William Latham

Notes:

William's will mentions his wife Elizabeth; sons William Jr., Abraham, Laban, James, & Jabez; and daughters Catharine, Sarah, & Amey.

William — Elizabeth Unknown. [Group Sheet]

1. Abraham Latham
2. James Latham
3. Catharine Latham
4. Sarah Latham
5. Amey Latham died Abt May 1811.
6. Laban Latham was born Abt 1762; died 20 Jan 1818, Smithfield, RI; was buried , Pocasset Cemetery, Cranston, RI.
7. Jabez Latham was born Abt 1778.
8. William Latham, Jr. was born Abt 1796.

Notes:

Robert's will mentions his wife Lydia; sons Joseph, Robert, & William; daughters Elenor, Katharine, Phebe, & Mary; and "the four youngest children" John, Susanna, Zariah, & Benoni.

Robert — Lydia Unknown. [Group Sheet]

Joseph — Phebe Fenner. Phebe (daughter of Arthur Fenner, I and Mehitable Waterman) was born Abt 1665. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Phebe & Joseph Latham lived at Saybrook, CT.

Notes:

Arthur & Mehitable Fenner were among the earliest residents of Johnston, RI. They lived near Neutaconkanut Hill, on the Cranston side of Plainfield Road, and owned land in Providence, Cranston, and Johnston.

Around 1657, Capt. Arthur Fenner built a stone house which came to be known as "Fenner Castle." Sketches of it still exist. It is said that George Washington was entertained there.

It is believed that Arthur also built a house for his son Thomas, around 1677, on the Cranston side of Plainfield Pike.

According to "The Fenner Family," Arthur arrived in Providence, RI, on 27 Feb 1649. He received his lands from Indian Chief Massasoit, as did Roger Williams. He was Ass't. Governor of RI for 19 years, was treasurer for one year, and held other positions of public service.

The following is excerpted from "The Fenner Family" at fennerfamily.com:
"The derivation of the name Fenner is plainly from the Anglo-Saxon word 'fen' or 'fenn,' a marsh or moorland. Bardsley's dictionary speaks of Fen and Vanner as variations of the same name . . . Some contest that the Fenners from this tree came from the Celtic tribe of Fens, which was instrumental in helping William the Conqueror become King of England in 1066. The name Fenner is mentioned a few times in the history of William's conquest, and Fenners are known to have received land from William in return for their bravery.

"Another name has been instrumental in the development of this family: God. Most of the early Fenners in this genealogy were Christians, and a good portion still are. Anyone reading this genealogy would become slowly aware that the success of this family is deeply related to its ties to Christianity. The success is worth noting: there are two governors of Rhode Island, many high-ranking military officers, prize-winning authors, Justices of the Peace, educators, doctors, ministers, and many others who demonstrated a passion for being an honorable servant to society. This alone might not qualify the name for greatness, but the fact that there are [no] less than ten thousand Fenners in the United States should conjure up some idea of the magnitude of this line. Of all the Fenners that have been at war, only two have been killed. Richard L. Fenner, of Quincy, FL, sums things up nicely: 'It can be said that surely the Lord has kept his hand upon us, and for this we thank him.' "

Arthur married Mehitable Waterman Abt 1650. Mehitable (daughter of Richard WATERMAN and Bethia WAITE) was born 1626, Salem, MA; died 3 Dec 1683, Providence, RI. [Group Sheet]