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The
Cathey surname is of Scotch-Irish origin, tracing back to the Gaelic language
in the Lowlands of Scotland in the 17th century. The spelling
in English before their migration to America was probably "Cathie" or "Cathy".
The Cathey's were members of the ancient Clan MacFie. The Gaelic spelling
of the original MacFie name is "MACDHUIBHSHITH", which means the son of
the dark (or black haired) one in peace. The pronunciation of the
word is something like: mac-doo-vee or mac-a-fee or ma-guff-ee. Names associated
with Clan MacFie include MacPhee, Duffy, MacDuffy, McAfie, McFee, Mahaffey,
McGuffey, MacCathie, Cathy and Cathey.
Tradition says
that the MacFies were descended from a Selkie or seal woman who
shed her fur to become a beautiful human woman. She married the first
MacFie, who hid her fur so she could not return to the sea. The MacFies
were the hereditary record keepers of the Hebrides Isles. Their ancestral
home was the island of Colonsay, located off the western coast of Scotland.
Another smaller island, Oronsay, was used by the MacFies for religious
purposes and as a burial ground. Ancient records show that the MacFies
occupied Colonsay and Oronsay as early as the 13th century.
During the 15th century, the Scottish Crown took over the Lordship
of the Isles from Clan Donald. After 1554, the MacFies shared Colonsay
with Clan MacNeil, who had been pushed from it's home of the island
of Gigha by the Campbell's. In 1593, the MacLeans from the island of Mull
attacked Colonsay and killed Murdock, the MacFie Chief. Leaders of
Clan MacDonald forced Malcolm MacFie, new Chief of the Clan, to help in
a rebellion against the king. In 1615, after the uprising failed,
Malcolm was captured and accused of treason. He was later freed and
returned to Colonsay, but in 1623 he was captured and killed at the Standing
Stone on Colonsay by Colla Ciotach. Unfortunately, the MacFies became a
broken and dispossed clan, scattered to many places. Some followed
the MacDonalds of Islay and others settled in Cameron lands under Lochiel.
Ewan MacFie became famous as the last of the Scottish outlaws in the mid-19th
century. He lived on an island in Loch Quoich and recognized no laws. The
rights to Colonsay were given to the other family on the island, the MacNeills,
with whom it remained until 1930.
The MacFie Standing
Stone was discovered on Colonsay in several pieces in 1970 and a plan to
re-erect the stone was begun. On May 9, 1977, the repaired stone
was erected with a group of international Clan MacFie members present.
The stone is dedicated "to all MacFies and their descendants wherever in
the world they may live and whatever spelling of the name they may use".
The Catheys are
thought to have come from Galloway in the Scottish Lowlands, were some
of the early settlers of Ulster in the 17th century. It has
not been determined whether or not the Catheys were planted as part of
the 1610 plantation program approved by King James or whether they settled
in Ulster prior to that time. Among the early Cathey settlers arriving
in America from Ulster was James Cathey, born @1685 in Ulster, Ireland,
who has been documented in Cecil County, Maryland in 1718.
John Cathey, son of James, arrived between 1746 and 1751. Most of
the Catheys in the United States descend from James, John and George Cathey.
The migration path of James Cathey has been well documented. Records
prove that James Cathey moved from Maryland into Lancaster County, Pensylvannia
in the early 1730's. During the late 1730's, the Cathey's had
moved into Augusta County, Virginia, to what was called "The Beverly Manor".
A land grant dated 13 August, 1743 from the "Colony and Dominion of Virginia"
to James Cathey gave him 1,350 acres of land on the Shenandoah River.
James Cathey had migrated to Anson County in the Colony of North Carolina
by the late 1740's. The portion of Anson County in which they settled
became Rowan County in 1753. The Cathey Settlement or "Irish Settlement"
was located west of present Salisbury, North Carolina, where James Cathey
was by 1749. On March 25, 1752, the Cathey heads of households of
the Cathey Settlement received seven land grants totaling 3,752 acres.
On December 6, 1757, James Cathey made his will and died shortly thereafter
in Rowan County, North Carolina. Sons of James Cathey moved into
Mecklenburg and Haywood Counties by the late 1700's.
My Great Grandmother was Sarah Haseltine Cathey, a descendant of this James
Cathey.
Clan MacFie Badge |
Clan MacFie Tartan |
Clan Motto:
Pro rege - "For the King"
Badge:
A demi-lion rampant, proper
Tartan:
MacFie
Plant Badge:
Pine, Oak
Gaelic Name:
MacDhuibhshith
Origin of Name:
Gaelic - Mac=(the) son, Dhuibh=of (the) Dark one (black haired one),
shith=in peace
Clan MacFie
Society of America: contact Jim McAfee,
7501 Hickory Ridge Road, Mt. Juliet, TN, 37122
MacDuffie/Macfie
Clan Society of America:
contact H. Fritz McDuffie,
102 Colby Rd., Oak Ridge, TN., 37830
MacFie Clan
Society in Canada: Suite
123, 1 Benvenuto Place, Toronto, ONT. M4V 2L1 Canada
Clan Macfie
Society: 26 Verona
Avenue, Glasgow, G14 9EB Scotland
The Macfie
Clan Society of Australia: contact Sandy, McPhie,
10 Havana
Street, Rowes Bay, Townsville,
Queensland 4810, Australia
Cathey Reunion
Association: 1716 Walden
Pond Lane, Waxhaw, North Carolina, 28173
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