Introducing Branch #53     

By: Alex Latta, Branch #16, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

    The beginning of this story was in 1977 while my wife, Alice, and I were visiting Churchtown, Parish of Taughboyne, in an effort to find evidence of my family's existence in the area.  I had already checked the phone book, and determined that no Lattas lived in the vicinity.

    I drove up to the parking area in front of the Church of Ireland, adjacent to the Sexton's house.  When I knocked on the door of the house, I was greeted by a plump lady with a lovely smile.  I introduced myself, and said I was looking for any grave marker that might be evidence of my family's existence.  To my great surprise, she said that her name was Nan Latta, and she knew where the tombstones were that I was seeking.  There were nine Lattas living in this little house.  It was most fortuitous that I met Nan and her husband Robert, and their seven children. After Robert passed away at Christmas, 1981, Nan had my wife and I stay with her in the Sexton's House while doing our "poking around."  I have been privileged to watch their children grow up, get married, and raise their families.

    Several years had passed and I had completed their family record for them.  Then I received an e-mail from Mrs. Shirley Joy of Australia. She had completed the family record for her daughter's husband, Ian Latta.  The head of this family was Andrew Latta, who had emigrated to Australia about 1870.  His records showed that he was born at Castlethird, (Churchtown), Taughboyne Parish.  Mrs. Joy wanted me to tell her what the "Castle" looked like at Castlethird, and possibly send her a picture.

    Unfortunately, the townlands that had the word "Castle" attached were rarely castles.  What was considered a castle in those days was an area that was fortified with a strong wall which enclosed a courtyard that could be defended. The main house was usually part of this wall.

    Mrs. Joy gave me all the details of Andrew Latta's family, which included the names of his parents.  For some reason, Andrew's birth was not recorded in the church records, but his siblings were.  Because of this I had not made what should have been an obvious connection.  Is it possible that Andrew used a middle name?

    In the meantime, I met John Latta while we were both visiting his sister in New Buildings, near Londonderry.  He told me that his brother William had said that John Latta of Drumherrive was their cousin.  This could be the connection to  Branch #3.  I had already made the connection to John of Drumherrive to Thomas Latta and his two sisters, of Roosky, near Newtown-Cunningham, whose father was Nathan Latta, son of the said John.  Thomas Latta and his two sisters had no offspring. All of these people, with the exception of Margaret Latta Elliot of Newbuildings, have passed away.

    There are cousins of this family living in Londonderry and Antrium.  All Lattas living in the north of Oreland are the same family.

    A complete record of Branch #53, as I have it today (2004), follows:

BRANCH 53

No Branch Captain at this time.

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LAST NUMBER USED: 58
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PERSONS WHO PAID HEARTH MONEY TAX IN THE PARISH OF TAUGHBOYNE, BARONY OF RAPHOE, CO. DONEGAL, IRELAND IN 1665.

1665 LATA John, Taghboyne

1665 LATA John, Tullyenan

1663 LATA John, Tullyennan

1665 LATA William, Taghboyne

1663 LATTA John, Bready

Names of Householders in St Johnstown, Co Donegal, 1794

Latta, John
Latta, John
 

                                                     1 UNKNOWN (1) LATTA
     Born abt. ____________; d. ______________; m. _______________.  Children:
2    JOHN  (2) b. abt. 1800


                                                      2 JOHN (2) LATTA
     Unknown (1).  Born abt. 1800; d. ________;  m. Margaret Rogers.  She was born abt. 1805. Children:
3     JAMES  (3) b. 1832; d. 1911
4     JOHN (3) b. 1833; d. ________.
5     JANE (3) b. 1833; d. _________.
6     WILLIAM (3) b. 1833; d. 1915.
7     ANDREW (3) b. 1837; d. 1909.
8     ELIZABETH (3) b. 1845; d. ________.

The 1796 Spinning Wheel Premium Entitlements List

1857 Griffith's Valuation - Parish of Taughboyne
Latta, Alexander, Bready
Latta, Margaret, Castlethird
Latta, Robert, Woodlands
Latta, William, Castlethird

Index to Wills, Diocese of Raphoe, 1684 - 1858

Latta, John; Bready; 1732
Latta, John; Castlethird; 1737
Latta, William; Bready; 1770


 

                                                    4 JOHN (3) LATTA
     John (2) Unknown (1).  Born in 1832; d. 1911; m. Mary Johnston. Children:
9     ROBERT (4) b. 1867; d. 1893.
10     JOHN NATHANIEL (4) b. 1870; d. 1938.

 
                                                 6 WILLIAM  (3) LATTA
     John  (2) Unknown (1).  Born in 1833; d. 1915; m. Jane Logan. She was born abt. 1835. Children:
11    MARY JANE (4) b. 1864.
12    ELIZABETH FRANCES (4) b. 1865; d. 1879.
13    MARGARET (4) b. 1872; d. ______; m. David Parke.  One daughter, Margaret, born 1909.
14    THOMAS (4) b. 1876; d. 1948.
15    JOHN (4) b. 1877; d. 1907.
16     ROBERT (4) b. 1882; d. ______
 

                                                     7 ANDREW (3) LATTA
     John (2) Unknown (1).  Born 1876; d. 1948; went to Australia; m. Annie Louise Lancaster Ellis.  She was born in 1847 and died in 1925.  Children:
17     MARGARET  (4) b. 1868; d. ______
18     JOHN (4) b. 1870; d. ________.
19     ELIZABETH (4) b. 1871; d. ____.
20     MARGARET (4) b. 1872; d. _____.
21    LOUISA (4) b. 1874; d. ________.   
22    EMILIE (4) b. 1879; d. _____.
23    JOSEPH WILLIAM (4) b. 1881; d. 1961.
24     CATHERINE (4) b. 1885; d. ________.
25     ANNIE  (4) b. 1887; d. ________.


                                              10 JOHN NATHANIEL (4) LATTA
     John (3) John  (2) Unknown (1).  Born in 1870; d. 1938; m. ________________. Children:
26     ELLEN (5) b. ____
27     THOMAS JOHN (5) b. 1900; d. 1983.
28      ANNE JANE (5) b. 1903; d. _____.
  

                                                 14 THOMAS (4) LATTA
     William (3) John  (2) Unknown (1).  Born in 1876; d. 1948; m. Sarah Millar.  She died in 1947.  Children:
29    SARAH JANE (5) b. _______.
30    ROBERT (5) b. 1916; d. ____.
31    THOMAS ALBERT (5) b. 1916; d. 1970.

                                               16 ROBERT  (4) LATTA
     William (3) John  (2) Unknown (1).  Born in 1882; d. _______; m. Margaret Orr.  She was born in 1886 and died in 1942.  Children:
32    ROBERT (5) b. 1907; d. 1961.
33    WILLIAM (5) b. 1907; d. 1968.
34    JOHN (5) b. 1915; d. _____

                                              23 JOSEPH WILLIAM (4) LATTA
     Andrew (3) John (2) Unknown (1).  Born in 1881; d. 1961; m. Myrtle Muriel Tretise.  She was born in 188__; d. 1959.  Children:
35     ELSIE MAY  (5) b. 1913; d. ______
36     ANDREW ROWLAND (5) b. 1914; d. ________.
37     FRED (5) b. 1916; d. 1983.
38     AVIS (5) b. 1918; d. _____.
39    JOYCE (5) b. 1918; d. ________.   
40    NANCY (5) b. 1920; d. _____.

 

                                           31 THOMAS ALBERT (5) LATTA
     Thomas (4) William (3) John  (2) Unknown (1).  Born in 1916; d. 1970; m. _____________.  Children:
41    NORMA (6) b. _______.
42    ROBERT THOMAS (6) b. _____.
43    WILLIAM (6) b. ______.

                                              32 ROBERT  (5) LATTA
     Robert (4) William (3) John  (2) Unknown (1).  Born in 1907; d. 1961; m. Annie McBride. She died in 1991.  Children:
44    ROBERT (6) b. _____.
45    CHRISTINE (6) b. _______.
46   LESLIE (6) b. _____.
47    JACQUELINE (6) b. _____.
48    JEAN (6) b. _____.
49    JOHN (6) b. _____
50    SANDRA (6) b. _____.
 

                                          33 WILLIAM (5) LATTA
     Robert (4) William (3) John  (2) Unknown (1).  Born in 1907; d. 1968; m. Constance May Cleverly.  She was born in 1911 and died in 1988.  Children:
51   MARGARET JANE (6) b. _____.
52    ROBERT (6) b. _____.
53    WILLIAM (6) b. _____.

                                          34 JOHN  (5) LATTA
     Robert (4) William (3) John  (2) Unknown (1).  Born in 1915; d. _____; m. _______.  Children:
54    ROBERT (6) b. _____.
55    DAVID A. (6) b. _____.

                                           37 FRED (5) LATTA
     Joseph William (4) Andrew (3) John (2) Unknown (1).  Born in 1916; d. 1983; m. Yvonne Elizabeth Reid.  She was born in 1916 and died in 1988.  Children:
56     GREGORY JOHN  (6) b. _____
57     GRANT (6) b. _____.
58     IAN JAMES (6) b. ______.


 

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END OF BRANCH...................................................NOTES BELOW
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http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/read/LATTA/2000-11/0975224314

----- Original Message -----
From: "Alex Latta" < allatta@gambit.ab.ca>
To: < LATTA-L@rootsweb.com>
Sent: Saturday, November 25, 2000 8:19 PM
Subject: [LATTA] Report #3

Dear Web:> I must apologize for the lateness of this final report. Perhaps you
will see the difficulties I faced, in trying to sort this thing out. Well!
Here goes.
>
> 1) Wm. Latta, Taughboyne Church Warden, 1816.
> 2) Wm. Latta, to remove his horse from stables on Easter
> Sunday. Disturbing parisheners.
> 3) Robert Latta, Sr., Sexton, C of I, Taughboyne, 1935.
> 4) Robert Latta, Jr. Sexton, C of I, Taughboune, 1954.
> 5) Leslie Latta, Sexton, C of I, 1986-87. "
> 6) Ian Latta, lives today at Castlethird. (2000)
> 7) Andrew Latta, farmer in Australia, (1837-1909). Born at
> Castlethird.
> 8) John Latta, of Drumherrive, owned farm at Castlethird,
> in 1938.
> 9) Margaret Latta, his sister, inherited the land, 1938.
> 10) Thomas Latta, of Roosky, nephew ?, inherited it in
> 1946. Also, his sisters, Jean and Ellen.
> 11) John Latta, Andrew's father. C-1810.
> 12) Wm. Latta, possibly Andrew's brother. 1830-1915.
> 13) John Latta, 1915 - . Lives near Londonderry.
> 14) Wm. Latta, John's brother. (Above). 1908-1968
>
> All of the above are believed to be born at Castlethird, or descended
from those that did. I have many more records of this family, but these
should be sufficient to make connections, if there are some. From my
research, I am almost convinced that Br. #3, come from here. Those branches
that can only say they came from near Londonderry, or "the North of Ireland,
should consider the possibility of a connection. Obviously, it's still
going to take a lot of work, but I hope that Andrew's family in Australia,
will now be able to make a connection with those still living in Donegal,
and Londonderry.
> Anyone wanting more details of particular persons or sections of those
mentioned, please contact me I have brought several documents back
regarding land transfers for the above.
>
> Alex. Latta, the inferior.
> Br. #16
> Edmonton, Alberta
>
>