Monday, April 14, 2008

Roots 3

This my Great-Grandmother Sarah Haseltine (Cathey) Mathis. She was the mother of my Grandfather Matthews. Most of my kin have the last name Mathis. Some are Mathews and others Matthews. The story passed in my family is that my grandpa and one of his brothers had a fight about land or hogs (not sure which one) so my grandpa changed his name to Matthews. That being, said, there are records where the same person in my tree has Mathis written one place and Matthews another and Mathews still another. In fact, one record has one of my ancestor's last name as Mathus. This was before electronic records. Much of the different spelling is attributable to pronunciation by those giving the name. I have read many of the mountain folk would pronounce Matthews as Mathis. Okay - enough about that.

My great-grandmother was a Cathey. The Cathey's were one of the earliest settlers in Canada Township, Jackson County, N.C. (near Silva and Northwest of Brevard). They are Scots-Irish through and through. My oldest recorded Cathey ancestor was Alexander Cathey, who died in 1698, however, I am not sure if he died in America or in Ulster (that's Northern Ireland). His Son James emigrated to North America from Ulster. He was born in 1685.

The Cathey's were typical of the Scots-Irish migration to North America. They settled in Maryland (Cecil County), and as each generation arrived on the scene they moved south along the Appalachian chain. First the Cathey clan moved to Pennsylvania and then Virginia to the well known Beverly Manor with land along the Shenandoah River. They eventually ended up in North Carolina at what was originally called the Cathey Settlement -- outside of present day Salisbury, N.C. My ancestor James Cathey was a founding member of the Presbyterian Church there that is still a worshiping congregation to this day. His son's went further west and some ended up in the environs where my people come from.

BTW -- Scots-Irish is a bit of a confusing label. The Scots-Irish are Scots who emigrated to Northern Ireland and followed the Presbyterian religion of Scotland. They are the ancestors of today's Orangemen. That being said, Scots and Irish are all Celts and probably some of the Scots that moved to Northern Ireland intermarried with native Irish. The important point to remember is that when someone says they are Scots-Irish it does not mean they are half Scot and Half Irish. It means they are descended from the people who settled Ulster in the 17th and 18th century and emigrated to North America in the years before the Revolution. Most of my genes are from these people.

4 comments:

Bobby Cohoon said...

Your blog brought back memories of searching my family tree; May grandmother's maiden name was Roughton. I have seen it spelled Routen, rowten, ruftin... you name it i think it was spelled that way at least once!
good job,
Bobby
Bobby Cohoon
http://littlesorrel.blogspot.com

+ Alan said...

That name, Haseltine (her middle name), or another form, maybe "Hasetine?" - is my own Gr Grandmother's middle name as well - Nancy Hasetine Collins - interesting. I've wondered where that name came from. I'll have to find out.

Anonymous said...

Found your blog via internetmonk.

I love this post! I have had more fun researching my family tree (and my husbands). I, too, have run across different spellings of Fisher (Fischer) - so, it makes it much more challenging to make sure your information is right...but, also makes for a great history!

Anonymous said...

Sarah Haseltine Cathey is my GGG Grandmother. I have the same picture! I descended down through the Owen side,and ended up a Phillips near Wolf Mountain.(the burial place of most of the older Owen clan)I remember (with great fondness)Walter and May Mathis! I hope to meet you in a higher place. Sandra Kay Phillips