When it came to identifying the wife of John Glosson, I got lucky! A combination of land and probate records quickly fell into place.
In 1828, my 4th great-grandparents, John Glosson “and Nancy his wife” of Chatham County, North Carolina, sold two tracts of land in neighboring Orange County to Elizabeth Brewer. Both deeds mention David Cate.
DB 23, p 157: 20 Feb 1828, $55 for 27.25 acres on the north side of Cane Creek adjoining David Cate.
DB 23, p. 156, 29 Feb 1828: $10 for 4.25 acres on Cane Creek adjoining David Cate.
Nancy signed both of these deeds, indicating that she had inherited the land. It seemed very likely that the David Cate mentioned in both deeds was her brother, occupying an adjoining tract of inherited land.
My next step was to pull up Cate probate records for Orange and Chatham for the period preceding 1828. The second will that came up was for Barnard Cate, a planter with extensive land holdings in Orange County. In the 1824 will, he names all of his children and describes the tracts which they are to inherit in great detail. (Full text at the bottom of this post.)
David Cate, Barnard’s son, received a tract on Cane Creek. The will does not mention which side of the creek, but it does mention Turkey Creek–which is on the north side of Cane Creek, as mentioned in the 1828 deeds.
I give unto my son David Cate during his natural life all the land lying on Cain & Turkey Creek that I bought of Charles Cate & James Kirk with the mills what I bought of Stephen Cate & after his death to his two sons James Cate & Sanders Cate forever.
“Ann,” one of Barnard’s daughters, received two tracts on Cane Creek. The first does not mention David Cate: it is “all the land I bought of Solomon Cate.” This Solomon was a brother to the Charles Cate mentioned above. Both inherited land from their father, Joseph Cate, in 1793, and in 1798, Barnard bought them all out (DB 9, p 180).
The second bequest specifically mentions David Cate.
I give unto my daughter Anne Cate a certain Tract of Land lying on Cain Creek beginning at a Spanish Oak on the bank fork David Cate’s corner running up said Creek to a old ford road —along the East side of said Road to a white oak near the gap & thence southward in the filled to a poplar, thence westward to a flat stone David Cate’s line thence by a persimmon tree to the first station Spanish oak and making Rebecca and Anne Cate equal with the rest of their Sisters of property.
Nancy Glosson was almost certainly the same person as Ann Cate. I have seen other Nancys referred to as Ann or Annie, and in fact (as I just discovered) “Nancy” was a common nickname for Ann in the 18th century. It was her inheritance that financed her and John’s move to Tennessee shortly after the land was sold to Elizabeth Brewer. It is also interesting that she could sign her own name to the deeds, while the penniless John signed with an “X.” It certainly appears that John married up!
A side note: I believe that John’s brother, Jasper Glosson also married a Cate. His bride’s name is given as Martha Moore on their 1820 marriage record, but a Martha Moore is identified in an 1811 probate record as being the daughter of Thomas Cate. Combined with the fact that she appears to have been a few years older than Jasper, I believe that Martha was a widow when she married him, and that her maiden name was Martha Cate. Thomas may have been Barnard’s brother, which would make Ann and Martha first cousins. A typical marrying pattern for the time.
Here is the full text of his will, followed by the images of the original from North Carolina Wills and Probate Records at Ancestry.com. I’m still researching Barnard Cate and will post more about him later.
Will of Barnard Cate
3 Mar 1824
In the name of God Amen, I Barnard Cate of the State of North Carolina & County of Orange being in perfect memory do make my last will and testament in manner & form as follows.
First that my body be decently buried & all my just debts be paid out of my Estate.
I give my wife Jane Cate all my house hold & Kitchen furniture with horses, hogs, cows, sheep, waggon, stille, Smith’s tools and mill and every other utencil of farming tools and all the lands as I do now possess during her natural life or widowhood, and then to be divided among my children as follows:
First I give unto my son Joseph Cate’s two sons Joel & Joshua Cate the land whereon he did live beginning at John Workman’s post oak corner running between to Hardwick’s Jury line—thence northwestward by a marked line to the head of hog branch, to the old road to blackjack by a great Stone—thence up said road to Stoney nole to a blackjack—thence northeastward by a marked line to the big branch ford near the big lick thence up said branch to Rachel Thomas’ line to a persimmon tree all my land on the East to John Crutchfield’s line which is divided by a marked line between the two boy—beginning at the Stoney hole at the said blackjack on the road running to the ? by a marked line to big branch down said branch to John Crutchfield’s line on the South I give to Joel on the North to Joshua Cate and if either died without an heir it falls to my children.
I give to my son Barnard Cate’s heir David Cate all the land except one hundred acres at the west end of the land I bought of Richard Claton & Abner Sapp lying on the waters of Seven Mile Creek adjoining Hardwick’s Jury line & Robert Watson & if he dies without heir it returns to my own children.
I give unto my son David Cate during his natural life all the land lying on Cain & Turkey Creek that I bought of Charles Cate & James Kirk with the mills what I bought of Stephen Cate & after his death to his two sons James Cate & Sanders Cate forever.
I give unto my son Thomas Cate during his natural life beginning at a white oak on the side of a branch John Cate’s line keeping to the meanders of sd branch to a post oak then as the Deed directs to the little fork thence up said fork to the third branch that comes in on the East side of the fork—thence up said branch East by a marked line to the old road to the Stoney Nole ____ _____ Joel & Joshua’s corner—thence down the said road to the Stone & blackjack—thence with Joseph’s line to Hardwick’s Jury line—thence west to a white oak—then South to a white oak thence west to a white oak—thence South to a red oak, then as the deed directs to John Cate’s line, thence with his line to the first station, & at his death I give the said land unto Thomas’s two sons Joseph Cate & Vinson Cate forever.
I give to my daughter Rebecca Cate a certain Tract of Land I bought of Solomon Cate lying on Cain Creek, beginning on bank of said Creek at a white oak running South to poplar—from thence westward along the side of the Stoney nap the wet end Stoney nap to a flat stone—then southward to the head of the Spring down said branch to the said line as the will directs running East to the stone pile Thomas Sykes’ line so as the will directs along Sykes line to Cain Creek to the beach corner down said Creek to the first station. I give it unto her heirs begotten of her own body forever.
I give unto my daughter Ann Cate all the land I bought of Solomon Cate—beginning on Cain Creek on the bank of Creek red oak running North to the Old field then as the will directs to to the East side of the Old field to the top of the hill—thence as the will directs to Durham’s old road to a dividing line __ on the south according as the will directs.
I give unto my daughter Mary Cate the lands where she now lives beginning at a Black Jack on my line near the old road by ___ _____ running south to a Black Jack —thence by a marked line to a Hickory—thence on a marked line to the mouth of _____ Branch to the Little Fork down said Fork to my line containing all the land on the West that I hold.
I give to my daughter Sarah Cate the Land adjoining my sons Thomas and Joseph’s heirs—beginning at the Stoney Nole on the road at a Black Jack corner to Thomas & Joseph running Westward along Thomas’ line down a branch to the little fork—thence on said fork a little above Smith’s Lick to a post oak thence Eastward by a marked line to a Turkey Oak — thence Northward by a marked line to a Sassafras Corner on Hardwick’s line—thence North Westward along a marked line to a post oak on Rachel Thomas’ line—thence South to a White Oak Corner to Rachel Thomas on Hardwick’s line—thence with said line to a persimmon Tree in the hollow—thence Southward down the said Branch at the ford or near the big Lick to Black Jack—thence Southwestward by a marked line to first station to Black Jack corner on the Stoney Nole.
I give unto my daughter Jean Cate the heirs begotten of her own body all the land lying between Sarah Cates & Mary Cate’s lines forever.
I give unto my daughter Anne Cate a certain Tract of Land lying on Cain Creek beginning at a Spanish Oak on the bank fork David Cate’s corner running up said Creek to a old ford road —along the East side of said Road to a white oak near the gap & thence southward in the filled to a poplar, thence westward to a flat stone David Cate’s line thence by a persimmon tree to the first station Spanish oak and making Rebecca and Anne Cate equal with the rest of their Sisters of property
And at the end of my wife’s natural life or widowhood all my living is to be sold except my Land & to be equally divided among my children Mary Cate, Sarah Cate, Jean Cate, Rebecca Cate, David Cate, Thomas Cate, Ann Cate. Rosannah Cate is to have six Dollars.
This will is interlined before signed.
And I do appoint my fried John Sykes & Robert Hastings and William Thompson my Executors in full power of all my concerns, Thereunto I do set my hand and seal this third day of march eighteen hundred twenty four.
Barnard Cate (seal)
Test:
John Workman
William Workman
W Thompson
Will proven November term 1826
A Long Way to Tennessee 