Catherine (Shaw) Black (abt. 1715 - abt. 1798)

Born about 1715 in Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland [uncertain]

Wife of Samuel Black Sr — married 1743 in Pennsylvania

Descendants

Died about 23 Sep 1798 at about age 83 in Rockfish, Nelson, Virginia, United States

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Ken Parman [send private message] and Walter Fiedler [send private message]

Biography

Catherine, whose birth dates and parents are unknown, was likely born between 1700 and 1715 in Scotland or Ireland. She died in Sep 1798 at Albemare County or Rockfish, Nelson County, Virginia.^[1]

She married Rev. Samuel Black, son of James Black (1674-1751) and Eleanor (1675-) before 1740, at PA where some of their children were born. Known children (order uncertain; surname BLACK):^[2][3][4]

1. Samuel Black Jr - b. 13 Mar 1743; d. 1815 VA
2. James Black - b. c1744 PA; d. 22 Sep 1789 KY
3. Sarah Black- b. say 1747 VA
4. Margaret Black - b. 1749 VA; d. bef 1797 VA
5. John Black - b. say 1751 VA
6. William Black - b. 1752 VA; d. 1 Sep 1833 VA
7. Mary Black - b. c1753 VA; d. aft 1824

On 29 Mar 1747 at Rockfish, Nelson County, VA, her husband Samuel was invited to be pastor of Rockfish Presbyterian Church and of Ivy Creek and Mountain Plains congregations. On 26 Jun 1751, he purchased 400 acres on Mechum's River in Albemarle County.^[5]

She was called "dearly beloved wife" Catharine by the will of Rev. Samuel BLACK dated 25 Jul 1770 at Charlottesville, Albemarle County, VA. It left her £50, the Mansion House (where she was to be maintained during her life), slaves Roger and Fanny to work for her and children John, William, and Sarah while unmarried.^[6]

Discepancies

There are still several discrepancies which need to be resolved. These include:

• Date and place of birth - Birth dates range from 1700 to 1720 and place given as Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland, or County Antrim, Ulster, Ireland.
• Date and place of death - Albemarle County or Rockfish, Nelson County, Virginia. No documentation as of date, place or burial other than Find A Grave.
• Middle name of Erskine - Found only on an SAR application ^[7], and middle names were not common in America before about 1800. Could this be a later Married name or incorrect name?
• Catherine or Katherine - Both spellings found, with Catherine used more often.

Research Notes

It was probably a different Catherine Black who arrived at NY on the Happy Return in 1739 because she was married by 1763 and living with her child in NY where she was granted 150 acres.^[8]

The application of Catherine Black to become a US citizen was dated 8 Apr 1895 and cannot be this Catherine.^[9]

The town of Blacksburg, Virginia, location of Virginia Tech College, was NOT named after their sons.^[10][11]

Sources

1. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #130629327, Catherine Shaw Black.
2. ↑ Natalie K Black, Pioneer Preacher, Descendants to 1980 of the Rev. Samuel Black (1700-1770) of Pennsylvania and Albemarle County, Virginia, (Nashville, TN: Williams Printing Company, 1981), p 15; giving bef 1740, PA, info for ch (some b. PA) Samuel Jr, James, Margaret, Mary, Sarah, John, William.
3. ↑ Florence Weiland Black, Fifty New England Colonists and Five Virginia Families, (Boothbay Harbor ME: Boothbay Register, 1966), AmericanAncestors.org, 2004), p 8.
4. ↑ Edgar Woods, History of Albemarle County in Virginia, (Bowie, MD: Heritage Books, Inc., 1989), p 145; giving wife Catharine Shaw, ch Samuel, James, Margaret, Mary, Sarah, John, William.
5. ↑ Black, Pioneer Preacher, p 12-14.
6. ↑ Black, Pioneer Preacher, p 15-6.
7. ↑ SAR Application, Ancestry.com. [1]
8. ↑ Scots in the Mid-Atlantic Colonies, 1635-1783, (Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006), p 121 (image 132 of 153); Original data: David Dobson, Scots in the Mid-Atlantic Colonies, 1635-1783. Baltimore, MD, USA: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2002.
9. ↑ Selected U.S. Naturalization Records - Original Documents, 1790-1974, (Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2009), New York Southern Dist (Roll 1293-1326), Pet 367936 - 381643, Record Number: 372858. [2]
10. ↑ Florence Black, Fifty New England Colonists and Five Virginia Families, p 10.
11. ↑ Nannie (Francisco) Porter, Blacks and Other Families, (Richmond VA: n.pub., 1954), Internet Archive, p 18.

• Genealogies in the Library of Congress: A Bibliography edited by Marion J. Kaminkow; descendants to 1980 of the Rev. Samuel Black (1700-1770) of Pennsylvania and Albemarle County, Virginia.
• U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900, Yates Publishing Publication, online publication (Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004); Original data - This unique collection of records was extracted from a variety of sources including family group sheets and electronic databases.

Ancestry Record 7836 #1087201 (accessed before 1 October 2022)

Ancestry Record 7836 #1087203 (accessed before 1 October 2022)

Ancestry Record 7836 #109354 (accessed before 1 October 2022)

Ancestry Record 7836 #109353 (accessed before 1 October 2022)

• Legacy NFS Source: Catherine Shaw - Individual or family possessions: birth: 1715; Argyll, Scotland.
• Individual or family possessions: birth: 1715; Argyll, Scotland.
• Individual or family possessions: death: September 1798; Albemarle, Virginia, United States.