Taylor Cathcart

1777 - 14th Dec 1857

Claimant or beneficiary

Biography

Taylor Cathcart of Scotland, awarded compensation for ownership of enslaved persons on Brustrode Farm, Westmoreland, Jamaica, as judgement creditor of Anthony Whitelock (q.v.).

  1. Taylor Cathcart was the plantation manager on Grandvale Plantation in 1812 which was owned by John Cunningham of Craigends, Renfewshire, Scotland. On 29/05/1812, John Cunningham wrote: “Dear Taylor, I have had the pleasure of receiving yours accompanied by a list of the negroes and stock on Granvale – I am happy to observe that the increase in births is likely to keep pace with the decrease occasioned by the deaths of the old and infirm people and I am so pleased to see that you afford every comfort to the women in a state of pregnancy. Indeed, I suppose you will always be disposed to do everything in your power for the comfort of all the slaves. It will be a very satisfactory and consolatory reflection to you after you have relinquished the management and retired from that situation in life.”

  2. In 1823 he married Frances Ann Davis Marcy, eldest daughter of George Marcy (q.v.), of Jamaica. They had three children born in Westmoreland, Jamaica: Frances (born 18/09/1824), James (born 20/04/1826) and Robert (born 29/11/1827 and died 06/02/1832). Another son, also called Robert, was born in Glasgow, 20/02/1833, and a final son, William Taylor was born in Newburgh, Fife, 10/10/1838.

  3. In 1833 he succeeded his elder brother, Captain Robert Cathcart RN.

  4. In the censuses of 1841 and 1851, Taylor Cathcart was living at Pitcairlie House, Newburgh, Fife. In 1841 he was age 60, occupation “Ind.[ependent]”, born in Newburgh, Fife, with his wife Frances, age 30, his daughter Frances age 15, son William age 2, 5 female servants and 1 male servant. In 1851 he was age 73, with his wife age 44, daughter Frances age 26 and son Robert, age 18, 2 male servants and 3 female servants.

  5. Death of Taylor Cathcart at Pitcairlie House, Newborough Parish, Fife, 14/12/1857 age 80, occupation “Landed Proprietor”, parents James Cathcart, “Landed Proprietor” and Lucretia Cathcart née Cahoon.

  6. Death of James, son of Taylor Cathcart: "At Delhi, on the 27th October, of fever, Lieut. James Cathcart, 50th Bengal Native Infantry, eldest son of Taylor Cathcart, Esq. of Garbiston".


Sources

T71/871 Westmoreland claim no. 261 (Bulstrode Farm). T71/1209 counterclaim from Taylor Cathcart of Scotland.

  1. ‘Records of the Lennox family of Woodhead – containing the records of the Cunningham family of Craigends – Jamaican estate owners’, quoted at www.casbah.ac.uk/cats/archive/183/GCAA00001.htm [accessed 22/06/2012].

  2. Matthew Forster Conolly, Biographical dictionary of eminent men of Fife of past and present times : natives of the county, or connected with it by property, residence, office, marriage, or otherwise (Edinburgh, Inglis & Jack, 1866) pp. 110-111. Births and baptisms of four eldest children were recorded in the Parish Records of Newburgh, Fife in 1843: General Register Office for Scotland, OPR Births 450/00 0020 0127 Newburgh. Births and christenings of all five children at www.familysearch.org batch no. C11450-5. The death certificate of Frances Ann Davis Cathcart gives her parents as George Marcy, Landed Proprietor, and Elizabeth Marcy née Nicholls: General Register Office for Scotland, Deaths 1899 423 060.

  3. Conolly, op. cit., p. 110.

  4. 1841 and 1851 censuses online.

  5. General Register Office for Scotland Deaths 1857 450 060 Newburgh.

  6. Glasgow Herald 23/12/1850.

We are grateful to Morag Fyfe for her assistance with compiling this entry.


Further Information

Absentee?
British/Irish
Spouse
Frances Ann Davis Marcy
Children
Frances (1824-), James (1826-), Robert (1827-1832), Robert (1833-), William Taylor (1838-)
Will

Executors and trustees: Frances Ann Davis Marcy or Cathcart (his wife); Catherine Wedderburn (widow of his brother Robert Cathcart RN); James Lawson (formerly of Westmoreland, Jamaica, currently residing in Whithorn, Galloway); Charles Kinner of Kinnear and Kinloch Esquire; Walter Jollie, Writer to the Signet; James Cathcart (eldest son); Robert Cathcart (added as an executor on attaining his majority).

Main heir James Cathcart, plus: £600 p.a. to his wife; £4000 to his daughter Frances; £2000 each to his sons Robert Cathcart and William Taylor Cathcart.

Value of deceased's estate in Scotland: £10,353 17s 5d plus 100 shares of the stock of the Alliance British and Foreign Life and Fire Assurance Company (value £1750).

Deceased estate includes shares in the Forth Clyde Navigation Company, the Monkland Railway Company, the Glasgow and South Western Railway Company, the Caledonia Railway Company, the Wischaw Railway Company and the Clydesdale Railway Company.

Will proved at Cupar Sheriff Court, SC20/50/29.

Wealth at death
£12,103 17S 5D
Occupation
Plantation manager then landowner

Associated Claims (1)

£1,285 12s 3d
Awardee (Judgement creditor)

Associated Estates (10)

The dates listed below have different categories as denoted by the letters in the brackets following each date. Here is a key to explain those letter codes:

  • SD - Association Start Date
  • SY - Association Start Year
  • EA - Earliest Known Association
  • ED - Association End Date
  • EY - Association End Year
  • LA - Latest Known Association
1834 [EA] - → Judgement creditor
1817 [EA] - 1829 [LA] → Owner
1823 [EA] - → Other
1817 [EA] - 1823 [LA] → Administrator
1823 [EA] - 1826 [LA] → Executor
1823 [EA] - 1826 [LA] → Attorney
1817 [EA] - 1826 [LA] → Attorney
1820 [EA] - → Attorney
1826 [EA] - → Executor
1817 [EA] - 1820 [LA] → Joint owner

Legacies Summary

Imperial (1)

East India Company
Military  
notes →
His eldest son James Cathcart was a lieutenant in the 50th Bengal Native Infantry at his death in...
sources →
Glasgow Herald...

Relationships (1)

Son-in-law → Father-in-law

Addresses (2)

Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Central Scotland, Scotland
Pitcairlie House, Newburgh, Fife, North-east Scotland, Scotland