Catherine Bigby

Catherine was a Cherokee woman

Biography

Catherine Foreman was born in the Cherokee Nation (East) about 1785, the daughter of John A Foreman and his wife Susie both Cherokee. She married James Bibgy, also Cherokee, about 1800. [1]

Headstone on grave of son-in-law David Taylor provides birth/death information for Catherine

They were the parents of ten children, Mary Ann, Jennie, Thomas, James, Elizabeth, Jackson, Wiley, Susie, and Malinda. [2]Catherine and James were members of the Candy's Creek mission of the Moravians. William Holland wrote in 1825, "Mrs. Bigby is an interesting [mixed-blood woman] and sister to Mr. T. Foreman, her age about 40. She has a large family of children four of which were baptized with her. " [3] Holland described Catherine in a sketch, "Catherine Bigby was one of the first in this area who embraced the gospel. She understands and speaks a little English. Her life has been such as to adorn her profession. She is a sister of Thomas Foreman... Her habits of industry are very commendable. For example she and her daughter manufacture cloth for the supply of her family, which is very large. " [4]

In 1838 the Bigbys were Removed to Indian Territory over the Trail of Tears in the Choowalooka detachment where James served as an interpreter. James, Catherine, and their son Wiley appear on the 1851 Drennan Roll, living in Flint District. [5] Catherine's daughter Malinda stated that her mother died about two years after the Civil War. In 2018 the Trail of Tears Association placed placques on their graves in the Hungry Mountain Cemetery. [6]

Father Foreman, John Anthony
Mother Gourd, Susie Kah-tah-yah Rattling
Brother Foreman, John Anthony
Sister Foreman, Catherine
Brother Foreman, Thomas
Sister Foreman, Nannie
Sister Foreman, Sarah Bathia
Brother Foreman, Richard Bark
Half-siblings:
Brother Archibald Foreman
Sister Foreman, Elsie
Brother Foreman, Stephen
Brother Foreman, Edward
Sister Foreman, Mary
Brother Foreman, Alexander

Sources

1. ↑ Starr, Emmet. History of the Cherokee Indians. Oklahoma Yesterday Publications edition, Tulsa, OK. 1979. p. 363. Digitized edition at Starr
2. ↑ National Archives and Records Administration, Eastern Cherokee Applications of the Court of Claims. Application #3839, daughter Malinda (Bigby) Redman. Digitized at Fold3 Malinda
3. ↑ Letter of William Holland to the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, Oct. 19, 1825. transcribed by Jerry Clark in the Cherokee Family Researcher, Issues 8 & 9, Fall '92, Spring '93, p. 30. digitized at FamilySearch CFR
4. ↑ Cherokee Family Researcher, p. 21
5. ↑ Drennen Roll of “Emigrant Cherokee,” 1851. Series 7RA-01. Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Record Group 75. The National Archives at Fort Worth, Fort Worth, Texas. Flint District, p. 109, #611.
6. ↑ Cherokee Phoenix, September 26, 2018. Phoenix

See Also:

• Source: S-2111779185 Repository: #R-2144939563 Ancestry Family Trees Publication: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members. Note: This information comes from 1 or more individual Ancestry Family Tree files. This source citation points you to a current version of those files. Note: The owners of these tree files may have removed or changed information since this source citation was created. Ancestry Family Tree http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=5981775&pid=...
• Repository: R-2144939563 Ancestry.com Note:
• http://americanindianregistry.org/genealogy/Example_Only__CherokeeH... Catherine Foreman
• http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=image&guid=d7e38e3a-71e3-4d66-b39c-1... Catherine Foreman Bigby
• http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=document&guid=5f3b4c91-4841-4764-8e3... Catherine Foreman
• http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=document&guid=c258cb1a-2179-46c0-bda... Catherine Foreman Roll #
• http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=document&guid=62c43fa7-e193-409c-962... First to Embrace Gospel Catherine Foreman Bigby

http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=document&guid=4b2faf83-8473-4404-83c... Catherine Foreman

• http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=document&guid=4b8b8745-3971-438b-820... Catherine Foreman Bigby
• http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=image&guid=3aeb4ff8-bde0-4b20-a910-e...

Source: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Foreman-1115
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CATHERINE FOREMAN (JOHN ANTHONY2, JOHN ANTHONY1) was born April 17, 1785 in CNE [TN], and died November 23, 1842 in Stilwell, CNW.
She married JAMES BIGBY, SR Abt. 1800 in Amohee Dist, TN, son of SAMUEL BIGBY and _____ HICKS.He was born September 06, 1778 in Tennessee, and died Abt. 1856 in Flint Dist, CNW.

• Catherine belonged to the Paint Clan.
• Catherine was a member of the Candy's Creek Church.
• Rev. William Holland was the missionary there and wrote about several members of the church. He said that Catherine was one of the first to embrace the faith. She understood and spoke a little English. Her life was such as to adorn her profession. She and her daughter manufactured cloth for the supply of her family. She was a very respectable woman. The dates given when she and others went into the church was September 25, 1825, at age 42.
• She was known to be 1/2 Cherokee.
• December 13, 1813, James Cunningham stole Anthony Foreman's slave girl as testified to by Jack Foreman and Catherine Foreman Bigby.
• Rev. William Holland wrote to the Foreign Mission Board on October 19, 1825: Mrs. Bigby is an interesting half breed and the sister of Mr. T. Foreman. She is about 40 years old. She has a large family of children, four of which were baptized with her.James, Jr., and Thomas were baptized by a "strolling Methodist" as infants. Her mother Nancy Fields was also a member of the Candy's Creek Mission.[Note: the reference here to Catherine's "Mother" Nancy Fields is believed to be her Sister-in-Law Susannah (Nannie, Nancy) Fields].
• 1851 Drennan roll: Flint, 611
• Blood: 1/2 Cherokee
• Clan: Ani'-Wâ'di = Red Paint (Susie Gourd)

Notes for JAMES BIGBY, SR:

• James Bigby was Irish from his father and Cherokee from his mother. He had a half-brother, Thomas Wilson and a half-sister, Betsy Brown. He married Catherine Foreman in 1800, lived in Amohee District, Tennessee. James was interested in education. He and his brother-in-law, Thomas Foreman and Hair Conrad petitioned for a school to be established by the American Board of Commissioners for foreign missions. The school was established in 1824 called Candy's Creek Mission. After the Cherokee removal one of the eighteen schools in the Cherokee Nation in 1845 was at their home.
• In 1825, James and Catherine lived close enough to attend the Candy's Creek Church with the missionary, Rev. William Holland, as their preacher. James spoke English and Cherokee but he always prayed in English. He rarely spoke in public and when he did it was not with ease. It was noted by William Holland, missionary, that he accepted his faith much later than Catherine. His path just got brighter and brighter. He was a good farmer and neighbor. He read understandingly.
• July 24, 1801, James Bigby received a spinning wheel from indian agent Return J. Meigs.
• April 8, 1813, James Bigby wrote Return J. Meigs for permit to run ferry on the Tennessee River near mouth of Baker's Creek and to build a road from it to meet road opened by Rogers. He had already gotten permission from Major Delso, proprietor of the other side of the river.
• James Bigby was a private in North Carolina Continental Line. He received 640 acres which were issued December 24, 1796. James Bigby served under Captain John Mahary. The land he received was in Sumner County on the waters of White Oak Creek and Barren River.[this note may be for a different

James Bigby]

• Letter of April 15, 1829 about new church members:
• Mrs. Polly Taylor, daughter of James Bigby was married to a white man. She is 25-30 years old with 7 children and lives within 4 miles of the mission. Bark Foreman, brother of T. Foreman, is 30 years old and had a hare-lip with a speech impediment. Bushyhead, 45-50 years old, a full blood, speaks little English. He was once very sinful and full of vice.
• Thomas and James, Jr., unmarried sons of James and Catherine Bigby, understand English and Cherokee but speak only English. They are of very good character. James attends religious meetings regularly even in bad weather. They both speak easily at meetings and are readers.:
• 1817-19 Reservations: July 1817, # 13, on road from McNair's to Knoxville, Native, 9 in family
• 1835 Census roll: Candy's Creek, McMinn Co, TN, 0m18-, 2m18+, 1f16-, 3f16+
• 1851 Drennan roll: Flint, 611
• Blood: 1/4 Cherokee [1/8?]
• Clan: Ani'-Wa'ya = Wolf Clan (Peggy Scott)
• Detachment: October 27, 1838, 38-08 Chuwaluka/Wafford/Clark; as Interpreter

Children of CATHERINE FOREMAN and JAMES BIGBY are:
31. i. MARY ANN4 BIGBY, b. August 09, 1802, Cass Co, GA; d. November 02, 1885, Sweetwater, TN.
32. ii. JENNIE BIGBY, b. Abt. 1804, CNE [TN]; d. February 27, 1875.
33. iii. THOMAS WILSON BIGBY, b. February 22, 1806, CNE [Amohee Dist, TN]; d. October 16, 1861, Stilwell, Flint Dist, CNW.

	iv.	 	JAMES BIGBY, JR, b. Abt. 1808; d. Abt. 1868, Tahlequah, OK; m. LOUISA LEVI; b. Abt. 1812.

	More About JAMES BIGBY, JR:

• 1835 Census roll: Mouse Cr, McMinn Co, TN, 0m18-, 1m18+, 0f16-, 0f16+
• Blood: 3/8 Cherokee
• Clan: Ani'-Wâ'di = Red Paint (Susie Gourd)
• Detachment 1: October 05, 1838, 38-01 Daniel Colston/J Nevins; as Commissary
• Detachment 2: March 01, 1837, 37-B John S Young/Maj Ridge; as interpreter
• Detachment 3: April 06, 1838, 38-A Edward Deas; as interpreter
• Detachment 4: June 06, 1838, 38-D Edward Deas; as interpreter

34. v. ELIZABETH BIGBY, b. 1811; d. Bef. 1835.

	vi.	 	JACKSON BIGBY, b. 1813; d. 1864, Tennessee, Civil War.

	More About JACKSON BIGBY:

• 1851 Siler roll: near Murphy, Cherokee Co, NC, fam# 4, roll# 1258
• 1852 Chapman roll: near Murphy, Cherokee Co, NC, fam# 4, roll# 1296
• Blood: 3/8 Cherokee (Candy's Creek Mission)
• Clan: Ani'-Wâ'di = Red Paint (Susie Gourd)
• Education: January 08, 1828, Candy's Creek Mission

35. vii. SALLIE BIGBY, b. 1815; d. Abt. 1870.
36. viii. WILEY MCNAIR BIGBY, b. Abt. 1817, Georgia; d. 1868.
37. ix. SUSIE BIGBY, b. 1820; d. Abt. 1870.
38. x. MALINDA JANE BIGBY, b. July 06, 1822, Tennessee; d. September 02, 1909, Oklahoma.

Source: Hicks, James R. “Cherokee Lineages: Register Report of John Anthony Foreman I” Genealogy.com, Sites.Rootsweb.com, https://www.genealogy.com/ftm/h/i/c/James-R-Hicks-VA/BOOK-0001/0013...