SON OF THE ROBERT AND ELIZABETH CATE BERRY FROM ORANGE COUNTY NC
November 2, 2007
THOMAS BERRY was probably born cir 1772 and was one
of the last four children of Robert and Elizabeth Cate Berry family.
David, Henry, and William were younger than Thomas. His family had moved
into the Fiddleton Plantation home in 1766 Just six years before Thomas
was born. The Regulator movement had been put down on May 16 th 1771 by
Governor Tryon at the Battle of Alamance. It is unsure if Robert Berry
was a member of the Regulator movement. Many of the local men were and
when they saw that the battle could not be won they simply melted into
the forest and went home. No record has been found to verify if he was
or not. In 1772 Mary who was Thomas' oldest sister was ten years old
and the
other five older children ranged in age from 2 to 8 years old. Thomas
was about ten years old when the Revolutionary war was over.
There was a major Battle fought at Guilford Court house on March 15
1781 and Thomas's Father was involved with this event. Life on the
plantation was very good after the war was over and Thomas must have
had a very good teen-age life. William one of Thomas's younger brothers
married
Hannah Cate on August 12 1799 One year later Thomas married Hannah's
younger sister Sarah Cate. They were married on August 11th 1800 and
within a couple of years they had two children. 
In 1806 David and ELEANOR
BERRY
were very young when their grandfather William Cate
died. THIS IS THOMAS BERRY'S SON DAVID 1802 -1882.
In 1803 there was a sale of William Cate's property. There were five men from the
Robert Berry family at
William Cate's estate sale in 1803
Thomas Berry purchased several items. He bought one quart of
something for one pound, a bell for two shillings, a sugar pot for two
shillings, two pots for one Shilling and Six pence and one pair of
cards for two shillings and one pence. These cards may still be in the
procession of one of Thomas's descendants who lives in Tennessee today.
Thomas spent a total of one Pound seven Shillings seven Pence at the
sale.
Robert Berry Senr, Robert Berry Jr., Joshua Berry, and William Berry
bought several items from this sale also. Three years later on October
the 4th 1806 Thomas Berry sold two hundred acres of land to James
Miller for one hundred and twenty five pounds. THOMAS SOLD LAND IN 1806 VIEW HERE
This is the last information we have found on Thomas Berry. I know that
William and Thomas left Orange County sometime after Thomas sold his
land. We know that William was still in Orange County in October 1807, because he had
a second son, Thomas Person Berry who was born nine months later on June 1st, 1808.
It may have been in the early spring of 1808 when William and Thomas set out in search for available land to homestead. If they left before Between October 1807, and March of 1808, they would have to travel in the coldest months of the year. Of course the further south they went the milder the winters were.
We believe that Hannah Cate Berry and Sarah Cate Berry and their children were living together while their husbands were gone.
Hannah Berry listed head of household in 1810. Hannah's two sons, her sister Sarah, David, and
Eleanor plus one other young male were listed in the 1810 census. They were next door
to Robert Berry, Hannah and Sarah's father in Law. They may have been living in the Patrick Rutherford house that Robert Berry aquired on March 2nd 1787. Robert Berry bought the Patrick Rutherford Plantation from Rutherford's three sons after his neighbor Patrick Rutherford had died. The three sons who signed the deed to Robert Berry were William, James, and Thomas Rutherford.
In the 1830 Blount County Alabama Census, William Berry Sen. was living next door to John Box Sen. and living on the next farm was Thomas Rutherford.
Folklore among the Thomas Berry's descendants who live in Tennessee today is that Indians
killed Thomas while he was searching
for land. Thomas Berry was deceased before April 16 1812 when his
father wrote his will.
Sarah did remarry John Pigg in about 1815 and went to
Tennessee where she raised Eleanor and David Berry. Six generations of
Thomas Berry's male descendants are buried in Wayne County at the
Jackson Cemetery in Cypress Inn.
THOMAS and SARAH CATE BERRY'S TWO CHILDREN:
DAVID BERRY
ELEANOR BERRY
Thomas was only in one US Census
Thomas was only in one US Census
November 2, 2007
CENSUS INFORMATION and NEIGHBORS
“ THOMAS BERRY AND HIS BROTHER, WILLIAM BERRY MAY HAVE BEEN SEARCHING FOR LAND IN TENNESSEE AROUND 1808 Their wives the two Cate sisters (Hannah and Sarah) were living together with their children in the 1810 Orange County Census. Somebody had returned to Orange County with the news of Thomas's death before 1812 because his father knew he was dead when he wrote his will. Robert also knew that William was still alive. This leaves unanswered questions on what happened to William Berry”
CENSUS INFORMATION
