- JOHN W. LATHERS, residing on section 9, Turtle Township,
is numbered among the prominent
- farmers and extensive land-owners of Rock County. He was
born in Montgomery County, N.Y., April 12, 1833, and his parents
were William and Margaret (LASHER) LATHERS. The name of the family
was originally written LAUDERS, but the later generations have
changed the spelling to the present form. The ancestry of this
family were natives of Germany, and were people of immense wealth
and prominence in that land. The great-grandfather with his family
started on a pleasure trip to America with no intention of permanently
locating in this country, but trouble and loss which overtook
him, combined with the dread of making another sea voyage, the
first one having continued for a long period of six months, caused
him to locate in America. He purchased land in Montgomery County,
N.Y., and there engaged in operating an extensive farm.
- The grandfather of our subject was born during the voyage
of his parents to America. When a boy
- of nineteen years he enlisted in the Revolutionary War, and
was promoted to the rank of Major for his brave deeds and daring
acts in carrying dispatches through the Tory ranks. His wife
lived to the extreme old age of one hundred and eleven years,
and at the age of ninety-eight would often take walks of three
miles.
- The parents of our subject were united in marriage in Montgomery
County, of which they were both
- natives, and of their union were born seven children, five
daughters and two sons, as follows: Lanah, wife of George ECKER,
a retired farmer of Wheeler, Dak.; Nancy, who became the wife
of Charles SNELL, a native of New York, who was afterward a farmer
in this county, where he died, is now living in Nebraska; Mary
wedded Louis SHOEMAKER, now deceased, and makes her home in Turtle
Township; Susan is the wife of Ira LEWIS, son of Deacon LEWIS,
one of the earliest settlers and most prominent citizens of this
county; Caroline died at the age of two years; our subject is
the sixth in order of birth; William H. is engaged in farming
in Turtle Township. In early life William LATHERS learned the
blacksmith trade, which he followed for a livelihood for some
years, but afterward purchased the old homestead on which his
grandfather located, and engaged in farming. He there continued
to reside until 1850, when he came to Rock County, and purchased
144 acres of land on section 9, Turtle Township, besides some
village property, and continued to engage in farming until 1862,
when he sold out and bought the Ira LEWIS farm and went to Shopiere,
in which village his death occurred in 1881, at the age of eighty-two
years. His excellent wife is still living at the advanced age
of eighty-nine and is well preserved, retaining her faculties
to a marked degree. Both parents were reared in the Lutheran
faith, to which they ever remained adherents. Mr. LATHERS was
a man highly respected in the community where he resided, and
in his death the county lost one of its most valuable citizens.
- Our subject passed the days of his boyhood and youth in his
native county, where he received his
- education in the common schools. At the age of thirteen he
was considered old enough to assist in the labors of his father's
farm, since which time he has been engaged in agricultural pursuits.
In 1850 he came with his father to the West, this trip being
his first introduction to Rock County, which has since been his
home. He here became acquainted with Miss Angelina BECKWITH,
and on the 8th of March, 1859, the young people were united in
the holy bonds of matrimony. Mrs. LATHERS was born in North Hamptonshire,
England, June 22, 1831, and is a daughter of William and Hannah
(HODSON) BECKWITH, who were natives of the north of Ireland.
She was one of a family of three children. Her brother William
went to Australia, and the other child died in infancy. Her mother's
people belonged to a family possessed of great wealth and occupying
distinguished positions in England. The death of Mrs. BECKWITH
occurred in that country, when the husband was again married,
his second union being with Miss Harriet COX. Her family was
also one of prominence and resided on the Isle of Wight, near
the home of the royalty. Mr. BECKWITH died in his native land,
after which his widow came to America. It was while on a visit
to her step-mother that Miss BECKWITH became acquainted with
our subject. She remained in the land of her adoption, and through
her influence the other members of the family came to America.
Her step-mother died in Chicago in 1876, and was buried in Rose
Hill Cemetery. Her children are: Henry J., who is a prominent
druggist, and a very wealthy citizen of Chicago, residing on
one of the boulevards, where he owns an elegant residence; George
M., a dealer in law books in the Lake Side building, and Harriet,
wife of S. E. DALE, a prominent attorney of Chicago.
- Mr. and Mrs. LATHERS have been the parents of six children:
William J., born Dec. 23, 1859,
- George H., April 13, 1862, died at the age of eight years;
John B., born Dec. 2, 1864; Charles F., July 6, 1867, wedded
Miss Nellie EDWARDS, daughter of John EDWARDS, and is engaged
in farming; Joseph, Feb. 9, 1869; Matthew F., June 13, 1873.
- Mr. LATHERS has been identified with the growth and progress
of Rock County since his arrival in
- 1850, and is numbered among its leading citizens. He is one
of the largest land-owners within its borders, owning six of
the best farms in Turtle Township, including his home farm of
602 acres. In his political sentiments he is a Democrat, but
has never sought public preferment, indeed has steadily refused
to accept office, although repeatedly urged to do so. His attention
is all given to his large farming interests which occupy his
whole time. Genial, pleasant and companionable, he does not only
make friends, but possesses the rare gift of retaining them.
His hospitable home is presided over by one of Rock County's
most accomplished and refined ladies, whose social qualities
are the admiration of her friends. These worthy people are held
in the highest esteem by all.
-
- Taken from "The Portrait and Biographical Album of
Rock County, Wis." (c)1889, pp. 228-229.
-
- Courtesy of Carol
-
- I am a descendant of William John BECKWITH who came to Australia
around 1854. I have been
- fortunate to make contact with descendants Matthew LATHERS,
youngest son of John and Angelina (BECKWITH) LATHERS. I have
been able to obtain a large amount of information on the BECKWITH
family in England, including a copy of William, Sr.'s will.
- William BECKWITH, Sr., was born in Houghton-le-Spring, County
Durham, England (not
- northern Ireland). Hannah HODSON BECKWITH was born in Spilsby,
Lincolnshire, England. As far as I can ascertain, William, Sr.'s
parents were John BECKWITH and Mary MOWBRAY, who were from Houghton-le-Spring.
William was a Wesleyan minister.
- This biography of John LATHERS gave me the answer to the
whereabouts of Harriet COX and
- her three children and explained why Angelina came to America.
Thanks for this. I will probably never know why William, Jr.,
came to Australia rather than America.
-
- Courtesy of Ann
Kerin
|