Mary Cathey (1750/60-aft 1840) and — McDowell and Andrew Neill (1755-aft 1840) of Burke Co., NC, Logan Co., KY and Bedford and Marshall Co., TN

Marty and Karla Grant

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Mary Cathey is my 6 times great aunt.

Mary Cathey was born between 1750 and 1760 per her ages on the 1830 and 1840 censuses.

She is a child of George Cathey (1725-1790). Her mother is either Ann Price or Margaret —.

Mary Cathey is a proven child of George as named in the 1823 Wilson Co., TN court case as his daughter.

Mary was married to an unidentified McDowell before ca 1781 in Burke Co., NC. The Catheys and McDowells had been associated for 30 or more years by then. Mary and her husband had a son named Joseph Cathey McDowell born ca 1780/81 (per his age of 69 on the 1850 census). His middle name is obviously for Mary’s family. Was “Joseph” for one of the Joseph McDowells? There was a Cpt. Joseph McDowell (c1715-1771) with wife Margaret O’Neill (c1717-1790). This Joseph obviously isn’t Joseph Cathey McDowell’s father, but could he be the grandfather and namesake?

Generally speaking the McDowells came from Ireland to America, first to Pennsylvania, then to Virginia, then to North Carolina.

The McDowell family is as complicated as the Cathey family and I don’t have a good handle on how they all fit together. I do know that Charles McDowell (c1688-1754)’s wife Rachel is thought to be a Cathey, though that isn’t proven. Mary Cathey’s father George Cathey was associated with Charles McDowell in the 1750s. I’m not sure how Charles (c1688) and Joseph (1715) are related, but they are related I’m sure. I’ve found trees online that have contradictory information on the early McDowells, so they haven’t really been of much help identifying Mary Cathey’s husband. Her father was also associated with Joseph “Pleasant Gardens” McDowell (1758-1795). This Joseph is not Mary Cathey’s husband. His wife was named Mary Moffett (1768-1825) and she outlived him by several years. This Joseph is a son of John McDowell (c1718-1796) and Annie Edmundson (c1730-1814). John is a son of Charles and Rachel (Cathey) McDowell already mentioned.

Mary Cathey’s McDowell husband remains a mystery for now. We do know he was probably her age at least, if not older, and that they married prior to ca 1781 in Burke (now McDowell) Co., NC, and that he was likely dead by 1790, though of that date I’m not sure.

At some point after the death of Mr. McDowell, widow Mary married Andrew Neill, in Burke Co., NC. He was born April 1755 in Rowan Co., NC, a son of William Neill (all three facts per his Revolutionary War Pension). I don’t know when they married exactly, but before 1790 I suspect. It is entirely possible he was married prior to his marriage to Mary Cathey McDowell, but I don’t know that for certain. Andrew’s younger brother Alexander Neill married Mary Cathey’s sister Ann Cathey in the 1790s.

On 27 Oct 1783 Andrew Neill entered a 2,000 acre tract of land in the Middle District of Tennessee on the North side of Duck River. (Entry No 570). The land was granted to him on 17 Dec 1794 described as on waters of Caney Spring Creek north of Duck River.

Andrew Neill is listed on the 1790 census in Burke Co., NC. He is listed in the 1^st company next to his mother-in-law Margaret Cathey.

1790 Census - Burke County, North Carolina

Page	Name	Males 16+	Males under 16	Females	Others	Slaves
	1^st Company
88	Andrew Neall	1	1	4	~	~

My analysis (who each person *might* be)

Andrew Neill, 1-1-4-0-0

1m 16+ (before 1774) Andrew Neill (1755)

1m -16 (1774/1790) 1. Joseph Cathey McDowell (c1781) stepson

4f (before 1790) Mary Cathey McDowell Neill (1750/60) wife

2. daughter?

3. daughter?

4. daughter?

Around 1794, Andrew Neill and family moved to Logan Co., KY. He is listed there on 1794 tax list with one white tithable male over 21 (himself), 6 horses and 11 cattle, but no land. He is also listed there in 1795 and 1796. In 1797 he is listed with 200 acres of land on Big Muddy Creek, entered by him and surveyed for him, but not yet granted to him. There is no 1798 tax list, but he is still there for the 1799 tax list. He is gone by 1800 and his land is listed under Benjamin McReynolds who apparently purchased it from him.

On 21 Sep 1796, William Cathey of Burke Co., NC, sold 380 acres in Davidson Co., TN to his brother-in-law Andrew Neill of Logan Co., Ky for £194. This was the land granted to William Cathey in 1793. John Reed (brother-in-law) and James Carson were witnesses. (Davidson Co., TN Deed Book D, p. 183).

The 1800 census is lost for both Kentucky and Tennessee.

The reason he isn’t listed in Logan Co., KY on the 1800 tax list is because Andrew and wife had moved to what was then Williamson Co., TN by then. He is listed on the tax list in that county that year, and also in 1801, 1802, 1803, 1804 and 1805, each time with 1 white tithe, no land, no slaves. He is not listed on the 1806 or later tax records for Williamson. In his Revolutionary War Pension he said he lived in Davidson Co., TN during this time about 10 miles from the present City of Nashville. It’s notable that Williamson County borders Davidson County so he must have lived close to the border, or he lived part time on the land he purchased from William Cathey in 1796 which was in Davidson at that time.

On 10 Sep 1804, Andrew Neill of Williamson Co,. TN sold 500 acres to John Chambers for $200. The land was described as being on Knob Creek on the North side of Duck River being part of 1,500 acres. Witnesses were David Squier and James Smith. (Williamson Co., TN Deed Book A, p. 534).

In 1806, per his pension, he stated they moved to south of Duck River where the town of Farmington now stands which became Bedford Co., TN (in 1807). It is notable that George Cathey, his father-in-law, had a 2,500 acre land grant right there which included some of present day Farmington. They apparently resided on that land.

The 1810 census is lost for Tennessee, but they probably would have been listed in Bedford County.

Andrew Neill is listed on the 1812 Bedford Co., TN tax list. Here is his entry and a few nearby entries of known relations.

Capt. William Bell’s Company

56. John Neill

58. James Neill

59. Alexr. Neill Andrew’s brother, married to Ann Cathey Moore Neill

60. John Cathy not sure who he is.

64. Andrew Neill married to Mary Cathey McDowell Neill

On 28 Sep 1812, Alexander Neil and John Reed, both of Bedford Co., TN, gave 50 acres to Andrew Neill “for love and affection” it being part of George Cathey’s 2,500 acre grant. Witnesses were J. L. Neill and James McMurray. (Bedford Co., TN Deed Book D, p. 138)

According to his pension, he moved to Marengo Co., AL in 1818. The county had been formed that very year from Choctaw lands.

The 1820 census is lost for Alabama. There is a state census of Alabama for 1820, but it doesn’t include Marengo County. There is an Andrew Neill back in Bedford Co., TN in 1820, but it is a younger man, perhaps a son of this one, or a nephew (Andrew had several brothers, any of whom might have been father of the younger Andrew.)

There was a lawsuit in Wilson Co., TN in 1823 regarding some land that Mary’s father George Cathey had entered in 1784. It also involved Andrew’s father William Neill. Since George and William were dead, their heirs were named in the suit. That included his daughter Mary and her husband Andrew Neill. This document is the proof that she is George Cathey’s daughter and that Andrew is William’s son (which is also proved in his Revolutionary War Pension). Click here to read the Wilson Co., TN court case.

On 23 Dec 1829 Andrew Neill made a deed to James Neill Sr for $450 relinquishing his claims to a “Negro boy Hary.” I don’t know if this is our Andrew Neill or the son of James Neill Sr of the same name. Witnesses were William Gilchrist and Daniel Gilchrist. (Bedford Co., TN Deed Book BB, p. 25)

In his pension, Andrew says that in the Fall of 1839 he moved from Alabama back to where he had been in Bedford Co., TN, now Marshall County. However, I think he probably meant 1829 instead of 1839 because he’s on the 1830 census in Bedford. (Then again, perhaps he moved back and forth a few times and didn’t account for all the moves in his pension.) In 1830 he is listed next door to Robert Neill (1800/10) perhaps a son.

1830 Census - Bedford County, Tennessee

Page

Name

(Males first row, females on second)

0-4

5-9

10-14

15-19

20-29

30-39

40-49

50-59

60-69

70-79

80-89

90-99

100+

Andrew Neill

Slaves=101000-000100

My analysis (who each person *might* be)

1m 80-89 (1740/1750) Andrew Neill (1755)

1m 30-39 (1790/1800) Son?

1m 15-19 (1810/1815) Son?

1m 10-14 (1815/1820) Son?

1m 5-9 (1820/1825) Son?

1f 70-79 (1750/1760) Mary Cathey McDowell Neill (1750/60) wife

1f 20-29 (1800/1810) Daughter?

2f 15-19 (1810/1815) 1. Daughter?

2. Daughter?

3f 5-9 (1820/1825) 1. Daughter?

2. Daughter?

3. Daughter?

3 Slaves

In 1836 Marshall County was formed from several counties including the part of Bedford where the Neill’s resided.

They are not listed on the 1840 census, but I think they’re residing with son Joseph C. McDowell in Marshall for he does have extra people in his household who match them age-wise.

1840 Census - Marshall County, Tennessee

Page

Name

(Males first row, females on second)

0-4

5-9

10-14

15-19

20-29

30-39

40-49

50-59

60-69

70-79

80-89

90-99

100+

173

Joseph C. McDowell

Slaves=0

My analysis (who each person *might* be)

1m 90-99 (1740/1750) Andrew Neill (1755) Step-father

1m 50-59 (1780/1790) Joseph Cathey McDowell (1781)

1m 15-19 (1820/1825) Son?

1f 80-89 (1750/1760) Mary Cathey McDowell Neill (1750/60) mother

1f 70-79 (1760/1770) Violet Cathey (1761) aunt

1f 40-49 (1790/1800) Patsy Slicker McDowell (1790/1800) wife

1f 30-39 (1800/1810) Daughter? Sister?

2f 0-4 (1835/1840) 1. Violet McDowell (c1836) daughter

2. Mary McDowell (c1838) daughter

It was on 2 Mar 1840 that Andrew Neill appeared in court for his pension application.

He died sometime between 1840 and 1850 for I didn’t find him on the 1850 census.

I didn’t find Mary on the 1850 census either, so she apparently died during that same period. Her name does appear in the pension on an 1852 list of rejected pension claims, as Mary Neil widow of Andrew Neil of Lewisburg, Marshall Co., TN. That would suggest that she was still alive in 1852, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that. I checked the 1850 census several times to see if I could find her in Marshall Co., TN but couldn’t. I didn’t find her elsewhere in 1850 either.

Children

Mary Cathey and her first husband, Mr. McDowell, had one known child together, Joseph Cathey McDowell. His connection is proven by the Revolutionary War Pension of Andrew Neill wherein he is referred to him as his step son. There are other records associating Joseph C. McDowell with the Cathey family, but the pension file is the one spells out the relationship.

Census records seem to show that Mary and her second husband, Andrew Neill, had several children together. Unfortunately none of them have been identified thus far.

Marcy Porter, on her William Neill family web pages, shows Andrew Neill with one child, Col. James Clinton Neill (1790-1848), who was born in NC and died in Navarro Co., TX. I don’t know what evidence she has to include him in Andrew’s family, though it could be correct of course. I found another online tree that shows this same James C. Neill as a son of James Neill, Andrew’s brother. Ms. Porter has a different James Neill as a son of Andrew’s brother James. I can’t say which is correct. Regardless, Ms. Porter’s Neill pages are worth checking out. They contain a good amount of source documentation so I would generally accept her findings over any of the numerous undocumented trees.

For Family Group Sheet and other notes see my database pages for Mary Cathey and Mr. McDowell and Mary Cathey and Andrew Neill.

Revised: September 3, 2023

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