Biographical Summary
William Latham came on the Mayflower in
1620 as an 11-year old servant/apprentice to the John Carver family.
His origins in England have not been determined, but there is a William
Latham baptized on 4 February 1608/9 in Eccleston by Chorley,
Lancashire, England, son of Hugh and Eline Latham that would be the
right age. Eccleston by Chorley is the area Myles Standish came
from.
After the death of John Carver in April
1621, William Latham appears to have finished out his term of service
with William Bradford. He was still in the Bradford household in
the May 1627 Division of Cattle. Latham was taxed 9 shillings in
both 1633 and 1634. In July 1633, Myles Standish was appointed to
mow the land owned by William Latham and Edward Bumpass. In July
1635, William Latham witnessed the deed of Edward Bumpass selling his
land to John Washborn. In 1636, Myles Standish was granted the use
of land neighboring that owned by Washborn and Latham, provided he mow
it but leave enough for Washborn's one cow.
In 1638, William Latham had a couple of
brushes with the Plymouth Court. On June 5, he was fined 40
shillings for the "entertaining of John Phillips into his house contrary
to the act of the Court" and for "lavish and slanderous speeches."
Jonathan Brewster was a witness against him. By September, Latham
had only paid half the fine. On December 4, 1638, Latham still
owed 11 shillings, and was ordered not to depart Plymouth Colony without
first obtaining a license. The debt was paid 6
January 1639. And on July 6, 1638, William
Reynolds sold half of his share in the black cow to John Phillips, and
John Phillips then sold William Latham all his crop of Indian corn.
On 26 December 1639, William Latham sold his house and property in
Duxbury, and apparently moved to Marblehead, in the Massachusetts Bay
Colony. In 1641, he deposed he was about 32-years old, and
testified in a lawsuit between John Moses and Thomas Keyser. About 1643,
he moved to Marshfield, where he is found on the 1643 list of men able to bear arms.
On 24 February 1643/4, a warrant was
issued against William Latham's wife Mary for adultery. Governor
Edward Winslow of the Plymouth Colony wrote "Whereas divers and sundry
complaints have come in to me from Weymouth sent and delivered by godly
and credible persons against Mary the wife of William Latham late of
Marblehead but now at Marshfield for adultery committed upon the body of
the said Mary by one James Brittain of Weymouth. And having
apprehended the said Mary and examined her, have sent her with the
examination according to my duty to that Government where the fact was
committed."
On 28
October 1645, William Latham and Roger Cooke sued John and Ann Baker for
20£, for Ann's accidental burning of their house. The jury could
not reach a verdict, but John Baker agreed to pay 20 shillings for
damages.
The accidental burning of Latham's
house is the last record of him in Plymouth Colony. He apparently
returned to England and then shortly thereafter made a trip to the
Bahamas, where he and the group he was traveling with all died of
starvation.
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