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Land Purchases

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 NamesSorted Ascending Date Doc # State Meridian Twp - Rng Aliquots Sec. # County
View Patent Image AL0310__.423 PatenteeCATHCART, DAVID 8/8/1832 9522 AL St Stephens 017N - 009E W½SW¼ 9 Dallas
View Patent Image AL0560__.064 PatenteeCATHCART, DAVID 4/10/1837 21388 AL St Stephens 009N - 017E W½NW¼ 14 Crenshaw
View Patent Image AL0470__.221 PatenteeCATHCART, JOHN 10/21/1834 17322 AL St Stephens 015N - 007E W½SE¼ 29 Dallas, Wilcox
View Patent Image AL1640__.387 PatenteeCATHCART, JOHN 5/20/1837 26242 AL St Stephens 015N - 007E W½SE¼ 17 Dallas
View Patent Image AL1670__.456 PatenteeCATHCART, JOHN 8/2/1837 27819 AL St Stephens 015N - 007E E½NE¼ 30 Dallas, Wilcox
View Patent Image AL1670__.457 PatenteeCATHCART, JOHN 8/2/1837 27820 AL St Stephens 015N - 007E SE¼SE¼ 19 Dallas
View Patent Image AL1750__.243 PatenteeCATHCART, JOHN 8/15/1837 31682 AL St Stephens 015N - 007E W½SW¼ 20 Dallas
View Patent Image AL0330__.488 PatenteeCATHCART, SAMUEL 6/4/1833 10581 AL St Stephens 015N - 007E SW¼ 29 Dallas, Wilcox
View Patent Image AL0590__.492 PatenteeCATHCART, SAMUEL 4/15/1837 23320 AL St Stephens 015N - 007E SE¼NW¼ 29 Dallas, Wilcox
View Patent Image AL1750__.133 PatenteeCATHCART, SAMUEL 8/15/1837 31572 AL St Stephens 015N - 007E NE¼NW¼ 29 Dallas, Wilcox
View Patent Image MW-0707-272 PatenteeGREGORY, RUFFIN,
WarranteeCATHCART, JOHN G
6/1/1853 66648 AL St Stephens 011N - 018E SW¼SW¼ 13 Crenshaw

 

How to read township grid

Chart copied from BLM website (https://www.blm.gov/sites/blm.gov/files/uploads/IB2013-057_att1.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:  
1 W½SW   ST STEPHENS No 17N 9E 9
     
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:  
1 SW   ST STEPHENS No 15N 7E 29
     
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:  
1 W½SE   ST STEPHENS No 15N 7E 29
     
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:  
1 W½NW   ST STEPHENS Yes 9N 17E 14
     
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:  
1 SENW   ST STEPHENS No 15N 7E 29
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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:  
1 W½SE   ST STEPHENS No 15N 7E 17
     
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:  
1 E½NE   ST STEPHENS No 15N 7E 3
     
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:  
1 SESE   ST STEPHENS No 15N 7E 19
     
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:  
1 NENW   ST STEPHENS No 15N 7E 29
     
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:  
1 W½SW   ST STEPHENS No 15N 7E 2

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Census Listings:

 1820 |1830 | 1840 | 1850 | 1860 | 1866

1820

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:

  1. No Cathcarts found in this census year (see SC census page for Cathcarts)

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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:

  1. David Cathcart, (son of John of Big4) b 1790, so age works for the male in the 40-50,.
    1. 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)
    2. See land sales above involving a John Cathcart in 1832 and 1837.
  2. 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!

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1840

Name Free White Males

Free White Females

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

Saml Cathcart     1 1       1                       1             4 6 10   87/99 1
                                                                 

1840 Notes:

  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.
    1. 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.
    2. 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)

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1850 Census (Federal and State)

Federal (both in Cahaba Beat, Dallas County)

 

Alabama State Census, Dallas County:

1860

Not transcribed yet

1866 Alabama State Census

  1. State Census has T. Cathcart in Township 17, Range 7E of Dallas County
    1. Males 2 <10, 1 >20; Females: 2 <10, 1 >20
    2. My image | Ancestry.com link
    3. Not sure where/how T fits in.  Perhaps it's Theodore K. Cathcart
  2. Ebenezer "Eber" Cathcart, Calhoun County
    1. Males 1 <10, 2 10-20, 1 50-60; Females: 1 40-50
    2. Eber likely descends from Samuel and the "Spartanburg Cathcarts"

 

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Maps

Alabama Historical Maps

Dallas County approximately 1820
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


Churches & Cemeteries

 

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