Notes for Richard Caton

Notes for Richard Caton

!NOTE: The glorious social life of the Catons became a tradition in the annals of Baltimore; but this could not last forever. And so we find that having reached a ripe old age Richard Caton on May 19, 1845, passed to his eternal rest. It has unfortunately not been possible for the writer to discover where he was buried, but it may be worth while to quote some of the obituaries published in the Baltimore newspapers.

!The American Republican and Baltimore Daily Clipper under the head of City Intelligence gave a fuller account in the following words:
" Death of an old and esteemed citizen. We regret to record the death of Richard Caton, esq., who departed this life yesterday morning after a short illness, in the 83d year of his age. Mr. O. was a native of Lancashire, England, and has been a resident of Baltimore for the last 62 years. He married the eldest daughter of the late Charles Carroll, of Carrollton, and is the father of the Marchioness of Wellesley. Mr. C. has long had the management of large landed estates; possessed a highly enterprising spirit, and was distinguished as an accomplished gentleman of the old school."
Among the papers of the late John H. B. Latrobe there was found a printed invitation to attend the funeral of Mr. Richard Caton, which was directed to him and which gave the place of burial.
Among the biographical clippings collected by the late Dr. Toner and now preserved in the Library of Congress are to be found four short obituaries of Richard Caton, but there is no indication of the sources from which they were obtained.

!Vol. xii, No. 120 (Tuesday Morning, May 20, 1845), p. 2, col. 3. [From a copy in the Library of Congress.]
Richard Caton died intestate and Josias Pennington waa appointed his administrator. The latter rendered his first account on November 15, 1849, and his second and last account on July 6, 1853. According to these administrator's accounts, which are recorded in the Baltimore Court-House, it appears that he was attended in his last illness liy Drs. Charles S. Davis and N. R. Smith, and that the balance of his estate after the payment of all debts and expenses was paid over to George Neilson, Administrator of James Neilson, on account of a judgment obtained against deceased in his life time.
It would appear that this was the final adjustment of the bankruptcy case which had been hanging over Richard Caton's head for nearly half a century.