The surname Kithcart originated in Scotland, apparently as Cathcart. And there were many variations in spelling in Scotland, Ireland, and England used throughout history. This is largely because several hundred years ago names were often spelled by the way they sounded, and the spelling was not always consistent, even within the same family. Another reason for variations in spelling in old records is sometimes because the transcriber often wrote down what they thought they heard, rather than asking for the spelling. For example, two records for the same person might read Hutchison and Hutchinson, or Cathcart and Kethert.
Cathcart had many variations. In addition to Kithcart, some variations have been Cathert, Kethkart, Kathkert, Kethkert, Kethert. It should be noted that there was never a letter K in the Irish or Scottish alphabets, but English and other languages have also been spoken in Ireland and Scotland throughout time. The blended use of other languages may have accounted for the use of the letter K. There are branches of Kithcarts in Ireland and Scotland who have maintained that spelling for centuries, however the branch from which I descend actually began as Cathcart.
Thus far, my furthest known direct ancestor in the Kithcart branch, was John Cathcart. He was born in 1737 in Ballymoney, County Antrim, Ireland, and died in 1812 in Pennsylvania. He married Sarah White in County Antrim, but when they moved to America he changed their name to Kithcart. Written accounts from his grandchildren state that he adopted the new spelling upon discovery that his name was misspelled as Kithcart on the deed to his land in Pennsylvania.
According to an old family album (possibly a bible) that went back hundreds of years and linked to the peerage of Scotland, John's family originated in Scotland. This item had not been seen by my living family members and was in the possession of Kithcart cousins in Oklahoma in the mid-1970s. We do not now know their names. John's father may have been a Hugh or James, but his parentage has not yet been proven with documentation, so I have not yet connected the Scottish Cathcarts to John in our tree.
I do however have many Cathcarts from Scotland in the tree through other branches. Coincidentally, I have another Cathcart from Ireland (whom I have written about previously) who I am unable to trace to his Scottish ancestors. It is Alexander Cathcart, whose grandson, Robert Sherrard, married John Cathcart's granddaughter, Mary Kithcart. Mary Kithcart is the sister of my 4th great grandfather, Thomas Kithcart. It is known that Alexander's grandfather or great-grandfather came from Scotland, but none of those men's names have been proven. The Cathcart family in Enniskillen (where Alexander was born) was numerous, but I have not been able to trace which man was his father for certain. Alexander had three sons: David, Andrew, and Robert. Alexander's wife's father was a David, his uncle was Andrew, and I have surmised that his father then could be a Robert. But this is merely a guess. I have found a Robert in Enniskillen who was the right age, but no records have been found linking the men by name. I am most interested in any info that someone might have proving the parentage of these two men. And even though it has been dismissed in family records, I will not be surprised to find one day that Alexander and John are at least distant cousins.
