The Cates and Summers families in Coweta

This week we'll conclude the story of the Cates family, descendants of William Abraham and Margaret Agnes Cates of Colyton, Devon, England, having followed their children from England, to Virginia, to North Carolina, to Newberry Dist., S.C., and, about 1832, into Coweta County, Ga., where they settled around Turin and Senoia. Family information was submitted by Ken Arnold (karnold2@bellsouth.net) who lives in Florida.

The family lineage, through the sons, is from William Abraham Cates and Agnes Unknown, to Robert Ezra Cates and Ann Unknown, to Robert Cates Jr. and Elizabeth Unknown, to Thomas Cates and Elizabeth Fussell, to Robert Cates and Sarah Sykes, to Asa Cates and Frances Pratt, who moved from Newberry District, S.C. to Coweta County and are both buried in Tranquil Cemetery near Turin.

Known siblings of Asa Cates are Allen Dawson Cates, Anne Cates, Mary E. Cates, Jonathan Sykes Cates, Elizabeth Cates, Robert M. Cates, and Aaron Cates.

Asa was born 31 Dec 1781 in Orange County, N.C., and died in Coweta County on Aug. 7, year unknown. He married in Orange Co., N.C. in 1808 to Frances Pratt, daughter of Jonathan Pratt and Elizabeth Hughes, and granddaughter of Jonathan Pratt Sr. and Mary Redman, and Blackmore Hughes.

Asa and Frances Pratt Cates had two children in Orange Co., N.C. before moving to Newberry Dist., S.C. The remainder of their children were born in South Carolina. When they moved to Georgia about 1832, it appears that most of their children came with them. Children which Ken has found information on include:

Nancy Elizabeth Cates, born 23 Jan. 1809, died 18 Nov. 1886 in Coweta, married Elijah Summers; Jonathan Cates, born 11 Nov. 1810, died 21 Nov. 1810 in Orange Co., N.C.; John H. Cates, born 18 Oct. 1811 in Newberry Dist., S.C., died in Coweta County, married Aceline (Avelina) Walton, buried Tranquil cemetery; Robert A. Cates, born 11 Aug. 1813 in Newberry, died in Spartanburg, S.C., married Adana E. Zimmermann on Dec. 26, 1845; Sarah Frances Cates, born 12 Sept. 1817 in Newberry, died in Coweta, married Ezekiel Haines on 2 Feb. 1841 in Coweta; Mary E. Cates, born 29 July 1820 in Newberry, died 19 July 1897 in Coweta, married Reason Mobley 20 July 1875, Coweta, buried Tranquil Cemetery; Elizabeth F. Cates, birth and death dates unknown, married Asa Huggins on 3 Dec. 1865 in Coweta; Susannah Cates, birth and death dates unknown, but died before 1845, married James Gay.

Bible records from a family Bible owned by Bessie H. Smith of Hapeville lists two additional children, Water A., and Martha A. Cates.

When Asa Cates died, he left no will, but there are numerous land records at the Coweta County Courthouse which give descriptions and locations of his land. Coweta census records for 1850 also show Asa still living and residing next door to his son, John H. Cates.

The Summers family is allied with Asa Cates through the marriage of his daughter, Nancy Elizabeth Cates, to Elijah Summers, son of Samuel Summers and Delilah Gary. Both Samuel and Delilah are buried in Tranquil Cemetery.

Nancy Cates and Elijah Summers were married 8 Nov. 1832 in Coweta County, the earliest record of the Cates family in Coweta. They also are buried in Tranquil Cemetery.

The Summers family had considerable land holdings about that time around present day Standing Rock Road and Gary Summers Road (named after Nancy and Elijah's grandson), which remain in the holdings of some of the Summers family to this day. Nancy and Elijah Summers children were:

Frances Delilah Summers born 21 Sept. 1833; Elvira Summers, born 12 June 1835 in Coweta, died 10 Nov 1861 in Coweta, married (1) Daniel Morgan, married (2) Joseph C. Drake; Sarah Ann Summers, born 4 June 1838 in Coweta, died 4 Oct. 1906 in Coweta, married (1) Thomas Pentreken, married (2) William C. Morgan on 18 Oct. 1856, buried Tranquil Cemetery; Jesse H. Summers, born 7 Nov. 1840 in Coweta, died 13 Dec. 1862; William Robert Summers, born 19 Dec. 1842 in Coweta, died 13 March 1904, married Mary Elizabeth Price on 12 Dec. 1861 in Coweta, both are buried at Tranquil; Mary Elizabeth Summers, born 29 July 1845 in Coweta, died 4 April 1850 in Coweta, buried at Tranquil; Allen Fuller Summers, died as a child; Drury Pratt Summers, born 7 April 1853 in Coweta, married Jeanie Drake.

Other names allied with the Cates family in Coweta County are Robinson, Hendrix, Spear, Shannon, Terrell, Duncan, Gaines, Carroll, Bradley and Lambert.

Those of you who have done research in Gwinnett County know the Cates family was very prominent there in the early years also. An interesting tidbit I found in the Gwinnett Ordinary Court Minutes for the March Term, 1823, was a note that Jehu Cates obtained letters of administration on the estate of Ezra Cates, deceased. James Waits was security and it was attested by William Maltbie, C.O. Both these names, Ezra and Jehu, appear in the list of children of Thomas Cates and Elizabeth Fussell. Is this a coincidence, or did some of Thomas Cates' children move to Gwinnett?

Valerie Freeman (VCJFreeman@aol.com) of California also has Cates in Clayton County which may tie into these Coweta Cates.

If you have stories about your ancestors, their families, your research or genealogy tips, send them to The Citizen, Drawer 1719, Fayetteville, GA 30214; E-mail jkilgore@thecitizennews.com or jodiek444@aol.com.

Until next week, happy hunting!

(Judy regrets that time does not permit her to do personal research for others, but she will willingly share research information on her own family lines.)