LATTA-L Archives

Archiver > LATTA > 1998-08 > 0903084385


From: larry & jean sullivan <>
Subject: [LATTA-L] Re: Doubting the Br 8 shipwreck story
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1998 01:46:25 -0700


Paul et al:

I too have sought in vain for evidence of a shipwreck in Chesapeake Bay. Queries
posted to SHIPSLIST at Rootsweb for several months have yielded not a single nibble.

As for RHL's statement that James LATTA's second wife was Mary ALISON, sister of Rev.
Francis ALISON, I found the following pertinent entries in two books from Genealogical
Publishing Co., Baltimore (please forgive me if these items have been posted
previously.)

>From "The Scotch-Irish of Colonial Pennsylvania," p. 223 (1985):

"A different type of school from those described above was that founded by the
Presbyterians in the Scotch-Irish settlement at New London in Chester County.
This school, known as the New London Academy, was under ecclesiastical
control and grew out of the academy founded by Dr. Francis Alison in 1744. Dr.
Allison, a native of County Donegal, Ireland, was educated at the University of
Glasgow. Around 1735 he emigrated to Pennsylvania at the age of thirty and
became a tutor at the home of Samuel Dickinson, the father of John Dickinson,
where he taught the future author of the 'Farmer's Letters.' along with several
other boys. In 1737 he became pastor of the Presbyterian church at New London,
where he bought a farm and started a school, which was at first a purely private
enterprise. Among its alumni were John Ewing, James Latta, and Matthew Wilson,
ministers ..."

>From "Colonial and Revolutionary Families of Pennsyvania," p. 1203 (1978):

"Rev. James Latta, D.D., great-grandfather of Jane Sutton (Latta) Pinkerton, was
born in the North of Ireland in 1732, and came to America with his parents, James
and Mary (Allison) Latta, who settled near Elkton, Cecil county, Maryland, about
1740. ..."

On casual glance, it would appear that "Rev. James Latta, D.D." in the preceding
paragraph was the James Latta who attended Dr. Allison's school at New London, which he
operated until 1752, and that he was Dr. Allison's nephew.

Interesting that the latter entry, which actually was for the PINKERTON family,
also places James and Mary (Allison) Latta near Elkton in Cecil County.

Larry Sullivan (Branch #1), Glasgow, Kentucky

This thread: