James Cathcart, Sr.
~1763-1851

Children | Questions |  Notes

James Cathcart, Sr. (my 3rd great grandfather, and one of the "Big 4" Cathcart brothers¹) was born about 1763 in County Antrim, Ireland.  As of today, we have not yet been able to ascertain the exact location of his birth or his residence before emigrating to the United States.  Most records seem to place him in the area of Cloughmills and/or Topp.

Two of his sons left for the US just before the beginning of the War of 1812.  Son Robert fought in that war and eventually became a successful landowner in the area of Chester and Fairfield Counties in South Carolina.  James Jr., was captured by the British and impressed into service with the Royal Navy; but later escaped and joined the family in the US.

James and the rest of his family immigrated to the US in 1816 and settled in the Chester District, of South Carolina.  On November 7, 1817, James paid $500 for 80 acres of land "on the south side of Rocky Creek waters of the Catawba River" in Chester District, South Carolina.² 

James was enumerated in the 1820 census in Chester County, South Carolina. 

As you can see from the image above, James is living next to his son, John. In James' household we have 2 males aged 10-15 (Charles, b. 1805, and William, 1810), 1 male 16-25 (Richard b. 1792?), and James is the male 45 and older. Females were Jane (b. 1806) in the 10-15 column, Nancy (b. 1799) in the 16-25, and wife, Nancy in the over 45.

According to a paper entitled "Sketch of the Covenanters of Rocky Creek, South Carolina," James was an elder in the Richmond Reformed Presbyterian (Covenanter) Church, which was located on the border between Chester and Fairfield counties about 7 miles east of Blackstock.

In June of 1824, James sold nearly all of the land he bought seven years earlier.  It was probably at that time—and before 1830 census—that James and his family moved south to nearby Fairfield District.

1830 census, Fairfield District South Carolina

In the 1830s census above, we can see James, along with his two sons Robert and John.  James would be the head of household listed in the 60-70 age block.

This is where the family is found in that census and the subsequent 1840 census.  James' wife Nancy died in Winnsboro on June 4, 1845.

1850 Census: Winnsboro, Fairfield, SC p. 236a (image 126/174 )

In the 1850 census, 86 year-old widower, James is living with his son Charles (my 2nd great grandfather, who is not yet married), along with his daughters: Nancy Cathcart 52, and Jane Cathcart Madden 48.  Jane's children Mary A, Thomas, and Nancy Madden are also living in the household.

James died on March 8th,1851 and is buried in the Bethel ARP Cemetery in Winnsboro, Fairfield County, South Carolina.  Interestingly, James' gravestone mentions that he was a conscientious member of the Reformed Presbyterian Church—not the Associate Reformed (ARP) Church, in whose church's cemetery he is buried.  As mentioned above, this was because James was a member of the Richmond Reformed Presbyterian Church (also known as Covenanter Church). That church eventually dissolved as its members either died or left South Carolina. The exodus (and demise of the Reformed Church in the South) was due primarily to the issue of slavery. [3]

Online GEDCOM : James' Page | James' Descendants

Children

• John Cathcart (1789-1864)
  • M.  Mary Harper, moved to Illinois
• Robert Cathcart (1790-1847)
  • M1 Nancy Beatty, M2 Jane Elder
• Richard Cathcart (1792-1870)
  • M. Eleanor C Huey
• James Cathcart Jr. (1794--1872)
  • M1 Margaret Gray McCreight, 2 Elizabeth Marion Moore, 3 Margaret E Nelson, 4 Ann Ellen Carrol
• Nancy Cathcart (1799-1879) never married
• Charles Cathcart (1805-1873; my second great-grandfather)
• Jane Cathcart (1806-1887)
  • M. Rev. Campbell Madden
• William Cathcart (1810-1840) never married

Questions about James Sr. and Family

• What was James' wife, Nancy's maiden name?
• What was James's father's name?
• If two of his son's came to America from County Antrim at a young age, did they go with the intent of meeting up with their Cathcart relatives already in South Carolina?
  • James's brothers (John and Samuel) and/or their family members had already come to the US many years earlier.

Notes

1. The "Big 4" brothers—in addition to my third great-grandfather James—were Samuel, Matthew, and John.  I use this nickname simply to distinguish between these four commonly-named brothers and others from different Cathcart lines.  click here for more information
2. From deeds of purchase and sale.  Although there is a discrepancy in the acreages involved in the sale (80 versus 73 acres), both transactions mention that the tract of land involved was granted to William Pickens and Griffith Rutherford on October 3, 1755.
3. For more details, see the Sketch of the Covenanters in the religion section.