John Sterling Cathcart
1868-1947
John Sterling Cathcart was born February 12, 1868 in Winnsboro, Fairfield County, South Carolina. He was the son of Charles Cathcart and Sarah Lucinda Blain.
On 25 September 1889, John married Miss Margaret Elizabeth "Maggie" Foster. Below is a transcription of a newspaper article providing more details for the marriage:
Cathcart-Foster—married on Wednesday, September 25 at the home of the
bride's father, Mr. JM Foster, near Glen Springs, Spartanburg County, by the
Rev. Mr. James, Mr. Jno S Cathcart, Jr.,1a of Winnsboro, and Miss M E Foster,
only the intimate friends of the young couple were present at the ceremony.
The party, consisting of the bride and groom, Messrs. John and Andrew
Foster,1b Miss Alice Clowney,1c and the following gentlemen who went from
Winnsboro, viz.: Messrs. Andrew and Charles Cathcart1d and SB Crawford,1e
arrived home Thursday evening, and given the reception at the residence of
the groom's mother, Mrs. Sarah Cathcart, that night, which was much enjoyed
by those present. The bride and groom have our best wishes for their future
happiness and prosperity.
[The Fairfield News and Herald; October 2, 1889, page 3]
1900 census: Washington St., Winnsboro, Fairfield, South Carolina
The 1900 census shows John, Maggie and family living in Winnsboro. John's occupation (not shown above) is listed as "salesman grocery." In addition to his children: Thomas M, Sarah E, and Ellen (ages eight, four, and eight months, respectively), John's older brother Andrew Blaine Cathcart (aged 37) is also in the household. Since Andrew's occupation is listed as "merchant grocery," it would appear that the two brothers were in business together. Finally, John's 66-year-old aunt, Margaret R Blaine (his mother's older sister) is also living in the household.
1910 census: College Avenue, Winnsboro, Fairfield, South Carolina
The digitized version of the 1910 census is very blurry and somewhat difficult to read; however we can make out the details. John is 44 years old, has been married 20 years and his occupation (not visible in the image above) is listed as "salesman grocery store." Maggie E is 39, also married 20 years, and two of her four children are still living—and are enumerated on this page. From cemetery and other records, we know that the two deceased children were James Foster Cathcart 4/23/1891-7/7/1891) and Ellen Cathcart, was born on 11 September 1899 and died on 5 February 1910—11 years old, and just two months before the 1910 census above. We can imagine that the household would not have been the most happy of places at this time.
Their son Thomas is enumerated as Thomas M, Jr, 17 years of age (see Thomas's page for more details on why he was called "Junior"). Finally Elizabeth S is listed as being 14 years old.
Unlike the 1900 census, John's older brother Andrew, is now living with the youngest of Charles and Sarah Lucinda Blain Cathcarts five sons: Thomas Barkley Madden Cathcart (1870-1924) at the time of this 1910 census.
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| John Sterling Cathcart and his grandson John Varn Cathcart circa 1925 probably in Hartsville, SC |
1940 census: Hartsville, Darlington, South Carolina
By the time of the 1940 census, John and Maggie (aged 71 and 65, respectively) are still living at their home on 1208 College Avenue, which is said to be worth $6000—a lot of money in those days. The columns for gender, race, age, marital status require no explanation. However, the next column ("no" for John and Maggie "yes" for Thomas) is asking whether they attended school in the past year. The next column involves education. "H4" means that John and Maggie finished high school, while "C-3" indicates that their grandson (he is definitely their grandson, and not their "son" as indicated in this census),Thomas, has finished his third year of college. Put these pieces of information together with the "(ab)" to the right of Thomas' name—which means that was absent—and we can appropriately guess that he was away from home, finishing his last year at college. My records show him being in the Army starting on 11 November 1940—and that he served in the Pacific theater during World War II. "Same house" means that they told the enumerator that they were living in the same house in April of 1935.
John Sterling Cathcart lived a long life—outlasting all of his brothers... even his youngest brother Thomas Barkley Madden by 23 years. From my Aunt Jean's remembrances, John suffered from hardening of the arteries as well as dementia.
"I don't know why I don't remember a lot about grandfather Cathcart. I'm
sure that he was very good to me. I remember him coming home for lunch
wearing a dress shirt and "garters" on his sleeves. I remember going into
his room after he got sick and he said, "Jean do you see all those monkeys
on the ceiling?" I was so scared when he said that and didn't understand
what was wrong with him."
Jean's notes 1995
Apparently the doctors of that time prescribed arsenic as a "cure" for his hardened arteries, and that may have been what eventually killed him on 29 May 1947.
death certificate
- James Foster Cathcart (1891-1891)
- Thomas Madden Cathcart, Sr. (1892-1944)
- Sarah Elizabeth Cathcart (1895-1983)
- Ellen Cathcart (1899-1910)
- Notes on wedding article
- John Sterling Cathcart's father was Charles Cathcart – i.e. he was not a Jr. Many newspaper articles do list him as a junior, however, and this is likely to avoid confusion between John and his older first cousin, John Staveley Cathcart (1834-1892, son of Robert and Nancy J Beaty Cathcart).
- Margaret's brothers, John H (1866-1908) and Andrew Marvin Foster (1867-1930).
- Alice appears to be the daughter of William James Clowney, born about 1867. Initial research would indicate that she is Maggie foster's half first cousin, once removed.
- John's brother's: Andrew Blain (1862-1925) and Charles Ervin Cathcart (1865-1933).
- Sumter Beauregard Crawford (1861-1923) John's first cousin once removed. Sumter married Nancy Isabelle Cathcart (1837-1915), Nancy being the sister of the above-mentioned John Staveley Cathcart.
- My Aunt Jean wrote reminiscences about her grandparents in 1995. Click here to read more details about John and Maggie Cathcart.