WIFE OF WILLIAM BERRY
OCTOBER 11, 1008
HANNAH CATE was born in 1770 and she died in 1858 in Orange County N.C.
VIEW MARRIAGE BOND
. William Berry and Hannah Cate were married on August 12, 1799 in Orange County North Carolina. William's Brother Thomas Berry was their bondsman. In the 1800 Orange
County Census William and Hannah listed one son under 10 years old.
Most likely their first son was only a few months old. On June the 1st 1808
another son, Thomas Person Berry was born to William and Hannah. There was a very popular General who lived in the area by the name of General Thomas Person. I do not know if Hannah named her
son after the General because she knew him or if she was
somehow related to him. It may only be hero worship. This was
frequently done in those early days.
In the 1810 Orange County Census Hannah Berry listed as head of house hold. We have no record of children being born to this union between 1799 and 1808. The main reason that we think there was another son is because in the 1810 census there where four males were listed onder 10 years old. We only know of three. The fourth male could be the son of William or Thomas Berry. There were two females age 26 to 45 listed in that Census. We believe they were Sarah Cate Berry and Hannah Cate Berry.The very next house hold listed was Robert Berry, Hannah and Sarah's father in law. On March 7th 1787 Robert Berry bought the Rutherford Plantation which ajoined his property on the south boundry. It is my opinion that Hannah and Sarah were living in the Rutherford house in 1810.
We do know that there may be two
possibilities for William to be missing in the 1810 census. Several of
the men in the community may have gone to Tennessee or Georgia to claim
some land that was being vacated by the Indians and granted to settlers
by the United States Government. It is commonly believed by descendants
that Indians killed Thomas Berry, William's brother while searching for
land. William and Thomas married sisters. We do know by his fathers
will that Thomas was deceased by 1812. All of these facts seem to
support the theory that Hannah Cate Berry and her sister Sarah Cate
Berry were living together with their 4 sons and Sarah's Daughter
Eleanor in 1810. The Children were all under 10 years old and the two
women were listed in the 26 to 45 bracket. The other possibility is
that the two brothers were involved in the war of 1812 but I have no evidence to support this. We also know by Robert Berry's will that William was not
deceased. I think William left Hannah and the children and never lived with them again. There is probably a very good reason why William left Orange County. We do not know why Hannah became involved with John Berry and had a daughter by him who was born in 1812. Hannah named her new daughter Elizabeth Berry and raised her in Orange County. Elizabeth Berry married Theodrick Franklin in 1832 and her half brother Thomas Person Berry signed their marriage bond. We have never been able to determine who John Berry's father was. Temperence Jane Franklin, Elizabeth's daughter wrote in her bible page that John and Hannah Berry were her grandparents. VIEW BIBLE PAGE:
Hannah had two brothers and two sisters, they were Benjamin Cate, John Cate, Sarah Cate, and Charity Cate.
HANNAH CATE BERRY'S CHILDREN: BY WILLIAM BERRY
SON who was born in 1799
possable SON between 1799 and 1808
-
THOMAS PERSON BERRY Born June 1, 1808. Died April 30, 1884
HANNAH CATE BERRY'S DAUGHTER: BY JOHN BERRY
ELIZABETH BERRY Born in Orange County N. C.in 1812 Died in Texas November 21, 1895
VIEW ELIZABETH BERRY FRANKLIN'S HEADSTONE
