Catherine (Heath) Cantrell (abt. 1697 - abt. 1755)

Born about 27 May 1697 in Haverhill, Essex County, Massachusetts

Wife of Joseph Cantrell — married [date unknown] in New Castle, Delaware, United States

Descendants

Died about 30 Aug 1755 at about age 58 in New Castle County, Delaware

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Melinda Pitts [send private message], Bennie Bailey [send private message], Barry Williams [send private message], Darlene Carerros [send private message], and Mary Ruth Westerman [send private message]

Biography

Catharina and Joseph attended the Holy Trinity (Old Swedes) Church in Wilmington, Delaware. Three of their children were baptized at this oldest and quaintest church in the nation. A complete list of the children of Joseph and Catharina has never been found. The nine children listed were compiled from the court and county records of Orange County, North Carolina. The sixth child (a female, name unknown) was born about 1722.

Joseph Cantrill, son of Richard and Dorothy (Jones) Cantrill, spent his early years in Philadelphia. He probably moved to the lower counties after reaching adulthood. About 1718, he married Catherina __ (surname and parentage still not documented to this day). Her last name of Heath is not proven.

Joseph and Catherina were living in New Castle Co., Pennsylvania, on or near the site of present-day Wilmington, Delaware, and were attendants at Holy Trinity (Old Swedes) Church before 1720. Records of the baptism of three of their children are on file at this oldest and quaintest church in the nation. Christina Parish was mostly situated on both sides of Christina Creek, partly on both sides of Brandywine Creek in New Castle County, and in the Hundreds of New Castle, Christina and Brandywine. It stretched two Swedish miles in length and one in breadth. The most remote families of the parish were not more than six and a half English miles distant from the church. The city of Wilmington is built on the Swedish “church land” and the charter for the town was granted in 1735. At the time Joseph Cantrill went there, it was known as Christina.

Although many of the earliest records of this area have been lost or destroyed, there is evidence, however, from the scattered records of New Castle County today, that descendants of Richard Cantrill lived there from before 1720 until 1787, though the majority moved south during this period.

A published work of the wills and probates of the county during the period of Joseph’s residence there fails to reveal his will or probate. Since he was a man in his 50s when his sons moved south to Carolina, it can be assumed that he made the move also. In the tax list of the Orange County Court, NC, for 1754, his son John’s household listed two taxable white males. Since John’s sons were under 10 years old, it can be assumed that this was his father, Joseph.

Catherina died before 1812 in New Castle Co, Pennsylvania (now Delaware).

The list below of the children was compiled from the records of Susan Cantrell Christie and Warren Cantrell, family genealogists, and the county records of Orange County, North Carolina.

Children:

1. Hannah Cantrill, b. Mar 20, 1720, Christina, New Castle, PA; d. about 1721

2. (Daughter) Cantrill, b. 1722, Wilmington, New Castle Co., PA; d. about 1722

3. John Cantrell, Sr., b. Oct 6, 1724, New Castle Co., PA (now DE)

4. Stephen Cantrill, b. about 1725, New Castle County, PA. Stephen is listed in the Court of Orange County, May, 1764, when Thomas Hart sued him on a debt. In the records of Wilkes County, GA, 1777-1787, Stephen died intestate and George Lumpkin, carpenter, creditor of said deceased appointed administrator Oct 25, 1783.

5. Joseph Cantrill, Jr., b. about 1726, New Castle Co., PA

6. Zebulon Cantrill, b. about 1727, New Castle Co., PA (now DE)

7. Sarah Cantrill, b. 1728, New Castle Co., PA; d. Nov 1783, Bedford, VA

8. Isaac Cantrill, Sr., b. 1732-33 in VA

9. Benjamin Cantrill, b. about 1733, New Castle Co, PA. He is listed in the Court records of Orange County, NC. The Court of Sep 1759, Benjamin Cantrill proved an account of one pound, fifteen shillings against the estate of Andrew Culbertson, Deceased, for funeral charges and attendance upon the same. No later record of Benjamin.

10. James Cantrill, b. about 1735, Wilmington, New Castle Co., PA; d. before 1780, Guilford Co., NC; m. to Katherine __ about 1752

Birth

1697 Haverhill, Essex, MA.,, United States

Marriage

ABT 1718 New Castle Co., PA, Now DE

Death

30 Aug 1755 New Castle, DE., United States (using this date for her profile)

Research Notes

DNA

• Paternal relationship is confirmed by a triangulated group on GEDmatch consisting of Shannon Jeropke (descendant of Thomas Heath), Vicki Cantrell (descendant of Catherine), and Ray Hawkins (descendant of Catherine), who share a 9.7 cM segment on chromosome 10. The most-recent common ancestors shared by all three are John Heath and his wife.

Birthplace

Catherine's father was born in Haverhill, Essex, Massachusetts. She probably wasn't born in Sweden. During a merge Catherine's birth place was changed from Haverhill, Essex Co., MA to Sweden. I have changed it back. Source; 11/16/2014, MG Pitts-33

Uncertain Origins

I see there is uncertainty of the parents of Catherine Cantrell and I think that she was not related to John and Hannah Heath of Haverhill. I have been working on the Heath line for some time and do have not seen any record of a Catherine being a daughter of any of the Heaths from Haverhill. If you do find proof please e-mail me so I can add it to my line. John Heath formally from Haverhill, MA now Florida email jakhth at gmail.com

Haverhill Vital Records do not show any Catherine Heath born there. I could find no source linking her to John and Hannah Heath. John and Hannah moved to New London, CT and died there. It is hard to see how a daughter of theirs would have gotten married in Pennsylvania. Unless someone can produce some evidence of a connection, we should remove John and Hannah Heath as her parents.

Sources

• U.S. and International Marriage Records 1695 PA., United States
• Research by Warren G. Cantrell, 8/31/1998.
• Research by LaVonna Wood, 8/28/1998.
• Research by Mildred Butts, Jul 8, 2002

Acknowledgments

• This person was created through the import of mostrecentforgramps.ged on 13 September 2010.
• WikiTree profile Heath-1415 created through the import of mom_2012-08-01.ged on Aug 2, 2012 by John Stroud.
• WikiTree profile Heath-1464 created through the import of taylor gedcom.ged on Sep 7, 2012 by John Stroud.
• WikiTree profile Heath-1260 created through the import of Lozon.ged on Jul 26, 2012 by Jamie Henderson.
• This person was created through the import of PittsPenn_2010-09-21.ged on 22 September 2010.
• WikiTree profile Heath-853 created through the import of WikiGedcom.ged on Nov 14, 2011 by Darlene Nelson.
• WikiTree profile Heath-1254 created through the import of Lozon.ged on Jul 26, 2012 by Jamie Henderson.