Irish Connections

We have Irish connections through my father's line. John and Sarah Alexander Cathcart, the grandparents of Dad's mother were both born in Pomeroy, County Tyrone, Ireland. 

Sarah's parents were born in Scotland and came to Northern Ireland shortly after they were married. They lived in Ireland the rest of their lives. The Cathcarts had been in Ireland several generations. In the 1600s England sent Protestants from Scotland and Northern England to Ireland. Our Carthcarts were likely part of the group that came from Scotland. That means our Cathcarts and later Alexanders had to have been caught up in all the troubles in Ireland between Northern Ireland and the rest of the country. It's a complex and troubling history. I find it interesting that John Marshall Cathcart, father of William Gabriel Cathcart, called himself "Scots Irish" in some of the Illinois county history books. His Cathcart family had been in Ireland for at least several hundred years when that statement was made. 

Sarah Alexander and John Cathcart were born in Ireland, in the same town. I'm guessing the two families knew each other.  Sarah's mother was Letitia Marshall. John's mother was Hester Marshall. Were Letitia and Hester related? Sisters or maybe cousins? I need to check that out. 

Sarah and John came to Illinois at different times, Sarah arriving first. When John came, he went directly to Illinois where Sarah was living with her brothers. The rest of the story follows. It's taken from "The Past and Present of Vermilion County, Illinois – Illustrated" 1903 (pages 1157, 1158). The biographical entry was on William Gabriel Cathcart but contained the following information on his parents John and Sarah. John and Sarah were alive when the information was collected. It's probably a safe assumption that the recollections come directly from them, or at least from their son William Gabriel Cathcart. 

County Tyrone in brown area, on left

WILLIAM G. CATHCART

"Among the younger men of Vermilion county who have achieved success in the business world is the subject of this review, who was born in the town of Natrona, Mason county, Illinois, February 8, 1869, a son of John M. and Sarah J. (Alexander) Cathcart, both of whom were natives of County Tyrone, Ireland. John M. Cathcart was born in that county, March 12, 1842, in the town of Pomeroy. His father, Gabriel Cathcart, was likewise a native of County Tyrone as was his wife. Gabriel Cathcart was one of the landed proprietors of his community and belonged to one of the old families of Ireland. He and his wife always made their home in Ireland, although they visited their son several times. He lived to the ripe old age of eighty-seven years, while his wife passed away at the age of sixty.

John M. Cathcart was second in a family of seven children born to his parents and in the county of his nativity received a fair education. He early began a business career, however, being but sixteen years of age, and for two years ran a family grocery store. On the 1st day of March, 1860, he sailed from Queenstown and landed in New York after a voyage of thirteen days, which was a remarkably short time for that period. Coming directly west Mr. Cathcart located in Morgan county, Illinois, being employed the first summer on a farm near Alexander Station. He thus acquired a knowledge of how farming was conducted in America and the next year rented a farm of one hundred acres. He continued to rent in Morgan and Logan counties, Illinois, for several years and became quite extensively engaged in stock-raising. In 1866 Mr. Cathcart made his first purchase, locating on a farm of three hundred and twenty acres in Mason county, Illinois. This place he broke and improved and resided upon it for seventeen years. In 1883 he went to Nebraska and in company with his brother-in-law, William and Joseph Alexander, he operated an extensive cattle ranch in Webster and Nuckles [sic] counties. He continued in the cattle business for four years and returning to Illinois, he erected a grain elevator and engaged in the lumber and grain business at Broadlands, Illinois. In 1891 Mr. Cathcart moved to Sidell, Illinois, where he established a similar business, which he conducted in connection with the Broadlands business up to 1896, since which time has been living retired.

On the 15th of November, 1867, John M. Cathcart was united in marriage to Miss Sarah J. Alexander, a daughter of James Alexander of County Tyrone, Ireland. He died when Mrs. Cathcart was a small child and for years she made her home with her brothers, William and Joseph Alexander, who were prominent men of Illinois. Joseph Alexander is deceased and William makes his home when in Illinois, with Mr. Cathcart. He, as was his brother, is an extensive owner of Iowa, Nebraska and Illinois farm land. Three children have been born to Mr. Cathcart and wife as follows: Florence, the wife of John H. Herron, died May 14, 1899, leaving one child, Alexander Cathcart Herron, a little lad of five years. William G. is the subject of this review. John is now serving as assistant cashier of the Bank of Lyons, Alexander & Company. Mr. Cathcart and wife are members of the Christian church of Sidell, in which he is serving as deacon. Fraternally he is a Mason and in political belief he is a Republican...."  (Then there's more on William Gabriel. That's for another post)

Information and images from mocavo.com 
Dates and places need to be verified
More on John Marshall Cathcart here

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