FIRST GENERATION

1. Robert LATHAM(1) (2)(3) (4)(5) (6) was born about 1623 in Lancaster, England. He died on Feb 28 1688 in E. Bridgewater, Massachusetts. He was buried in E. Bridgewater, Massachusetts. He has reference number GWN9-ZM. He has reference number 8Q5Q-R9. "The earliest known English ancestor, Sir Oskateel Latham of Artbury, England,
in the reign of Edward 1.  Cary, at Cambridge, MA, before 1639, removed to New
London, CT.  Robert, brother of the preceding, was at Cambridge, MA; removed
to Marshfield, MA in 1643; and in 1649 to Plymouth, MA.  William, came as a
youth and a servant of Govenor Carver, in the Mayflower. William was at
Duxbury, MA 1637-39; at Marshfield, MA 1643-1648; when he returned to England,
then to the Bahamas, where he died of starvation."

The above information was taken from the "Directory of the Ancestral Heads of new
England families 1620 - 1700" compiled by Frank R. Holmes pub. 1984 page cxiv.

Robert of East Bridgewater, Mass., perhaps br. of Cary, lived two yrs.
or
more with Rev. Thomas Shepard, removed to Marshfield, Ma. where he was
constable 1643, thence to Plymouth, where he married Susanna, dau. of
John
Winslow, brother of Gov. Edward Winslow, and daughter of the famous
Mary
Chilton, the first female to land at Plymouth on the Mayflower in
1620.
They had Mercy, June 2, 1650. Before 1667 moved to Bridgewater, Ma.
and
had the rest of the children. He was the fourth settler of
E.Bridgewater.

Robert lived with the Rev. Thomas Shepard family in Cambridge, around
1640 or 1641, then moved to Marshfield in 1643 and became constable.
From
Marshfield he moved to Plymouth where he married Susanna. Robert and
his
family then moved to East Bridgewater before 1667 and then to
Bridgewater,
where he was a surveyor in 1671, and constable in 1674.

(from "The Pilgrims of Massachusetts" -- Robert Latham when in
Marshfield,
Propr. 1650, punished for causing the death of his servant, John
Walker in
Jan 1654-5.

In 1657, he became a Freeman and took the oath of fidelity in
Marshfield.
The ultimate of political participation and power was the individual
Freeman. This was a formal status for which all adult householders
might
directly apply, approval being based on general consideration of
character
and competence. Unlike the Massachusetts Bay Colony, Plymouth set no
specific requirements in terms of church membership. Initially, the
Freemen themselves composed the General Court, which enacted all
necessary, "laws and ordinances, " voted rates (taxes) and, after 1640
supervised the distribution of lands. Robert and his family then
moved to
East Bridgewater before 1667 and then to Bridgewater, where he was
surveyer in 1671 and constable in 1674. On April 9, 1676, during
"Phillip's War", Robert's dwelling house and barn, directly south of
the
herring weir, were completely burned by Indians, and he also lost
considerable lumber at his mill on the satucket. He and his family
had
moved from his dwelling a few days before. A Bi-Centennial project is
the
reconstruction of the saw mill which Robert built on the Satucket
River,
and which the Indians destroyed along with his stock of lumber during
King
Phillips War. Robert built a dam and used water power to operate the
mill. It was a so-called whip saw or up and down mill. (circular saws
were
not developed until about 1825.)

From 'East Bridgewater Sesquicentennial Book' page 7; "One of the
most
import of the early settlers, Robert Latham, arrived from Marshfield
in
1663. Latham's importance as a resident stems from the fact that he
built
the first mill in the area. In 1667 he constructed a saw mill on the
Satucket River, approximately 500 feet above the present bridge on
Plymouth Street, just below the fish weir near the Carver Cotton Gin
Company. Latham is also of interest because of his wife's direct
connection with the original Pilgrim settlers. Susanna Latham was the
daughter of John Winslow, brother of the famed Plymouth governor, and
Mary
Chilton who it is said, was the first female to set foot on the
Plymouth
shore in 1620." Continuing on paige 8 is a description of an incident
from 'King Philip's War'. "The war came to this area (East
Bridgewater,
Ma.) on April 9, 1676, when the Indians burned a house and barn. The
Revernd James Keith, the first Minister of Bridgewater, described what
happened in a letter to a friend: "God hath now begun to pour out
upon us
the cup of trembling; yet the Lord doth remember us still with mercy,
yea
very great mercy. The 9th of this instant, being the Lord's Day, as
we
were assembling in the forenoon, we were alarmed by the shooting of
some
guns from some of our garrisons upon discovery of a house being on
fire,
which was Robert Latham's; his dwelling house and barn are wholly
consumed. The house was deserted but a few days before. He had
considerable loss in lumber. The corn and chief of his goods were
saved.
There were divers other out-houses rifled at the same time, but no
more
burnt. There was a horse or two killed; three or four carried away;
and
some few swine killed. We sent out a party of men on the Lord's Day
night
upon discovery, who found their trackings. Our men judged their might
be
about ten of them. They followed them by their track several miles,
but
having no provision, they were forced to leave the pursuit. We are in
expectation every day of an assault here. The Lord prepare us for our
trial.

Robert and his wife are buried in the old graveyard at E. Bridgewater
adjacent to the old church, but their ages, as given are incorrect.
His
grave is #1 in the old graveyard and his and Susanna's markers were
moved,
and presumably, what remained was moved from the very N. E. corner of
the
cemetary to an inner location where there are a number of Latham
markers.
This was done to permit the straightening of the street which became a
main throughfare. William Latham, a graduate of Brown University, and
a
practicing attorney in Bridgewater, erected a white marble monument at
the
present location of the graves and also there are the head and foot
markers for these two graves.

Robert Latham's family may have owned stock in the Virginia Company of
London. Records show there was a Robert Latham who came to America on
the
"George" and was mustered as an inhabitant on Mulberry Island in the
James
Riber across from Jamestown in 1624. There is a possibility that he
went
to New England from Virginia since we have no record of a Robert
Latham
going direct to New England from Great Britain.

From a book, page 58 of early Americans in public library of Mason
City,
Ia. "Robert, Cambridge, perhaps br. of Cary, liv. two yrs. or more
with
Rev. Thomas Shepard, rem. to Marshfield, where he was constable 1643,
thence to Plymouth, where he m. Susanna, d. of John Winslow, in 1649,
and
had Mercy, b. 2 June 1650; bef. 1667 rem. to Bridgewater, had s.
James,
Chilton, Joseph, Eliz. Hannah, and Sarah. Mitchell thinks him s. of
William Hannah m. Joseph Washburn.

From a booklet, "The Latham Family Throughout the Centuries with
Ramifications and related Dates in English History", by Josephine
Hornsby
(nee Latham), Great Great Grandaughter of Edward Latham. (Note inside
says it was written in 1984).

On the cover it says that copies can be obtained from: Mrs. J.
Hornsby,
Latham House, 7 Latham Lane, Gomersal, Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire.
BD19
4RX. Telephone :Cleckheaton (0274) 874120. Price f2-00. Profits to
Ethiopian Famine Relief.
from page 10 of the booklet.....
"When examining arms and crests of families in different parts of the
country, if the shield has a row of three plates on an indented chief,
or
if the "eagle and child or nest" appear on the crest, an original
connection with the Lathoms of Lathom House, Lancashire, seems
apparent.
The Leatham family of Pontefract and Wakefield and Hemsworth Hall
certainly has this connection shown in its armorial shield and crest.
A
very early member of the Leatham family was Robert Leatham of
Barnsley, on
of the first Quakers and in 1644 "for attending a meeting for worship,
" he
was imprisoned at York." Later in the piece after describing several
Latham's, it goes on to say
"This Latham family of Bradwall Hall had connections with the
Derbyshire
Latham families whose members lived in the Derbyshire Halls at The
Hallowes, Glapwell and Unstone, all evidently descended from the
aforementioned Sir Robert de Latham and his Alfreton wife."

THE QUESTION OF THE WILLIAM AND ROBERT LATHAM RELATIONSHIP

author unknown

An old copy of the Latham genealogy in chart form indicated that a William Latham is the father of Robert Latham, and that Robert Latham married Susanna Winslow, daughter of John and Mary (Chilton) Winslow. We know for certain that the marriage of Robert Latham and Susanna Winslow was the beginning of the Latham clan, and will be covered according to this genealogy.

In order to be as accurate as possible, and to authenticate this work, a great amount of research was done, beginning with the lineage of the family, and making a thorough search of ancestors, relations, and vital records, up to an including the present generation.

The results of the investigation and research of several publications, unpublished papers, letter, data, both published and unpublished, in this country, and those from England, disclosed many contradictions, and the uncertainty of relationships.

Prior to the marriage, in 1649, of Robert Latham and Susanna Winslow, there seems to be much speculation because of contradictory and presumptive theories surrounding the relationship and origin of Robert and William Latham. One thing in common, and to which all seem to agree, is that no one know the birth and origin, for certain, of these two individuals.

The records available, by which some idea may be formed, confirm that William was born in the west of England, although we first hear of him as a boy about fourteen years old, emigrating from London to America with the Carver family, who were part of the group of Separatists on board the Mayflower.

The first we hear about Robert Latham, is in two of the foremost publications on New England history, by Nahum Mitchell and Savage. They advise that Robert lived with the Rev. Thomas Shepard family for two years. They do not specify a date but, from other information given, it would be correct to assume the dates would be around 1640 or 1641.

Because of dates and places specified later, the question arises whether or not Robert was actually the son of William. Also, while we have a fairly good account of William’s activities, there is no information available about his marriage or having children. In Governor Bradford’s "Plimoth Plantation" Journal, no mention is made of it either.

Regarding the dates involved, William was about fourteen years old in 1620 when the Mayflower arrived in Plymouth. If in 1627 he married at age twenty-one, it is possible that his son Robert at an age around twenty-one could have married Susanna who was about twenty-one years of age in 1649 as show in the lineage chart. The problem is that the records show that, after Robert’s stay at the Rev. Shepard home, he moved to Marshfield in 1643 and became a constable. You will note that this is six years before he was married, and if he were the son of William he would only be about fifteen or sixteen years old.

This corroborates the remarks above regarding contradictions and presumptive information on their relationship. In Governor Bradford’s Journal he made a statement that William returned to England around twenty years after coming to America, yet in the historical publications William is shown to be in Marshfield from 1643 to 1648.

In spite of these inconsistencies, the lineage chart and biographies of these men are based on the most popular theory of relationship, etc. We have done this because other information concerning their activities and where-abouts seem to partially agree in Plymouth, and elsewhere in New England.

Further investigation in the Robert Latham situation discloses that in 1620 a Robert Latham arrived in Virginia on the ship, "George". He was twenty years old, and was mustered as an inhabitant on Mulberry Island in the James River, opposite Jamestown. Because he went to Virginia, Robert Latham’s family might have owned stock in the Virginia Company of London. There is no record of another Robert Latham coming to America between 1620 and 1650. It was impossible to check further the records for that period, because those records were burned in Richmond during the Civil War just prior to the surrender of the Confederacy.

There is a possibility that Robert Latham went to New England from Virginia. Rev. Shepard was a Separatist Minister from Scrooby, England, and was know to be persuading his followers to come to America, and many did. It is possible Robert Latham knew him in England and, for that reason, was invited to stay with the family until he could get situated in the colony.

This Robert Latham was six years older than William and he about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old when William’s alleged son might have been born. It could have been possible Robert was forty-eight or forty-nine years old when he married Susanna Winslow.

It appears no one will ever know the facts, but this information is given for readers to make their own decision on what appeared obvious in publications of many years ago.




Roots Research states that he was an emigrant, and he lived 1st in Cambridge. He later moved to Plymouth, then to Marshfield and finally with his wife Susanna Winslow to East Bridgwater. Also see REF about his possible father, William in "The English Ancestry
And Homes Of The Pilgrim Fathers." Roots Research disputes that William was his father. Both Sparrowhawk and Cmaddox@aol.com felt that he was Carye LATHAM's brother so Nicholas must also be his father.

Susanna WINSLOW (6) (daughter of John WINSLOW and Mary CHILTON) was born in 1630 in Plymouth, Ma.. She died on Nov 14 1685 in E.Bridgewa., Ma.. She has reference number GWN9-QF. Robert LATHAM and Susanna WINSLOW had the following children:

child+2 i. Mercy LATHAM.
child+3 ii. Mary LATHAM.
child4 iii. Susanna LATHAM(7) (3)(6) was born in 1656 in Plymouth, Ma.. She was born in 1656 in Plymouth, Ma.. She was born about 1656 in East Bridgewater, MA. She has reference number GWNB-24. She has reference number 8Q5Q-W0.
child+5 iv. James LATHAM.
child+6 v. Hanna LATHAM.
child+7 vi. Joseph LATHAM.
child+8 vii. Elizabeth LATHAM.
child+9 viii. Chilton LATHAM Capt..

Susanna WINSLOW(6) was born in 1625 in Boston, Suffolk, Ma. She died before Oct 3 1683 in E.Bridgewa., Ma.. She has reference number 8WL9-07. Robert LATHAM and Susanna WINSLOW had the following children:

child+2 i. Mercy LATHAM.
child+3 ii. Mary LATHAM.
child4 iii. Susanna LATHAM.
child10 iv. Sarah LATHAM(6) was born about 1657 in Plymouth, Ply., Ma. She has reference number 4PWV-KV.
child+5 v. James LATHAM.
child+6 vi. Hanna LATHAM.
child+7 vii. Joseph LATHAM.
child+8 viii. Elizabeth LATHAM.

He was married to Susana WINSLOW in 1649 in Marshfield, Mass.. Susana WINSLOW(3) (2)(4) (5)(6) was born in 1625 in Boston, Suffolk CO, Mass.. She died after Nov 14 1685 in East Bridgewater, MA. She was a Housewife/mother. C. Maddox states that she is a 3rd generation of Mayflower descent. Robert LATHAM and Susana WINSLOW had the following children:

child+2 i. Mercy LATHAM.
child+11 ii. Chilton LATHAM Capt..
child+12 iii. James LATHAM.
child+3 iv. Mary LATHAM.
child4 v. Susanna LATHAM.
child+13 vi. Sarah LATHAM.
child14 vii. Joseph LATHAM(4) (6) was born in 1662 in Marshfield, Mass.. He died before 1725. He was a Music teacher/organist.
child+8 viii. Elizabeth LATHAM.
child+15 ix. Hannah LATHAM.

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