Family History, Cathcart Chart 0701 James Leander Cathcart and Jane Banker Woodside

1820 Georgetown Washington, USA 1840 Georgetown Washington, USA Information for James Leander CATHCART James Leander Cathcart was born in Mount Murragh, County Westmeath, Ireland and emigrated to the North American colonies at eight years of age, under the care of a relative, Captain John Cathcart. He joined the American Revolution and at the age of twelve served on a privateer. Three years later as a midshipman on The Confederacy, he was captured by the British and imprisoned on the prisoner ships, The Good Hope and Jersey from which he escaped in 1782. He became fluent in Spanish and French, which he learned from fellow prisoners during his three year internment. In 1785 Barbary pirates captured the American merchant ship, “The Maria Boston”, on its way to Cadiz carrying furs, lumber, and dried codfish. They took Cathcart and twenty other sailors as slaves. During the eleven years of his slavery in Algiers Cathcart managed by means of good fortune, cleverness, and bribery to improve his circumstances eventually to become chief clerk to the Dey. In this position he acted as a mediator between the Dey and Joseph Donaldson, Jr. agent for Colonel David Humphreys, the U.S. Minister to Portugal, that resulted in The Treaty of Algiers of 1796 and made possible his freedom. Cathcart for the first several years of his captivity endured the same terrible living conditions as his fellow slaves. One of a few handpicked by the Dey, Cathcart’s first duties were to work in the Dey’s palace garden caring for the lions, tigers, and antelopes. Although his assigned duties were relatively light, his masters provided scant food and administered several beatings, called bastinado, where in one instance Cathcart lost several of his toenails. As his fortunes and positions in Algiers improved, Cathcart acquired additional skills that he used later as a diplomat. He found opportunities to demonstrate his concern for his fellow prisoners. During his slavery he became conversant in Arabic and Turkish. When Cathcart became clerk of the prison, he was able to buy several taverns, a house with servants, and procure more food for his fellow crew members. After the Treaty of Algiers freed them, Cathcart had the means to purchase a ship, which he sailed to Philadelphia in 1796 with twelve surviving members of the original crew. On 5 June 1798 he married Philadelphia belle, Jane Bancker Woodside, and in the years that followed they had twelve children. His daughter, J. B. Newkirk put together Cathcart’s narrative and published it in 1899, 56 years after his death. The title of which was The Captives, Eleven Years a Prisoner in Algiers. He returned to the Barbary States in December 1798 as special agent to William Eaton. Later in 1802 he was appointed US Consul (representative) to Tunis and Tripoli. He participated in the negotiation of additional treaties with Algiers, Tunis, and Tripoli. He served as Consul-General for the United States in Cadiz from 1807-1817. Cathcart served in the diplomatic corps for the United States during the administrations of John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison. Gravestone inscription reads MRS ELIZA W HUTTON Daughter of James L Cathcart and Jane B Cathcart born in Terpoli and died in Washington DC on the 5th of August 1821 in the 24th years of her age 1850 Washington Ward 5, Washington, District of Columbia Amelia was living with her brother Thos J CATHCART aged 24 her husband was not with her but she had the following children Jno J PEABODY aged 17 J H PEABODY aged 15, Anna A PEABODY aged 14, Jane E PEABODY aged 10 and Wm F PEABODY aged 8. She is down as being born in Italy and aged 48, her children are down as being born in DC. Jno J PEABODY is down as an Engineer and J H PEABODY is down a Page in USS Found the marriage of Amelia, and some details about her but at present have not found a birth date but as she was married in 1828 would think between 1799 the birth of Eliza and 1807 the birth of James. The children given in a Family Tree on Ancestry gives the children as follows John Joseph Peabody 1831 – James Henry Peabody 1833 – Anna Amelia Peabody 1835 – 1900 Jane Estelle Peabody 1838 – 1881 William Francis Peabody 1841 – 1863 Information for John PEABODY Capt. John, eldest son of the late Gen. PEABODY, formerly of Newburyport, Mass. (not on the 1850 Census) 1850 Washington Ward 1m Washington, USA. They were living with Eliza's father John D BARCLAY aged 60 a Government Clerk born Maryland and to sibling an Anna aged 20 and a William aged 18. 1860 Georgetown Ward 2, Washington, District of Columbia, Washington, USA. There was a Jula CONNER aged 25 a Servant born Ireland and a Michael CANNIVAN aged 14 born Ireland with the family. 1870 Washington Ward 1, Washington, District of Columbia. With the family was a Hannah WOODSIDE a widow aged 84 born New York, USA 1880 Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, District of Columbia, USA Gravestone inscription reads JAMES LEANDER CATHCART born January 31 1807 died June 28 1890 1850 New Durham, La Porte, Indiana, USA. 1860 New Durham, La Porte, Indiana, USA. With the family were John COFFEY aged 24 a Labourer born Ireland, Peter WEISMAN 26 Labourer born Mechlinberg and Margaret Hughs aged 22 a Domestic born Ireland. 1870 New Durham, La Porte, Indiana, USA There was also a Sarah SWAN aged 22 and a Andrew JOHNSON aged 23 with the family. The next entry is for a James W CATHCART a Farmer aged 29 born Indiana his wife, Emeline aged 26 Keeping House born Indiana and a daughter Mary E aged 3 born Indiana, USA likely to be another child of Charles CATHCART. 1880 New Durham, La Porte, Indiana, USA. Information for Charles US Congressman, US Senator. Elected to represent Indiana’s 9th District in the United States House of Representatives, serving from 1845 to 1849. Elected as a Senator from Indiana to the United States Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Senator James Whitcomb, serving as a Democrat from December 1852 to March 1853. Charles William Cathcart (July 24, 1809 - August 22, 1888) was a United States Representative and Senator from Indiana. He was born in Funchal, Madeira Island, Portugal where his father, James Leander Cathcart was the United States Consul; he travelled to Spain with his parents, attended private schools, and returned to the United States in 1819 and went to sea. He moved to Washington, D.C. in 1830, and was a clerk in the General Land Office. He moved to Indiana and was justice of the peace at New Durham Township in 1833. He engaged in agricultural pursuits near La Porte in 1837, was a United States land surveyor, and was a member of the Indiana Senate from 1837-1840. Cathcart was elected as a Democrat to the Twenty-ninth and Thirtieth Congresses, serving from March 4, 1845 to March 3, 1849; he was appointed to the U.S. Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the death of James Whitcomb and served from December 6, 1852, to January 18, 1853. He was an unsuccessful candidate for election in 1860 to the Thirty-seventh Congress and engaged in agricultural pursuits. He died on his farm near La Porte in 1888; interment was in Pine Lake Cemetery. 1850 Center, La Porte, Indiana, USA. 1860 La Porte, La Porte, Indiana, USA . A Bridget REPORTE aged 50 a Servant born Ireland was with the family. Wife of Benoni Newkirk. Daughter of Revolutionary War Patriot James Leander Cathcart of Pennsylvania, and Jane Woodside. DAR Real Daughter The New York Times (Oct. 6, 1906): MRS. NEWKIRK, AUTHOR, DEAD Two of Her Books Were Published After She Was 83. La Porte, Ind., Oct. 5. — Mrs. Jane B. Newkirk, an author, died here today, aged 93. Within ten years she had published two books – "The Captives," a narrative of the Algerian enslavement of her father, James Leander Cathcart, who afterward was in the United States Consular Service in Africa, and "Tripoli and Tunis," an account of American negotiations with the Barbary powers for the abolishment of piracy. (It is from these books that most of the information for James Leander CATHCART is found) 1850 New Durham, La Porte, Indiana, USA. 1860 New Durham, La Porte, Indiana, USA. 1870 New Durham, La Porte, Indiana, USA 1850 Clinton, La Porte, Indiana, USA. 1860 New Durham, La Porte, Indiana, USA. With the family was a W F PEABODY aged 18 Labourer born Washington DC and a Clarie VAIL aged 20 a Domestic born Ohio. 1870 New Durham, La Porte, Indiana, USA. . Gravestone inscription reads EDWARD P CATHCART Son of James L. Cathcart and Jane B. Cathcart born in Georgetown. D.C. on the 26th of May 1820 died in the City of Washington on the 13th of February 1848 Had land and definitely had a son Arthur W CATHCART born about 1857 1860 Alexandria, Alexandria, Virginia, USA two children on this Census Arthur aged 3 and Emily aged 1. There were three servants. At present I can find no further details for this child other than a mention on the Gravestone Site details of which are shown above, as no birth date is given I cannot put in order of birth on the chart above. At present I can find no further details for this child other than a mention on the Gravestone Site details of which are shown above, as no birth date is given I cannot put in order of birth on the chart above. There is a vast amount of information for the main person on this chart, James Leander CATHCART and over time I will add as much as I can. Some of the children for James and Jane are definite but there are some which need to be confirmed that they are indeed children of this couple, I have added all I have found but will remove any that in later research I find not to be correct. (at present Eleven children added, I believe I have one more child to find) There is a lot of information on the CATHCART charts, I thank all of those who have by various means provided the large amount of detail which will be found about this family, especially to Eric CATHCART who gave me a start with this family, and also to his family tree on Ancestry.com. I have found other material on the Web and I have used this information on these pages as it brings together a lot of the information available for this most interesting family.

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This is a Chart for James Leander Cathcart and Jane Bancker Woodside