Mary Polly Cates Georgia

Parents: William Abraham Cates and Sarah Berry

Mary Polly Cates was born 10th  January 1822 in South Carolina as her parents made their way to Georgia. She  marries James Alexander Walton in 1848 shortly after his first wife died.
James Alexander Walton was born on July 29, 1811 in Georgia and died Sept 7, 1857, and is buried with first wife Sophia at Pitts Cemetery Moreland, Coweta, Georgia. Sophia who died on Feb 26, 1847. James and Mary Polly Cates Walton were married for 9 years before he died.

This explains why Mary Cates and her two sons were living with her father in the 1860 Clayton County, Georgia census. The household consisted of William Cates age 62, Sarah Cates age 63, Mary Cates, age 38,  and J.(James) T. Cates age 8. At this time we have been unable to determine where Alexander Cates, age 4, was staying when this 1860 Northern District, Clayton County census was recorded.

Mary Polly Cates named both of her sons after their father. Her first son was named James and her second son Alexander. Mary Polly Cates reverted to her maiden name after her husband died  Any living male Cates descendant from this family would  match the Y-DNA of James Alexander Walton. Descendants of both of Mary Poly Cates two sons  qualify for the DAR or the SAR as descendants of the Robert and Elizabeth Cate Berry family. Robert Berry served as a private in the North Carolina Continental Line in the Revolutionary War.

 Several Berry family members have already been admitted to both organizations.

In the 1870 Clayton Georgia Census the household listing was William Cates, age 71, Mary Cates, age 45, James T. Cates age 18, and Alexander Cates, age 14. Sarah Berry Cates had died on 04 Apr 1870.
In 1880 only Mary Cates age 58 a and her son James Thomas Cates age 28 were living in Clayton County Georgia. William A. Cates had died on the 28th Mar 1871.

James Thomas Cates married Stella Luvina George 0n December 23 1897 in Clayton County Georgia and they were living in Justice Precinct 2, Cass, Texas in 1900. They listed  a daughter, Alice Amelia Cates, age 3, and a son Ralph Radford Cates, age 1. James T Cates’, Uncle Alfred Cates, (dec) most likely had children living in Cass County Texas. His Uncle Alfred died there in 1877.
James Thomas Cates died in 1906 and was laid to rest at Turkey Creek Baptist Church cemetery in Hughes Springs, Cass County, Texas.

CHILDREN: Listed on Find A Grave

• Alice Amelia Cates Wright(1896 -1956)
• Ralph Radford Cates (1898 – 1977)
• Lillie Mae Cates Horvat (1902 – 1987)
• Thomas Jefferson Cates (1906 – 1988)

CHILDREN Listed in Stella Cates’ 1910 Justice Precinct 8, Harrison Texas

• Alice Cates age 13
• Ralph Cates age 11
• Ethel Cates age 9
• May Cates age 7
• Tommy Cates age 4

In 1921 Stella George Cates married Hy Elmer Chambers and all of the family moved to California. Once again Stella became a widow. Elmer Chambers died between 1924 and 1930  but the family located in Moreno, Riverside California before the 1930 census was taken. Stella L. Chambers age 49 listed as head of household in that census. Alice Cates age 33 had an 8 year old son, Harold E. Cates,  and they were  both living with Alices’ mother. In the 1940 census Alice listed head of House hold as a widow and her son was living with her. Alice had 2 years of college and was working for the government in California. Stella and Hy Elmer Chambers had two children before he died. Gladys O Chambers age 8 and J Elmer Chambers age 6

Alexander Cates was born in Jonesboro Georgia on July 5th 1855  Alex was Mary Polly Cates younger son and he married Hassie Adamson about 1880.Hassie was born in 1856.They made their home in Jonesboro, Clayton County, Georgia and raised 7 children there.

CHILDREN of Alexandy and Hassie Adamson Cates:

• Hillyer Cates (1881 – 1968)
  

  Headstone of Alex Cate and Hassie Adamson Cate Mount Zion Cemetery Clayton Co. GA

• Ethleen Cates (1886 – 1968)
• Lex Glen Cates (1888 – 1955)
• Erick H. Cates (1890 – 1891)
• Erin G. Cates (1890 – 1891)
• Herford A. Cates (1892 – 1967)
• Ruby Cates (1893 – 1972)
• Martha Cates (1896 – 1951)
• Tommie Cates (1898 – 1971)
• Radford D. Cates (1902 – 1902)

Alexander Cate was a resident of Jonesboro, Clayton County, Georgia when he died on February 6th 1923. He stated on his death certificate that William Abrahams Cates was his father and Sarah Berry was his mother. Most likely Alex told everybody this all of his life. It is very unlikely that Sarah Berry would be his mother because she was 58 years old when Alexander was born. In those times being an  illegitimate child had a stigma attached and many people shun you. William and Sarah Berry Cates were Alexander and James Thomas Cates’ grandparents. Mary Polly Cates was their mother and their father is unknown.