LATHAM, JAMES
, was born Oct. 25, 1768, in Loudon county, Virginia, of English parents. He emigrated when a young man, to Kentucky, and was there married, June 21, 1792, to Mary Briggs, who was born Feb. 3, 1772, in Virginia, of Scotch parents. They had nine children in Kentucky, and moved to Elkhart Grove, in what is now Logan county, but was formerly a part of Sangamon county, Ill., arriving in 1819. Mr. Latham and his son Richard built a horse mill, at Elkhart, in 1823. It was the first mill north of the Sangamon river. When he settled at Elkhart, their nearest mill was at Edwardsville, more than one hundred miles south. When Sangamon county was organized, James Latham was appointed Judge of the Probate Court, May 27, 1821. He was also Justice of the Peace. Of his children--ELIZABETH, born Nov. 25, 1793, in Kentucky, was married there, May 9, 1810, to James W. Chapman. They moved to Illinois with her parents, and settled north of the Sangamon river, near the mouth of Fancy creek, where Mr. Chapman established a ferry, in 1818, on the Sangamon river, near Bogue's mill. He remained there two or three years, and moved farther north. Two only of their children are living. ELIZA married Hiram Lloyd, and lives near Broadwell, Logan county, Ill. ADALINE married Thomas Gale, and lives in Memphis Tenn. The parents both died at Elkhart. Mr. Chapman, in 1871, being the last of the two.
LUCY, born Aug. 18, 1797, in Kentucky, came with her parents to Sangamon county, and married Grant Blackwell. They returned to Kentucky in 1827, and died there, leaving one child, THOMAS, who lives near Morganfield, Union county, Kentucky.
RICHARD, born Dec. 23, 1798, in Bowling Green, Warren county, Ky. came with his parents in 1819 to Sangamon county, He was married, Sept. 16, 1824, at Elkhart, Ill., to Emily Hubbard, a native of Kentucky. They had one child, and mother and child died, in 1825, at Elkhart. Richard Latham was married, Nov. 27, 1825, to Mrs. Margaret Broadwell, whose maiden name was Stephenson. She was a sister of James C., John and Robert Stephenson, See their names. Mr. and Mrs. Latham had thirteen children, seven of whom died young. Of the other six--MARY A., born Feb. 25, 1829, was married, Nov. 25, 1848, to Dr. Timothy Leeds. See his name. MARTHA E. married James S. Major. She died Sept. 20, 1852. HENRY C., born April 11, 1837, at Elkhart, is dealing in conveyancing and furnishing abstract titles to real estate. He resides in Springfield. LUCY lives with her mother. KITTIE S., born Jan. 24, 1841, at Elkhart, was married in Springfield, Jan. 30, 1868, to Elder J. H. McCullough, a minister of the Christian church, and resides in Denver, Colorado. NANNIE, born Dec. 6, 1843, at Elkhart, was married Sept. 16, 1873, in Springfield, to George H. Souther. They have one child, LATHAM, and reside in Springfield. Richard Latham died, June 5, 1868, and his widow lives with her son Henry C. in Springfield, Illinois.
MARY L., born in Kentucky, married John Constant. See his name.
PHILIP C., born Jan. 25, 1804, in Bowling Green, Ky., came to Elkhart Grove with his father, in 1819. In Feb., 1827, he entered the county clerk's office, in Springfield, under C. R. Matheny, county clerk. He remained there eight years, and was married in Springfield, May 15, 1831, to Catharine R. Taber, who was born Feb. 25, 1812, in Champaign county, Ohio. They had five living children in Springfield. MARY E., born in 1836, married Dr. Alexander Halbert. See his name. JULIA M., born Jan. 11, 1838, was married in Springfield to B. D. Magruder, a native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. They have two children, ELLA and HARRY L., and live in Chicago. W.M. HENRY, born Nov. 27, 1839, enlisted in 1862 for three years, in Co. B, 114th Ill. Inf., was elected 1st Lieutenant at the organization, and at once promoted to Adjutant. He died Dec., 1863, in Springfield, of disease contracted in the army. GEORGE C., born May 16, 1842, was married, Oct. 2, 1867, to Olive Priest. They have three children, OLIVE, MARY M. and JOHN P., and live in Springfield. G. C. Latham is connected in business with his father-in-law, Jonn W. Priest. PHILIP C., Jun., born July 18, 1844, was married to Lucy George, a native of Canada. He died suddenly, Feb. 16, 1871, leaving one child, HENRY I. Mrs. Lucy Latham married, and resides in Nebraska. Mr. Philip C. Latham, Sen., was killed by lightning, near Shawneetown, Ill., May 25, 1844. His widow resides in Springfield, in a house built by her husband in 1838.
NANCY resides with Mrs. Richard Latham.
MARIA, born Nov. 14, 1809, in Bowling Green, Ky., was married to Archibald Constant. See his name.
JOHN, born Sept. 9, 1812, in Bowling Green, Ky., was married in Sangamon county to Lucy Bennett, a native of Kentucky. They had two children--MARY E. married William Dustin, a banker, and resides in Lincoln, Ill. MARGARET E. married Morgan H. Bailhache, and resides in Martinez, California.
ROBERT B., born June 21, 1818, in Union county, Ky., was married in Sangamon county, Nov. 5, 1846, to Georgiana Gillette, a native of New Haven, Conn. She died in 1853. R. B. Latham was married July 24, 1857, in Logan county, to Savilla Wyatt, a native of Morgan county, Ill. They have five children, MARY, RICHARD, ROBERTIE, WILLIAM W. and GEORGIANA, and reside in Lincoln, Ill. Robert B. Latham was elected Sheriff of Logan county in 1850, and served two years. He was elected Representative in Illinois Legislature for 1861-62. He raised a regiment and became Colonel of the 106th Ill. Vol. Inf., and served twenty months in the war to suppress the rebellion, and then resigned on account of impaired health. He is now a dealer in real estate in Lincoln, Logan county, Illinois.
After James Latham had served a year or two as Judge of the Probate Court of Sangamon county, he was appointed, on the part of the U. S. Government, to superintend the Indians around Fort Clark. Soon after, he moved his family there, making that place his headquarters. The town of Peoria was laid out, on land including the fort. Judge Latham died there, Dec. 4, 1826. His widow returned with her family to Elkhart, where she died.