Three generations of Jonathan Latimers were early settlers of Simsbury, CT – Jonathan Latimer 1709 – 1788, Jonathan Latimer 1738 – 1826, and Jonathan Latimer, Jr. 1764 – 1852.
Jonathan Latimer (1st) married Mary Hollister on 5 December 1734, in Wethersfield, CT. He moved his family of 5 from Wethersfield to the Weatogue section of Simsbury in 1745. They would have 6 children in total: Abigail, Jonathan, Wait, Mary, Giles and Jehiel.
Maybe not too surprising, this Jonathan’s father … was also named Jonathan!
At the age of 22, his son Jonathan (2nd) married Rachel Wilcox of West Simsbury in Dec 1760. About that same year, Jonathan (2nd) built a house on the Garret Stairs of “West Mountain” in West Simsbury, within the “Pilfershire” area of today. Jonathan and Rachel had 3 daughters (Rachel, Lodama & Sophia) and 1 son, named … Jonathan Jr.
They were early settlers of this hill area and rugged, hardworking subsistence farmers. Jonathan chopped wood and plowed fields with hand tools. He built fences, sheds, and a small mill near the brook by his house. Rachel oversaw the cooking, cleaning, spinning of flax and wool, planting and maintaining of gardens, and homeschooling the children*. Every Sunday, initially, the whole family would go the six miles (walking or on horseback) to and from Simsbury center for the often 4 hours of Puritan worship services. Walking twelve miles with children and keeping them quiet for 4 hours of worship is surely true devotion! A closer church was subsequently established in North Canton, but the writer has not established whether they became members.
Jonathan and Rachel farmed and provided for their family at this location their entire lives. Jonathan lived for 87 years and wife Rachel lived until age 73.
This photo shows Jonathan Latimer and Jonathan Latimer Jr. signatures on the petition to the General Assembly for “West Simsbury” to separate from Simsbury and become Canton in 1806.
Jonathan Jr. purchased the house and farm from his father about the year 1820 at the age of ~55. By this time, the farm was extensive. His apple orchards and cider mill produced hard cider that he sold to (or bartered with) the Adams General Store in North Canton, CT. Jonathan Latimer Jr. lived his entire life on this farm from 1764 until his death in 1852 (Age 88).
That is almost 100 years of “Jonathan Latimers” in Pilfershire of Simsbury!
*Although area schools were available, attendance was not mandatory. Attending school was considered, by many farm families, as time away from work!
By Tom Yanik
