Cators of Dorchester Maryland, Generation 2

SORTING OUT THE CATORS IN MARYLAND/VIRGINIA/DC

DORCHESTER COUNTY AND BALTIMORE MARYLAND CATORS
Generation Section 4

Updated 2016

Your help in sorting through the many miscellaneous Cator and our Cator will be greatly appreciated. Please email us (Donna and Patrick Cator) at catorfamily@gmail.com

FOLLOWING ARE Great Grandsons of
EDWARD & MARY LeCOMPTE CATOR and three sons of JOSEPH & HANNAH BROHAWN CATOR

(1) Joseph Edmondson Cator
(2) Capt. William Whitfield Cator
(3) Robinson Wesley Cator

(1)   JOSEPH EDMONDSON CATOR (1812-1898) d. @86 years old
        and Elizabeth Jane Dove Cator
Parents:
  Joseph Cator (1778 - 1852)
  Hannah Brohawn Cator (1786 - 1853)

JOSEPH EDMONDSON CATOR married ELIZABETH JANE DOVE b. Harford County, MD 1818. Joseph was born in Baltimore, MD April 28, 1812 . They wed in Dorchester County, MD on 30 May 1836. In the 1880 Census, Joseph lived with his brother Robinson Cator. Joseph died in 1898. Elizabeth died in 1856.

CHILD: WILLIAM DOVE CATOR

William Dove Cator was born Sept 17 1839 in Maryland; he died Dec 14, 1885 in Guilford County, NC. William married Annie Street born on Feb 25, 1852 in Cordele, GA. She died on April 25 in 1923 in Greensboro NC. Annie suffered an embolism of her brain which caused paralysis to her left side. She lived 5 days. This was complicated by chronic mitral valve disease which plagued her for 5 years. William and Annie are buried at Green Hill Cem. in Greensboro NC. She is in Plot: Section:2 Lot:24 Grave:7 and he is in Grave 5.

William and Annie had several children:

SPANISH AMERICAN WAR and WORLD WAR I veteran:
John Street Cator: Born Nov 30, 1875 in Greensboro NC; died Jan 15, 1958 at age 82. John Street Cator married LUCY BRANCH, b. Feb 4, 1883; d. July 20, 1952. John and Lucy married May 18, 1910. John served in the Army during WWI; 1 lt QMC 301 Water Tank Tn; Motor Sec Hq Bn 1 Army 1/7/1919; MTC Hq SOS 3 Army 4/22/1919; MTC Unasged 9/7/19l Honorable Discharged 10/2/1919. Overseas from 9/25/1918 to Discharge, Meuse-Argonne.

John Street Cator and Lucy Branch Cator had one known child, LUCY MORTON BRANCH CATOR who married Minthorne Wails Reed.

John died at the Naval Hospital in Charleston, SC. Cause of death arteriosclerosis leading to bronchopneumonia.

CHILD: BENJAMIN WESLEY CATOR

Benjamin was born in 1843 and died in 1911 and he is buried at St. Johns Episcopal Church Cemetery in Kingsville, Baltimore County, MD. He married a Florence LNU and had one known son, Roland W. Cator. Following is his obit.

CHILD: MARY JANE CATOR

Born in 1845 in Maryland; died in 1926. She married Benjamin F. Taylor and had two children, Joseph and Carrie. No other information available.

Other possible children are

SAMUEL W. CATOR, b. 1840; age 10 in 1850 Census (b. abt. 1840)
MARTHA CATOR, b.1850
HARRY L. CATOR,b.1862; d. 1890

(2)   CAPT. WILLIAM WHITFIELD CATOR (1818-1865 d. @ 47 yrs) and Mary Ann August Travers Cator
Parents:
  Joseph Cator (1778 - 1852)
  Hannah Brohawn Cator (1786 - 1853)

Capt. WILLIAM WHITFIELD CATOR b. 3/20/1818 Taylors Island in Dorchester County, MD.

His wife MARY ANN AUGUSTA TRAVERS b. June 3, 1839 at Taylors Island. They married on Nov. 21, 1856. She was the daughter of Mary and Thomas Broome Travers, Jr.

Capt. William Whitefield (Whitfield) Cator was Master of the Bark 'Rainbow', a sea going vessel.
Note: William was listed as a "sailor" in the 1850 Census at age "30".

Capt. WILLIAM WHITFIELD CATOR died 2/3/1865. Buried at Grace Church, Taylor's Island.

1880 Census:

Per the 1880 Census Mary A. Cator is listed as the Head of Household at age 41 and “farms” in Parsons Creek, Dorchester County, MD. Others in her household are Ella W. Cator, daughter, age 19, Charlie B. Cator, son, age 17 who works on a farm, perhaps with his mother, and Willie W. Cator, son, age 15 (b. abt. 1865; he attended school during the census year) who also works on a farm. She inherited her father’s home farm on the Bay at Taylors Island. Henry Armstrong, age 73, is also living in her household as a "servant" and "farm laborer".

1891 April 15 TAYLORS ISLAND: Mary Ann Travers Cator dies. Following her death, her farm was sold in 1895 to William B. Barnes of NY City. WILLIAM & MARY ANN TRAVERS CATOR buried at Taylors Island's Grace Church Cemetery. Note that the tombstone for Capt William M. Cator is in the background of this stone. Perhaps the one for Mary A Cator includes Wm. W. Cator's information due to the severe crack in the older stone.

I love the anchor on his tombstone, but recognize the fragility of this stone!

Children of
CAPT. WM WHITFIELD CATOR and MARY ANN AUGUSTA TRAVERS CATOR

1st Child: SHERIFF THOMAS BEAUREGARD CATOR, born Aug 1857 on Taylors Island, MD; died March 2nd, 1930, at the Cambridge Hospital at about 9 pm. He had been there for about 5 weeks prior to his death. (See Generation Five for further information)

2nd Child: SAMUEL B. CATOR, b. May 13, 1860 Taylors Island; d. August 18, 1922 Dorchester County, MD at the age of 62. Samuel is buried at Grace P.E. Church Graveyard on Taylors Island. His career involved books; he worked in a bookstore of "his own accord...owner in Baltimore. By 1920 he was a book agent. Note: This may be the Samuel B. Cator that provided a gift to the Enoch Pratt Free Library, Baltimore (Mencken Collection) of the manuscript of A BOOK OF PREFACES (Published 1917). He presented a library of 7000 books to Taylor's Island.

3rd Child: ELLA WARFIELD CATOR, b. May 11, 1861, Taylors Island, MD; d. Aug. 28, 1952; m. HARRY PATTISON SPILMAN, a farmer, on Dec. 11, 1906, at "The Pines" Taylor's Island. Harry was b. September 24, 1860; d. January 15, 1933. Ella and Harry are buried at Grace Church Graveyard, Taylors Island, MD. Harry was the Supervisor of Elections for Taylors Island with his term expiring June 1933 (not known when term initiated). Note: Ella (Mrs. Harry P. Spillman) and "Vee" (Elmira Valorie Mace Cator, or Mrs. Charles Bragg Cator) lived together in their later years on Taylors Island.

4th Child: HARRY LEE CATOR, born 1862 and died 1890. He married Florence Emma Marshall. He is buried at Kingsville Cemetery. He did most of the planning for Johns Hopkins Hospital! While working at the hospital, he suffered a severe cold and ultimately died of catarrhal affection of the stomach. He was just 28 years old and had one daughter also named Florence who was born in 1884.

5th Child: CHARLES BRAGG (Charlie B.) CATOR, b. Jan. 15, 1863, Taylors Island, MD; d. Oct. 23, 1922. He married Elmira Valeria "Vee" Mace. They are both buried at Grace Cemetery on Taylors Island. He died of Bright's Disease (kidney disease). He was a farmer and they had three known children: Benjamin F. Cator born Jan. 1893; Catherine Cator born April 1898 and Charles Jr. born 1911

From Washington Post:

6th Child: WILLIAM (WILL) WHITFIELD CATOR (JR.) b. Nov. 24, 1864, Taylors Island, MD died on Sunday, Nov. 10, 1946 at Cambridge Hospital following an auto accident at age 81. While driving to Cambridge from his home in Baltimore on Sunday 11/3/1946 he lost control and overturned his car a few miles North of Easton. He was brought to Cambridge MD Hospital where he died 11/10; He was 81 yrs 11 mos and 15 days old. Buried in same cemetery as his parents, Grace P.E. Church Graveyard, on Taylors Island. He was a member of the University Club and Baltimore Country Club and worked as a Southern Sales Rep for Johnson-Sutton Co., which later was named R. M. Sutton Co. Per the following obituary, this William Cator was a bachelor!

Obituary in The Baltimore Sun (1837-1985) Nov. 12, 1946, pg. 11:

Abbey Hotel

(3)   ROBINSON WESLEY CATOR (1826-1902) d.@ 76 yrs. old
and Mary Caroline "Carrie" Hooper Pattison
Parents:
  Joseph Cator (1778 - 1852)
  Hannah Brohawn Cator (1786 - 1853)

DORCHESTER MARYLAND August 16, 1826: ROBINSON WESLEY CATOR born on Taylors Island. At 56 years of age, per his passport application, Robinson was grey haired, 5' 8" tall, with a high forehead, brown eyes, and a straight nose. He had a fair complexion, medium mouth and chin and a round face.

Maryland 17 Dec 1828: MARY CAROLINE "Carrie" HOOPER PATTISON born 1828.

DORCHESTER COUNTY, MD Dec. 5th, 1849: Robinson married "Carrie". Per Records of Great Choptank Parish, Cambridge MD on Ancestry.com, it is Dec. 5, 1849.

BALTIMORE, MD 1850: Robinson's occupation per the 1850 census was "merchant", which was his career field always. He and his wife were residing then in the Waverly area of Baltimore.

Feb 14, 1902 Baltimore MD : Robinson died.
29 Jul 1899: Mary Caroline "Carrie" Cator died.

Robinson Wesley Cator was one of the Armstrong, Cator and Company members. A member of the Protestant Episcopal Church and a staunch Democrat politically, he chose to stay out of public life...perhaps influencing behind the scenes, but not publicly. He and Mary Caroline were the parents of 11 children (10 known). He was a member of the Board of Trade, organizer of the Merchants and Manufacturers Association, and a director of the Merchants Bank and Eutaw Savings Bank. Armstrong, Cator and Company was established in 1805 by Thomas Armstrong and became a very prominent Baltimore business. When Armstrong moved his company to Baltimore's Market Street, Robinson served as Thomas Armstrong's confidential adviser and as a manager. Two years later Robinson became a partner with equal rights and the company changed its business name to Armstrong & Cator. This was when Armstrong and Cator added a wholesale business along with its established retail business; it flourished.

For excepts from the Google Book, Baltimore: Biography by Lewis Historical Publishing Co. regarding Robinson Wesley Cator, click on the following:

Saturday, February 15, 1902. Baltimore Sun. Volume CXXX, Issue 91, Page 7

Mr. R.W. Cator is Dead.  One of Baltimore’s Leading Merchants Passes Away. Paralyzed Two Months Ago.  Head of the Great House of Armstrong, Cator & Co. and Interested in many lines of Business.

Mr. Robinson W. Cator, head of the firm of Armstrong, Cator & Co. died yesterday at his home 600 Cathedral Street, after an illness of two months, during the greater part of which he was unconscious.

Mr. Cator had been in bad health for some time, but shortly before Christmas he was stricken with paralysis, the attack first coming on while he was in his store. Since that time he had been gradually sinking, with only temporary improvement. The end came about 12 p.m. after a night of watching, surrounded by the members of his family. The funeral arrangements have not yet been completed. Mr. Cator was attended during his last illness by Dr. P.H. Retche.

Mr. Cator was of English descent and was born in Dorchester county in 1826, on an old homestead, which in early Colonial times, was granted to Moses LeCompte, and has ever since remained in the family.  He removed to Baltimore in 1838 and in 1841 secured a position with Hollingsworth & Weller, remaining there until 1843. Then he began to clerk for Mr. Thomas Armstrong, whose business had been founded in 1806. In 1847 Mr. Armstrong took Mr. Cator into partnership and the firm was known as Armstrong & Cator. In 1852 the late Mr. Benjamin F. Cator, brother of Mr. Robinson W. Cator, joined the firm, the style of which was changed to Armstrong, Cator & Co.  Under this triple management the firm had an exceedingly prosperous career, and, at the time of the Civil War was famous for the large business which it did in the South.

Children of
ROBINSON WESLEY CATOR
and MARY CAROLINE PATTISON CATOR

JAMES HOOPER CATOR, born abt 1851, MD. Per 1880 Census, James lived in Waverly District, Baltimore MD. He married JEANIE BAYLY; born Dec. 18, 1854; died Feb. 25, 1935. James died on July 28, 1903. In 1874 JAMES H. CATOR was admitted to Armstrong, Cator and Company, two years after the death of Benjamin F. Cator who died in 1872. Daughter, Jeanie Elizabeth Cator, born January 10th, 1882; died 6 months later on July 24th 1882; died in infancy. Click right for infant's grave:

For James Hooper Cator stone, click below:

Note 3/17/1911 Washington Post: Mrs. James Cator, of Baltimore, “is the guest of her sister, Mrs. William B. Smoot, at the home in Prince Street.” Mr. and Mrs. William B. Smoot were among the guests Thursday at a dinner given by Mrs. Smoot’s brother and sister-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. James Cator, at their home in Baltimore, in honor of Gov. and Mrs. Goldsborough.

FRANKLIN PATTISON CATOR, born March 11th 1854, in Baltimore. Per the 1880 Census, Frank lived in the district of Waverly, Baltimore and was listed as “at home” at “age 25”. Educated in private schools; graduated from Merillat Institute, Govanstown, MD. Entered the employ of Armstrong, Cator & Company, was a member of the firm until 1880, and was head of the firm in 1912. He was director of Western National Bank and Central Savings Bank and Vice President of the Merchants’ and Manufacturers’ Association; also a member of the Board of Trade of Baltimore. His club affiliations: Maryland Merchants, Baltimore County, Maryland County and Baltimore Athletic. Member and Vestryman of Emmanuel Protestant Episcopal Church. Democratic supporter; never chose to run for office. On the Board of Directors of the Church Home and Infirmary and a member of the Young Men’s Christian Assn. and of the Maryland Tract Society. His maternal grandparents were Jeremiah and Nancy LeCompte (Hooper) Pattison. He married Annie Baen, daughter of Annie and William Richard Hurst, in Baltimore on January 18, 1882. A sister of Annie Baen is Mary Jane Hurst. NOTE: Item from The Washington Post, July 17, 1910: “Mr. and Mrs. William B. Smoot left Thursday for New York and sailed yesterday, accompanied by Mrs. Annie Hurst and Mrs. Franklin Cator, of Baltimore, to spend the next two months traveling in Europe.”
Click for excepts from the Google Book, Baltimore: Biography by Lewis Historical Publishing Co. regarding Franklin Pattison Cator.

HISTORY OF BALTIMORE

Franklin Pattison Cator, the present energetic head and guiding spirit of the well known firm of Armstrong, Cator & Company, is a man of exceptional ability in many directions. It was owing to his indefatigable efforts that, after the destructive fire of 1904, the firm was enabled in so comparatively short a time to resume its operations with undiminished and even increased vigor. A history of this firm is given in detail in connection with the history of Robinson W. Cator, which precedes this.

Franklin Pattison Cator, son of Robinson Wesley and Mary Caroline Hooper (Pattison) Cator, was born at Baltimore, March 11, 1854. His education was acquired at private schools and he was graduated from Merillat Institute, Govanstown, Maryland. In 1869 he entered the employ of Armstrong, Cator & Company, becoming a member of the firm in 1880 and is now at the head of the house, and under his capable management it looks forward to a long era of prosperity. In addition to his manifold responsibilities in connection with this business, he is a director in the Western National Bank and in the Central Savings Bank. He is also a vice-president of the Merchants’ and Manufacturers’ Association and a member of the Board of Trade of Baltimore. His club affiliations are with the Maryland Merchants’, Baltimore Country, Maryland County and Baltimore Athletic. He has been a consistent supporter of Democratic principles.”

Wednesday, July 9, 1919, Baltimore Sun:

FRANKLIN P. CATOR HONORED. Employees Surprise Him on fiftieth Anniversary with Firm.

Franklin P. Cator of Armstrong, Cator & Co. was given a surprise yesterday morning when he entered his office, the occasion being the fiftieth anniversary of his connection with the firm. Mrs. Cator, his wife, and Mrs. Sallie Cator Hopper, a sister, had been let into the secret and were present.

Mr. Cator found his office banked with flowers and later he was escorted to the showroom, where all the employees were gathered, and was presented with an engraved silver loving cup inscribed with a facsimile of his signature and bearing his monogram in raised gold letters. After recovering from his surprise, Mr. Cator formally accepted the token and was congratulated by the 300 employees and officials of the company.

MOLLIE CATOR, born about 1856. No other information known to me.

ELIZABETH P. "LIZZIE" CATOR, born Oct 1857. Per 1880 Census, Lissa or "Lizzi" lived in the district of Waverly, Baltimore Maryland and was listed as “at home” at “age 21”. In the 1900 census (bottom of page), she is still a single woman at 42 years of age and lives with her father. She died two years later on June 3, 1902; single.

SARAH "SALLIE" CATOR, born 10 years after her parents' marriage on July 16, 1859 in Baltimore MD. She married Samuel Wright Thomas Hopper, Jr. with whom she has one known son, Stuart Cator Hopper, born 02 Feb 1884 who married Henrietta Stewart on 23 Apr 1921. Her husband, Samuel was born 21 June 1852 and died 12 Apr 1885. In the 1880 Census she was listed as “at home” of her father Robinson W. Cator. SALLIE CATOR died April 30, 1920 at St. Paul Apts., Baltimore; buried at Greenmount Cemetery.

She lives with her father, Robinson Cator, during the 1900 Census, as she is a "widow." (bottom of page)

Photo of Stuart Cator Hopper on Debate Team at Johns Hopkins in 1903, the year he graduated with a Bach. of Arts:

Stuart received Order of St. Sava from WWI. He served from 1917-1919. ORC 7/3/17 capt QMC, Hq Camp Lee Va. 7/31/17; 2 Intermediate QM Dep 2/22/18; QM Dep Camp Pontanezen 5 Base Sec 5/14/19; Casual 6/10/19, Hon disch 6/19/19, Overseas 3/4/18 to 6/18/19

Daughters: Anne and Henrietta Hopper

CHARLES R. CATOR, b. Nov 24, 1860, Baltimore City , Maryland. Per the 1880 Census, Charles lived in the district of Waverly, Baltimore and was listed as “at home” at “age 19”. Per his passport application he became a merchant in the family business. Charles (signature below) was: 40 years old, 5'8" tall, had a high forehead, blue eyes, and a straight nose. He had light hair, a medium mouth and chin, a long face, and a fair complexion. His father signed as his witness. Passport application in left column. In the 1900 census (bottom of page), he is still single at 39 years of age and lives with his father and is working as a clerk for a millinery store (Armstrong/Cator?)

Portion of his passport request in 1901 provides description and signatures:

MARGARET “Maggie” LeCOMPTE CATOR, born about 1862, Baltimore. Per the 1880 Census, Margaret lived in the district of Waverly, Baltimore Maryland and was listed as “at home” at “age 18”. She married WILLIAM Breerwood SMOOT (b. 1 Jan 1858) on 13 October 1886. William was the brother of Henry Smoot, and the son of John Bryan Smoot and Sarah A. Breerwood (died 1863) and the grandson of Mayor of Alexandria, Charles Calvert Smoot, and Sarah Waters Bryan Smoot.

Maggie Cator Smoot's husband's Washington Post Obituary, 6/16/1930

Maggie Cator Smoot's Washington Post Obituary 5 years later of a cerebral hemorrhage:

LUCY HOPPER CATOR married Wm. Pitt Robinson on Nov. 6, 1890

Lucy died on Feb. 11, 1946 in DC. She was a 79 year old widow.

She and William had the following children: Andrew P. Robinson, R. Cator Robinson, Mrs. Nancy Dulany, Mrs. Margaret Sutton and Mrs. Sophia Passano.

Her daughter Margaret was a voice and piano teacher:

St. David's Episcopal Church in Roland Park, MD

TO GENERATION 1 Moses Cator; Edward and Mary LeCompte Cator; Levin and Aney Cator

TO GENERATION SECTION 2  Family of Levin Cator (son of Edward and Mary LeCompte Cator) including Joseph and Hannah Brohawn Cator, son/daughter-in-law of Levin Cator.

GENERATION SECTION 3  Not an active page - combined info with other Generations 2 and/or 4

TO GENERATION SECTION 4  Families of Joseph E, Capt Wm., & Robinson W. Cator

TO GENERATION SECTION 5   Family of Capt. Wm. Whitefield Cator and Mary Ann Augusta Travers Cator.

TO THOMAS BROOME TRAVERS +dau. Mary and spouse WILLIAM CATOR

TO BENJAMIN FRANKLIN CATOR ARTICLE FROM BOOK

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