Cathcart, Robert 1759-1849

Robert Cathcart was born in 1759 to Alexander and Mary Cathcart near Colerain, Londonderry, Northern Ireland. He studied science and theology at the University of Glasgow and graduated in 1780. Cathcart immigrated to the United States, arriving in Philadelphia in 1790. For the next three years, he served the Presbytery of Philadelphia. In 1791, Cathcart was sent to York County to preach at the churches of Yorktowne and Shrewsburg, now Round Hill. He was officially transferred to the Presbytery of Carlisle on April 9, 1793, and was again installed as paster at York and Shrewsburg in October of that year. Cathcart lived in York, riding out every other Sunday to preach at Shrewsburg. During his many years of service to both congregations, he only missed one Sunday sermon.
In 1794 Cathcart was appointed a trustee of Dickinson College. He served until the Methodist transition in 1833, and never missed a commencement during those thirty-nine years. When “New College” burned in 1803, Cathcart traveled to Philadelphia to solicit donations for the rebuilding of the college. In addition to his dedication to Dickinson, Cathcart helped to found the York County Academy, now York College, serving on the York Board of Trustees for fifty years. He also served as commissioner to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Synod for thirty years; for twenty of those he was the clerk of the Assembly. Robert Cathcart died on October 19, 1849. http://chronicles.dickinson.edu/encyclo/c/ed_cathcartRC.html

Annals of the American Pulpit, Volume 3 - 1860 (page 559)

Title: Robert Cathcart, 1758-1849
Author: Ronald Hershner
Publisher: Friends of the Dickinson College Library, 1975
Length: 13 pages

Dr. Robert Cathcart (1759-1849)
He was born November 1759, near Coleraine, Ireland. He was educated in the College of Glasgow, and after being licensed, preached several years without a fixed charge, till 1790, when he emigrated to the United States. Declining other overtures, he was settled October, 1793, over the united churches of York and Hopewell, Pennsylvania, fifteen miles apart, which he served on alternate Sundays. When the infirmities of age told on him, he relinquished the Hopewell Church, commonly known as York Barrens. In 1839 he was forced to resign the York Church also, after a pastoral connection of forty-six years. He died October 19th, 1849 at the advanced age of ninety years. He was a trustee of Dickinson College and a member of the Synod of Philadelphia. He never missed a meeting of the Synod but once, and that was occasioned by sickness. For twenty years he served as one of the clerks of the Assembly. Although Dr. Cathcart was consulted by other authors, he never gave anything to the press but one sermon, which was a tribute to the memory of his friend, Dr. Davidson, of Carlisle.
http://www.donegalpc.org/History-bios.htm

A sermon on the death of the Rev. Robert Davidson, D.D. : who died December 13th, 1812; preached in the Presbyterian Church in Carlisle, February 28th, 1813, / by the Rev. Robert Cathcart.
Published -- Carlisle [Pa.]: : Printed by Alexander and Phillips., 1813.
Description -- 33, [3] p. ; 23 cm (12mo)

History of First Presbyterian Church, York, Pennsylvania at the church web site

Minutes of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the ... - Page 152 - 1830
Includes a complaint against the Synod of Philadelphia by Robert Cathcart and others.

The Fathers of the Harrisburg Presbytery - 1860
See page 23 for the entry on Robert Cathcart