Catherine “Caty” See Johnston
BIRTH 1753
Virginia, USA
DEATH 1830 (aged 76–77)
Conesville, Coshocton County, Ohio, USA
BURIAL
William Robinson Family Cemetery
Conesville, Coshocton County, Ohio, USA
Catherine See Johnston
Birth About 1753 Virginia
Death: Before 1830, Coshocton County. Ohio
Catherine(Caty) See, daughter of Frederick Michael See/Zeh, and Catherine Vanderpool See was born about 1753 in Virginia. The See and Yoakum families were early settlers on Muddy Creek in Greenbrier County, Virginia, claiming land there as early as 1751. The settlers were forced to flee their settlement during the French and Indian War in 1755, returning about 1762 to re-settle. However, in July 1763 the settlement was attacked by a party of Shawnee Indians. Frederick See, his son-in-law and other adult males were tomahawked to death and the women and children, including the See family and 10 year old Caty, were taken captive and marched to the Indian villages in Ohio.
Michael, George, and Mary with their mother, Catherine See were rescued by Colonel Henry Bouquet in November 1764 and John, Margaret (Peggy) and Caty See, were rescued on 10 May,1765. All were sent to Fort Pitt and then to Hampshire Co, VA to live with their father’s relatives. Caty’s mother, Catherine Vanderpool See, was said to have remarried to John Hardy and resettled back in the Muddy Creek area where Caty’s brothers, when grown, had also bought land and returned.
Living in Hampshire County, Virginia, Caty after the separation of her sister Elizabeth( possible twin) still held captive by the Indians, clung to her widowed sister Margaret. After Margaret’s marriage to William Robinson and her own marriage to James Johnston, the two families moved to Monongalia County (now West Virginia) where the men formed a merchandizing partnership.
James Johnston, Caty, and children, George, Valentine, Catherine, Amelia and James Jr. moved to Ohio to expand the merchandizing business, establishing Johnston’s Station in Muskingum County at Wakatomika Creek. Their daughter, Ann(Nancy) had married her cousin, William Robinson, Jr and stayed on in Clarksville with the Robinson family. William Robinson and Margaret maintained a merchandizing establishment in Clarksville with the intent to join the Johnstons in Ohio soon.
James Johnston’s death at Johnston’s station November of 1798 dissolved the partnership. James Johnston’s estate was valued at over $10,000.00. There were many debts to be collected including a note on William Robinson, and 1000 acres of land from Benjamin Reeder as well as many other debts, some which the Court deemed null because James Johnston had moved out of State. After the death of her husband Caty Johnston and her family continued to live at Johnston’s Station. It is recorded that in 1803 Widow Caty Johnston received a delivery of supplies of fine linen and thread to Wakatomika by river boat. By 1805 Wakatomika (Dresden, OH) lay in the newly created Jefferson Township of which Valentine Johnston served as a Trustee. Ann Johnston, widow of William Robinson, Jr. married Muskingum County Supreme Court Clerk, Abel Lewis in 1805, and Valentine Johnston married his cousin Rebecca Robinson in 1806. William Robinson honored his debt, providing land to James Johnston’s estate which was divided among Johnston’s, daughters, Ann Johnston Robinson Lewis, Catherine and Amelia Johnston in 1808. Caty Johnston paid the taxes on each of her daughters 216 2/3 acres of land in Fall Township, Muskingum Co, Ohio in 1808,1809, 1810. Caty Johnston also paid taxes, 1806-1812, on 300 acres of land that she and the younger children Catherine, Amelia and James Jr. moved to along the Muskingum River in Franklin Township Coshocton County, Ohio adjoining Caty’s son Valentine... This land was bought from William Robinson and was located within walking distance of the home of Caty’s sister Margaret, and husband William Robinson.
After Caty’s children married, Amelia to her cousin Seth Shoemaker in 1811, Catherine to Conrad Powelson in 1812, and James Jr, to Jane, daughter of Judge Jesse Fulton in 1814 the land was deeded to James Jr. Caty continued to live there until James death in 1819, she then moved to her daughter Catherine Powelson’s home until her death between 1820 and 1830.
Caty See Johnston is buried in the Robinson Cemetery located on a knoll over-looking the Robinson home and the Muskingum River near the graves of her sons, James and Valentine Johnston, sister Margaret See Robinson, William Robinson and other family members.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/184399924/catherine-johnston
