John Staveley Cathcart (1823-1901) who was a brother of
Robert B Cathcart.]

"In March 1858 a unanimous call was made upon Rev. David Steele to become
pastor, the congregation asking for one half of his time. The call was
signed by 23 members as follows: James Elder, Jenny C. Holmes, Mary
Fowlds, Ellen Cathcart, Joseph Lynn, William R. Lynn, Nancy Lynn, Joseph
Keys, Ellis Keys, John Cathcart, Mary Cathcart, Hugh Tweed, Jennet Tweed,
Jane Cuthbertson, David Tweed, Amelia J. Tweed, James E. Wilson, Ann
Wilson, John J. Marshall, Elizabeth Marshall, John Tweed, Nancy Tweed and
Robert J. Ritchie." (pg 248)  [Several of these names are inter-related
to my line.... John & Mary Cathcart would possibly by my ggg
grandparents, John Cathcart (1789-1864) and Mary (Harper) Cathcart
(1789-1873) who were both buried in Hill Prairie cemetery, in Sparta IL.
]

There is a Robert Cathcart invested with the office of deacon at Church
Hill congregation near Eden, IL.  (pg 249)

"The earliest settler to locate in what is now known as Coulterville
precinct (Randolph Co.) was David Cathcart.  He made a trip to the county
in 1818, and selected & entered a tract of land consisting of 160
acres--the N.W. 1 of section 35, T.4, R.5 W., December 3, 1818--which was
entered in the name of his son, Joseph. Mr. Cathcart was a native of
Ireland, and came here from South Carolina early in the spring of 1819. 
He built his rude log cabin in the end of the timber, near the present
residence of Mrs. John Edgar, his grand-daughter. He brought his family
with him. His children were: Mary, who married James Munford; Rosanna,
who became the wife of William Campbell in South Carolina; Elizabeth
married William Stormont, and one son Joseph. They are all deceased.
(book published 1883)   Joseph reared a family, of whom Robert, Francis,
Margaret, the wife of William Woodside, and Agnes, the wife of John
Edgar, are living in the vicinity.  Mr Cathcart was a weaver by trade,
and followed that occupation in the Carolinas.  He improved a good farm,
where he died about 1845, over 90 years of age. (therefore born before
1755).  William Campbell, his son-in-law, who came with the family to
Illinois in 1819, located about a mile south of Mr. Cathcart, in section
2, of T.5, R.5, where he made a farm and resided until his death.  James
Munford, also a son-in-law of Mr. Cathcart, arrived & made a settlement
in the same neighborhood, in December 1819. He died in January, 1840 at
the age of 76 years.

   Hugh McKelvey, the 2nd pioneer of Coulterville, like Mr. Cathcart, had
visited the county in 1818 & purchased land. He came in the same spring &
about the time of Mr Cathcart's arrival, & located on section 26, their
cabins being about one mile distant from each other.  ..... (pg 369)

I apologize for this being so long ... and I apologize for omitting whatmay be of interest to some.  I would be glad to send other large portions
(especially lengthy histories of the various churches & covenanters,
which some of you might be interested in) either by fax or scanned into
text documents.  

I am very interested in knowing more about this David Cathcart, if there
is any connection to our John & Mary (Harper) Cathcart line.  

Thank you, Diane Eden, dianemail2@jXXX.com  (XXX=UNO)