1870 Census, Sevier County, Tennessee

Samuel Catlett was the son of my fifth great grandparents Reuben Catlett and unknown.  As such, Samuel was the brother of my fourth great grandfather Benjamin Catlett.  Reuben was born in England, which is consistent with Samuel's father having been listed of foreign birth.

The surname of Samuel's wife Hannah is unknown.

Clarissa age 26 was Samuel's youngest daughter.  She married John H. Thomas in 1861.

James L. Catlett was not in the 1850 Sevier County census, but he did appear in 1860. I cannot place him with the rest of the Catlett family in Sevier County.

Caroline Catlett may have been the slave girl (now a former slave) who was owned by Mary Ann Catlett, and who climbed a chimney after receiving her freedom to protest having to leave the family.  But I don't know for sure who owned Caroline and Elizabeth Catlett before they were freed.

Thomas S. (Tom) Roberts age 26 married Nancy Elizabeth (Lizzie) Bryan in 1875.  Lizzie was the daughter of my third great grandparents Peter H. Bryan and Mary Ann (Polly Ann) Cate.  As such, Lizzie was the sister of my second great grandfather William Allen (Will) Bryan.

Tom Roberts was the son of George Roberts and Rachel Huff.  Tom's first wife was Margaret R. Lawson age 29.  Margaret died in 1874.

Given the South Carolina connection, George Catlett may be a former slave who had been owned by John Pinkney Catlett. John Pinkney Catlett was a part of the Catlett family in Sevier County, but he moved to Anderson County, South Carolina.

William S. (Will) Catlett was born 3 Jun 1817, the son of my fourth great grandparents Benjamin Catlett and Nancy Lovelady/Loveday.  As such, Will was the brother of my third great grandfather James P. Catlett.  The fact that James P. Catlett was my third great grandfather is a bit of a guess, but there is evidence to support the guess.  See the census entry for James P. Catlett for more information.  But even if James P. Catlett was not my third great grandfather, then surely one of his brothers was.  So in any case, it is extremely likely that Benjamin Catlett and Nancy Lovelady/Loveday were my fourth great grandparents.

Sarah F. (Sally) Nichols age 46 was my third great grandmother.  Sally had three children with a Mr. Catlett.  There was a Nichols/Catlett feud and a Nichols/Catlett lawsuit.  One result of the lawsuit was that Sally and her children used the Nichols surname rather than the Catlett surname.  Records of the lawsuit were lost in the Sevier County courthouse fire in 1856, and Mr. Catlett's identity is not known for certain.  The lawsuit must have been shortly before the 1850 census.  I believe that the father of Sally's children was James P. Catlett.  See the census entry below for James P. Catlett for additional information.

William S. (Will) Catlett was living nearby in dwelling number 8 (see above).  Will Catlett and James P. Catlett were brothers.  For a long time, Will Catlett was my prime suspect to have been the father of Sally Nichols' children.  Will Catlett never married, and he appears to have lived closer to Sally than did either of his brothers.  Nevertheless, I now have some pretty solid evidence that it was James Catlett rather than Will Catlett who was the father of Sally's children.

John H. B. Nichols age 20 was my second great grandfather.  He later married my second great grandmother Martha P. Reneau.  Their oldest daughter was my great grandmother Clarissa Loretta (Rett) Nichols.

Joan Catlett was apparently a former slave recently owned by the Catlett family. Given the South Carolina connection, she might have been owned by John P. Catlett. John P. Catlett was a part of the Catlett family in Sevier County, but he moved to Anderson County, South Carolina.

My third great grandfather James P. Catlett was the son of Benjamin Catlett and Nancy Loveday.  In about 1851, James P. Catlett married Sarah McMahan who was 47 years old in the 1870 census.  However, Sarah McMahan was not my third great grandmother, and the story of James P. Catlett is a bit more complicated than that.

Sarah F. (Sally) Nichols was my third great grandmother.  She had three children with a Catlett man from 1844 through 1849.  But there was a Nichols-Catlett feud, there was a Nichols-Catlett lawsuit, Sally and her children kept the Nichols surname, and a courthouse fire destroyed all the records.

Circumstantial evidence suggests very strongly that the father of Sally's children was a son of Benjamin Catlett.  Of Benjamin's sons, James P. Catlett seems most likely to have been the father of Sally's children.  There are two pieces of evidence supporting this conclusion.

One piece of evidence is the death certificate of John H. Nichols, which lists his parents as James C. Nichols and Sarah F. Nichols.  There was no James C. Nichols, and the reference to James C. Nichols was probably a reference to James Catlett Nichols who was really James Catlett.

The other piece of evidence is Sevier County warrant sworn out on 2 Aug 1851 by Sarah Nichols against James P. Catlett.  1851 is shortly after Sally Nichols and her Catlett man were broken up by the Nichols-Catlett feud.  That is, Sally's youngest child was born in 1849, and in the 1850 census she and her three children were living with her parents and using the surname Nichols.  I do not yet know why the record of the 1851 warrant was not destroyed in the 1856 courthouse fire.

Loftus Henry (Lofty) Catlett age 49 was the son of Samuel Catlett and Hannah.  As such, Lofty was the nephew of my fourth great grandfather Benjamin Catlett.

Jane (Jennie) Cowden age 47 was the daughter of Leonard (Len) Cowden and unknown.

Ahaz W. Bryan was the son of my fourth great grandparents Thomas C. Bryan Sr. and Nancy Cate.  As such, Ahaz was the brother of my third great grandfather Peter H. Bryan who was living nearby in in dwelling number 326.

Ahaz's wife was Margaret Callahan, daughter of Samuel Callahan and Milly Underwood.  Milly Underwood was the daughter of my fifth great grandparents Thomas Underwood and Mary Ramey.  As such, Milly was the sister of my fourth great grandfather Enoch Underwood.

Ahaz and Margaret had two children.  Samuel Thomas Bryan was born in 1844 and died in 1845.  Sarah Elizabeth (Sallie) Bryan was born in 1857 and died in 1898.  So Sarah was the only child who appeared in the 1870 census.

George A. Keener Jr. age 19 was the son of Georga A. Keener Sr. and Rachel Narcissus Bryan.  Rachel was Ahaz's sister, so George was Ahaz's nephew.

Peter H. Bryan age 51 and Mary Ann (Polly Ann) Cate age 41 were my third great grandparents.  William Allen (Will) Bryan age 20 was my second great grandfather.

Peter H. Bryan was the son of Thomas C. Bryan Sr. and Nancy Cate.

Mary Ann (Polly Ann) Cate was the daughter of Joshua Cate and Elizabeth (Betsy) Wilhite.

Margaret Anne Scruggs age 40 was the widow of Nelson Newman Cate.  Nelson Newman Cate was the son of Elisha Cate and Mary Elizabeth Newman.  Nelson Newman Cate died 24 Jul 1863.

Elisha Cate was the son of John Cate Jr. and Mary Ann Koontz, and the grandson of my fifth great grandparents John Cate Sr. and Mary.

Mary Elizabeth Newman was the daughter of Joseph Newman and Catherine (Caty) Cate, and the granddaughter of my fifth great grandparents William P. Cate and Mary Enyard.

Elisha Porter Cate Jr. age 35 was the son of Elisha Cate and Mary Elizabeth Newman.  Mary Jane Drinnen age 34 was the daughter of John Drinnen and Elizabeth Mills.  They were married 15 Sep 1857 in Sevier County, Tennessee.  In addition to the three children who were enumerated in this census entry, there were three children who had died before 1870.

Elisha Cate was the son of John Cate Jr. and Mary Ann Koontz, and the grandson of my fifth great grandparents John Cate Sr. and Mary.

Mary Elizabeth Newman was the daughter of Joseph Newman and Catherine (Caty) Cate, and the granddaughter of my fifth great grandparents William P. Cate and Mary Enyard.

Albert McClain Cate was the son of Mr. McClain and Mary Catherine Cate. Elizabeth Ann (Betsy) Johnson was his wife. Betsy's name is sometimes listed as Ann Elizabeth. I suspect that Mary was Albert's mother, but her age in 1870 should be 45. Perhaps the actual census micro-film rather than just a transcription will shed some light on this issue. Mary was certainly living with her son in the 1880 census.

Henry Clay Cate was the son of Elisha Cate and Mary Elizabeth Newman. His wife was Mary Jane Johnson. She married first Thomas Lowery Thornburg. Thomas Thornburg was killed while serving in the Union Army in the Civil War. The wedding record for Henry Clay Cate says he married Mary Jane Thornburg. Harriet Rebecca Cate later married her first cousin Perry Cate. Anna Thornburg was the son of Mary Jane Johnson from her first marriage to Thomas Lowery Thornburg. Elisha age 74 and Mary age 69 were Henry's parents. Sarah was Henry's sister Sarah Adeline Cate b. 8 Oct 1823. She never married.

Samuel Cowden was the son of Wilburn Mayberry Cowden and Mary (Polly) Catlett.  Mary (Polly) Catlett was the daughter of Samuel Catlett and Hannah, and the granddaughter of my fifth great grandparents Reuben Catlett and unknown.  As such, Mary (Polly) Catlett was the niece of my fourth great grandfather Benjamin Catlett.

Samuel's wife was Mary Jane Hodges.

Enoch Underwood and Nancy Underwood were my fourth great grandparents, and they were first cousins who married.

Enoch was the son of Thomas Underwood and Mary Ramey.  Nancy was the daughter of John Underwood and Mary Kirby.

The rest of the census entry contains a bit of a mystery.  Thomas A. Hickman was the son-in-law of Enoch and Nancy, having married their daughter Joanna Underwood.  I do not know why Joanna was not enumerated with the family.  She died in 1879 which was nine years after this census entry.  Indeed, she had another child William Enoch Hickman who was born in Jan 1870, and William was not enumerated either.  So J. Andrew Hickman age 3, James H. Hickman age 1, and the unenumerated William Enoch Hickman were Joanna's children with Thomas A. Hickman.  Margaret Walls age 13 was Johnna's daughter with her first husband Edd Walls.

Ira Cate age 40 was the son of Rev. Elijah Cate and Susannah Underwood.  Rev. Elijah Cate was the son of my fifth great grandparents John Cate Sr. and Mary.  As such, Elijah was the brother of my fourth great grandfather Joshua Cate.  Susannah Underwood was the daughter of my fifth great grandparents John Underwood and Mary Kirby.  As such, Susannah was the sister of my fourth great grandmother Nancy Underwood.

Sarah (Sadie) Newman age 42 was Ira's second wife.  Sadie's first husband was Joseph (Joe) England, son of Alexander England and Rachel Cate.  Nancy J. England age 12, John A. England age 10, and Payne M. England age 8 were Sadie's children with Joe England.

William Enyard Bryan age 54 was the son of my fourth great grandparents Thomas C. Bryan Sr. and Nancy Cate.  As such, William was the brother of my third great grandfather Peter H. Bryan.

William Enyard Bryan was clearly named for his maternal grandparents William P. Cate and Mary Enyard.  William was the first son, and Peter H. Bryan was the second son.  Peter H. Bryan was clearly named for his paternal grandfather Peter Bryan.  It therefore seems very likely that Peter H. Bryan was named for both of his paternal grandparents, and that his full name was probably Peter Hubbard Bryan.

Amanda Keener age 52 was the daughter of George T. Keener and Margaret (Peggy) Harris.

Lucy E. Bryan age 31 was the daughter of my fourth great grandparents Thomas C. Bryan Sr. and Nancy Cate.  As such, Lucy was the sister of my third great grandfather Peter H. Bryan. Nancy Cate age 78 was living with the Drinnen family because Thomas had died in 1867.

Lucy married William H. Drinnen on 7 Feb 1860.  William was the son of John Drinnen and Elizabeth.  This was one of two Bryan-Drinnen marriages.  Lucy's aunt Mary Jane Bryan married Thomas Drinnen.  The Bryan family cemetery is known as the Bryan-Drinnen-Cate cemetery.

Nancy Elder was the widow of Lee Cate. She was the daughter of Charles Thomas Elder and Elizabeth Underwood. Lee Cate was the son of Joshua Cate and Elizabeth (Betsey) Wilhite. William was William Green (Bluds Bill) Cate who married Mary Jane Corum. John L. Cate married Mahalia N. (Haly) Smith. Thomas Jefferson Cate married Anna C. Atchley. Mary Katherine (Katherine) Cate married William Cannon Williams. Manerva E. Cate married Abner J. Lowe.

Joshua Cate age 78 was my fourth great grandfather.  His wife Elizabeth (Betsy) Wilhite had died in 1868, two years before the 1870 census.

Joshua Cate was the son of John Cate Sr. and Mary.  Elizabeth (Betsy) Wilhite was the daughter of Adam Wilhite and Missy/Patsey Batey.

Madison Cate was the son of Joshua and Elizabeth.  As such, Madison was the brother of my third great grandmother Mary Ann (Polly Ann) Cate.  Polly Ann married Peter H. Bryan about 1847.

Madison's wife was Martha A. Underwood.  Martha was the daughter of George Underwood and Elizabeth Kymes.  George was the brother of my fourth great grandmother Nancy Underwood who married her first cousin Enoch Underwood.

William Cornelius (Neil) Cate was the son of Joshua Cate and Elizabeth (Betsey) Tankersley. His wife was Sarah Adeline Conner.

William Ramey Underwood age 54 was my third great grandfather.  He was the son of Enoch Underwood and Nancy Underwood, first cousins who married.

Elizabeth B. (Lizzie) Green age 38 was William Ramey Underwood's second wife.  His first wife was my third great grandmother Martha Langston who died between 1860 and 1867.  Martha was the daughter of Zorable Langston and Frances (Fannie) Martin.  Martha was the mother of all of the children in this census entry except for Ida Woods who was Martha's granddaughter.  I do not believe that William Ramey Underwood and Lizzie Green had any children.

Malissa E. Underwood age 16 was my second great grandmother.  She later married my second great grandfather William Allen (Will) Bryan.  Malissa was the twin of Malinda.

Susannah Louzetta (Louzetta) Underwood age 20 was the daughter of William Ramey Underwood and Martha Langston.  Louzetta is reported to have married William T. Woods with whom she had a daughter Ida, but I can find no record of the marriage nor of William T. Woods.

William Thomas was the second husband of Eliza Aramantha Caroline (Caroline) Huffaker. Her first husband was William M. Bryan, and all the Bryans listed were the children of William M. Bryan and Carolina Huffaker. The Bryans were Frances Elizabeth Bryan, Laura Minerva Bryan (listed as Fanny in the 1860 census), Malinda Josephine Bryan, and William Caroline Bryan. Mary Adelia Bryan was not enumerated here as she had married 5 May 1870.