Hugh Cathcart Descendants

Generation No. 1
 
1. HUGH2 CATHCART (WILLIAM1) was born 1765 in Antrim Co., Ireland, and died March 28, 1808 in Buried in Ebenezer Presbyterian Cemetery, Rock Hill, SC. He married AGNES. She was born 1770, and died May 07, 1834 in Buried in Ebenezer Presbyterian Cemetery, Rock Hill, SC.

Notes for HUGH CATHCART:

Family history handed down in our family states that John and his brother Hugh helped to establish the Scotch Covenanter Church in Rock Hill, SC, and that Hugh was buried in the Cemetery there. In the Fall of 1997 my father's cousin Frances Cathcart Dawson and I visited Rock Hill and the Ebenezer Presbyterian Church and Hugh's grave site. I spent time in the church's historical library, reviewing print materials from the Cathcart family file.

Information gathered from the Historical Library in the Rock Hill Ebenezer Presbyterian Church, 1997 follows:
Hugh and Agnes had two sons and one daughter; William, Harvey, and Nancy or Isabella(?). The Cathcarts came from Scotland (via Antrim Co., Ireland), where they had lived in a small village near Glasgow. They were Covenanters in their church relations.

Hugh and son William were members of a Covenanter Church in Chester Co. on Rocky Creek, there being no church of that faith nearer.* They attended very regularly even though the (great) distance (that needed to be traveled). In warm weather, then Covenanter pastor of Rocky Creek Church would come to the Cathcart home and preach and baptize the children and preach out in front of Hugh's or William's home.
W.J. Miller (son of Mary Cathcart and Joseph Miller), great grand son of Hugh, recalls:

"There was a large mulberry tree that stood in the grove at my father's in my boy days that Capt. Fairis, an old neighbor, said he had heard several long sermons preached under by a Covenanter preacher by the name of Donaly, and also says Rev. Donaly [1] baptized my mother under this same tree." (Note: On August 6, 1958 I located a very old mulberry tree just below the well-house which is apparently the one referred to here. M. Spencer)

All of both families (Cathcarts and Millers) up to this date succeeded well in life, were good citizens, (were) all members of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, which was formed by union of the Covenanter and Associate churches. There was one preacher Rev. John Miller, and two doctors (in these families), Dr. James Miller and Dr. Harvey Cathcart.
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Hugh and wife Agnes are buried in the Old Ebenezer Cemetery at the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in Rock Hill.
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From a letter dated June 24, 1920, signed by Barnette Miller Spencer:
My father was William Joseph Miller 1. His mother was Mary Cathcart. They were "Covenanters."......Three brothers came to this country in 1783 and landed in Charleston, SC. John settled on the Catawba River in Lancaster Co. Hugh, my great great grandfather, bought from the Government the land he was living on and I still own part of the same land. It has never been out of the Cathcart family and we still have the deed given to Hugh by the government.
 
Children of HUGH CATHCART and AGNES are:
2. i. WILLIAM3 CATHCART, b. 1793; d. 1844.
ii. HARVEY CATHCART, b. 1799.
iii. NANCY CATHCART, m. JOHNSON.
Notes for JOHNSON:
Nancy married a Mr. Johnson and moved to or settled in New York City.
 
Generation No. 2
 
2. WILLIAM3 CATHCART (HUGH2, WILLIAM1) was born 1793, and died 1844. He married JANE BLACK. She was born December 12, 1795 in From PA, and died November 02, 1857 in Buried in Ebenezer Presbyterian Cemetery, Rock Hill, SC.
Notes for JANE BLACK:
Notes by W.J. Miller, great-grandson of immigrant Hugh Cathcart and grandson of Jane Black Cathcart:
My grandmother, Jane Cathcart died in 18??, having long been an invalid. She was a good woman, kind and gentle. The fact of grandmother being an invalid for years is why Nancy, mother's oldest sister, never married; stayed at home to we with here mother.
 
Children of WILLIAM CATHCART and JANE BLACK are:
i. WILLIAM4 CATHCART, b. 1822; d. September 12, 1842, Buried in Ebenezer Presbyterian Cemetery, Rock Hill, SC.
Notes for WILLIAM CATHCART:
William died of typhoid fever at age 20 yrs. Never married.
ii. HARVEY CATHCART, b. 1827; d. September 14, 1842, Buried in Ebenezer Presbyterian Cemetery, Rock Hill, SC.
Notes for HARVEY CATHCART:
Harvey never married.
From notes by W. J. Miller, great-grandson of immigrant Hugh Cathcart:
Harvey studied medicine, graduating from the University of KY in 1823. A very extensive medical practice followed. He had an older aunt, Jane Williamson who lived with him. The doctor died young in 1836.
"Dr. Cathcart and brother William merchandized in a frame building that stood in the corner of our yard between the grind stone and the weeping willow tree. I moved the store (the frame structure) out on the side of the road opposite the barn and had it for a cotton house and used the ceiling to weatherboard it as the first weatherboarding was decayed. Dr. and brother made money, and the Doctor invested his in Negroes and William, his in land. The Covenanters were opposed to holding slaves. After Dr. Cathcart's death his brother William inherited his property and moved up there in 1837. William died in 1844."

iii. JAMES CATHCART.
Notes for JAMES CATHCART:
Notes from W. J. Miller, great-grandson of immigrant, Hugh Cathcart:
I remember Uncle James and Aunt Nancy (both children of William and Jane Black Cathcart) well. They were both good and kind. Nancy lived until 1862 during late war and died of typhoid fever.
James, the youngest son, never married. He was 25 years old when the
Civil War came on, volunteered among the first and was in the 1st battle of Manassas, died the fall of 1861 in the hospital in Charlottesville, VA of typhoid fever.

iv. NANCY CATHCART.
Notes for NANCY CATHCART:
Nancy, oldest daughter of William and Jane Cathcart, never married but stayed at home taking care of her mother who was an invalid for may years.
From W.J. Miller, nephew of Nancy and son of Mary Cathcart and Joseph Miller:
"I remember Aunt Nancy and Uncle James Well. They were both good and kind. Nancy lived until 1862 and died of typhoid fever."

3. v. MARY CATHCART, b. September 13, 1825; d. October 17, 1894, Buried in Ebenezer Presbyterian Cemetery, Rock Hill, SC.

vi. ISABELLA CATHCART, b. 1830.
 
Generation No. 3
 
3. MARY4 CATHCART (WILLIAM3, HUGH2, WILLIAM1) was born September 13, 1825, and died October 17, 1894 in Buried in Ebenezer Presbyterian Cemetery, Rock Hill, SC. She married JOSEPH MILLER 3RD October 24, 1844, son of JOSEPH JR. and NANCY NEELY. He was born March 26, 1826, and died September 26, 1890 in Buried in Ebenezer Presbyterian Cemetery, Rock Hill, SC.

Notes for JOSEPH MILLER 3RD:
Joseph and Mary Cathcart were married by Rev. E. P. Bishop.
 
Children of MARY CATHCART and JOSEPH 3RD are:

4. i. WILLIAM J.5 MILLER, b. August 12, 1845; d. February 17, 1918.
ii. MARY JANE MILLER.
iii. EUGENIA MILLER.
iv. WALKUP MILLER, b. August 06, 1857; d. December 08, 1873.
 
Generation No. 4
 
4. WILLIAM J.5 MILLER (MARY4 CATHCART, WILLIAM3, HUGH2, WILLIAM1) was born August 12, 1845, and died February 17, 1918. He married MARGARET JOSEPHINE November 22, 1866. She was born August 20, 1845, and died February 18, 1906.
 
 
Notes for WILLIAM J. MILLER:
William J. Miller recalls the following:
"When I became 8 years old my father started me to school to Mr. Ezekiel Powell, a large fleshy man, who whipped little and big at school that did not study. The school house was a plain log house, no ceiling and the benches were made of slabs with 4 legs. The school house was located at what we now call the Nichols Field, as we go to the Jim Pierce place. The teacher whipped little and big when they did not obey. I was fearful of the old fellow for I never had a switch applied to me and did not want it. We had a large school, from eight years old to 21 years old, both boys and girls. I remember my father told me to study well and he would take me to Rock Hill to see the first train of cars that came up here towards Columbia.

The train stopped where Black St. crosses the RR. That was 1853. I was so frightened at the engine and the noise it made that I caught hold of mother's dress skirt and suppose if she had not been there I would have run away.

The next school I attended was taught by Miss Isabella Black and Miss Elizabeth McConnell, and the school house was located near where Ben Roach lives. They only taught three months each. The school house was built of logs and had no floor. The next school I attended was at Ebenezer (probably Ebenezer Village) where the present school house now stands. It was a very good frame building, two rooms - one for the larger scholars and the other for the smaller. It was taught by Gen. Alston, assisted by his oldest son. He had a large school with many young men from other counties of the State. Gen.. Alston was an old man from the lower part of the State, highly educated and once was very rich but had lost his property. He was a fine instructor, very dignified and also very strict. That was about 1855.

The next school was at Tirzah Church, taught by J. B. Pankey. He also had a large school, many young men boarding in the community. Mr. Pankey, a native of Virginia, was a splendid school teacher. At the commencement of the (Civil) war I was still going to school at Tirzah, being taught by Col. Bowen, a native of York County. That was 1861. The Civil War was then commenced and every young man was making preparations to go to the front. I was in a class of boys from 18 to 25 years old and they were all gone or going, therefore I must go too. But I was only 15 years old but large for my age.

Up to that time I had a very good chance to go to school. My father made me work one year on the farm, as the old people thought, to make you grow strong. I would have been ready for college if the war had not come on. I think my father intended to give me an education for he was financially able. He owned about 25 Negroes when they were freed.

June 1861 ended my school days as at that time we had left home to prepare for going to the front to meet the enemy. I volunteered when I was 15 years old, June 1861. I suppose the cause of my enlisting so young was that I was in a class of young men from 18 to 25 years old. I entered a company with one school and classmate, named Steven M. Johnson, and two of my neighbors, Randolph Pierce and Wm. Brown; all three good, nice young men. Pierce and Brown both died from disease in the army and Johnson was killed in the battle of Gettysburg. John L. Miller was Captain of the company; William Dunlap, 1st Lieutenant."
William J. Miller further describes his military experiences in some detail.
 
Children of WILLIAM MILLER and MARGARET JOSEPHINE are:
i. JOSEPH RODDEY6 MILLER, b. September 16, 1867; d. April 06, 1931; m. MARY LINDSAY, December 16, 1896.
Notes for JOSEPH RODDEY MILLER:
Joseph Roddey Miller was a physician.

ii. WILLIAM WALTER MILLER, b. August 29, 1869; d. August 26, 1945; m. ADDIE WILLIAMS, October 24, 1900.

iii. MARY CATHCART MILLER, b. July 16, 1873; d. January 01, 1885.
Notes for MARY CATHCART MILLER:
Died at age 11 yrs. 5 mo., 16 days.

iv. ANNIE VENA WALKUP MILLER, b. April 22, 1875; d. March 26, 1913; m. N. S. BLACK, July 20, 1910.

v. EUGENIA JANE MILLER, b. September 05, 1876; d. January 16, 1877.

vi. INNIS JOSAPHINE MILLER, b. August 20, 1877; d. March 06, 1880.
vii. STILLBORN INFANT MILLER, b. September 05, 1879.
viii. BARNETTE WYLIE MILLER, b. November 18, 1880; m. J. H. SPENCER, October 02, 1907.
ix. INFANT DAUGHTER MILLER, b. March 08, 1884.
x. STILLBORN INFANT MILLER, b. September 12, 1885.

1.  This is almost certainly the Rev. Thomas Donnelly, Jr. (1/13/1772-11/27/1847) who preached in this same area.  Interestingly, Thomas' son (also named Thomas, 1814-1871) married Mary Cathcart (1819-1884). This Mary was the daughter of John and Mary Harper Cathcart—John being my third great granduncle, and eldest son of my third great-grandfather James Cathcart, Sr. (1763-1851).
Click on his name above for a link to his page on my GEDCOM.