Biography of James A. Latham
James A. Latham (1808-1902) was a shipbuilder and master carpenter of Noank, Connecticut. He originally entered into partnership with John Palmer (1787-1859) to build vessels in Noank. After Palmer retired in the late 40’s, James and his brother John D. Latham became partners. They built many vessels, mostly sloops, for the next 20 years, with James leaving the business to his brother in 1868. John continued shipbuilding into the 1880’s. The Lathams built primarily in their own yard, but on occasion, as when James served as master carpenter for the building of the smack EMMA C. BERRY at the R. J. Palmer yard in 1866, they would work for other builders.
Restrictions
Restrictions on Access
Available for use in the Manuscripts Division
Restrictions on Use
Various copying restriction apply. Guidelines are available from the Manuscripts Division.
Index Terms
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the G. W. Blunt White Library. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.
Places:
Noank (Connecticut)–Social life and customs
Subjects:
Shipbuilding–Connecticut–Noank–Materials
Shipbuilding industry–Connecticut–Noank
Document Types:
Account books–Connecticut–Noank
Accounts–Connecticut–Noank
Diaries–Connecticut–Noank
Occupations:
Carpenters–Connecticut–Noank
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Administrative Information
Coll. 83, Manuscripts Collection, G. W. Blunt White Library, Mystic Seaport Museum, Inc.
Detailed Description of the Collection
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.
| Papers; 1854-1877 | |||||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||||
| 1 | 1 | Accounts with Robert Palmer, the schooner MARGRET & LUCY, and the schooner EMMA COTTINGTON; 1865, 1877, and undated | |||||||||||
| 2 | Enrolments, pertaining to the sloops GROVER G. KING, J.D. LATHAM, and ISABELLA, the schooner TRIUMPH, all of Noank, Connecticut; in addition to the schooner HENRY MAY of Orient, N.Y.; 1854-1873 | ||||||||||||
| Volumes; 18481897 | |||||||||||||
| Volume | |||||||||||||
| 1 | Account book for earning on shares owned in the smacks WILLIAM A. WILBUR (1/8), J. A. LATHAM (1/8), BELLE (1/8), MANHATTAN (1/8), MONTEZUMA (1/8), MARTHA (1/8), HELLEN C. G. (1/16), J. D. LATHAM (1/8), MARY MATILDA (1/16), and RIPPLE (1/8); the schooners G. MOON (1/16), D. W. HAMMOND (1/16), A. L. HARDY (1/16), E. L. HAMMOND (1/16), VICTOR (1/8), M. L. ROGERS (1/32), WILLIE (sole owner), ELIZABETH SEGAR (1/32), and RED WING (1/8); and the brig WILLIAM MALLORY (3/32); 1848-1854 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Account book of bills payable for shipbuilding materials, labor, and cartage, which includes the names of numerous individuals and vessels; 1850-1863 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Composition and account book with the first part, used by Abbie J. Latham as a school composition book at Winthrope Institute in New London, Connecticut, and the second part as a family account book of household expenses, in addition to household receipts for remedies; 1856-1869 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | Journal of daily social and business events, which includes comments on weather conditions and changes; 1860-1861 | ||||||||||||
| 5 | Journal of daily social and business events, which includes comments on weather conditions and changes; 1862-1863 | ||||||||||||
| 6 | Journal of daily social and business events, which includes comments on weather conditions and changes; 1864-1865, plus 1873 Jun-Dec | ||||||||||||
| 7 | Journal of daily social and business events, which includes comments on weather conditions and changes; also contains accounts of shipyard expenses; 1866-1867; 1863-1864 | ||||||||||||
| 8 | Journal of daily social and business events, which includes comments on weather conditions and changes; 1868-1869 | ||||||||||||
| 9 | Journal of daily social and business events, which includes comments on weather conditions and changes; 1870-1872 plus 1873 Jan-Jun | ||||||||||||
| 10 | Journal of daily social and business events, which includes comments on weather conditions and changes; 1874-1878 | ||||||||||||
| 11 | Journal of daily social and business events, which includes comments on weather conditions and changes; 1879-1884 | ||||||||||||
| 12 | Journal of daily social and business events, which includes comments on weather conditions and changes with emphasis of entries being mainly weather and lesser on events; 1885-1891 | ||||||||||||
| 13 | Journal of daily weather conditions and changes, with only occasional and brief comments pertaining to social and business events; 1892-1897 | ||||||||||||
| 14 | Account book of James A. Latham, Master carpenter of Noank, Connecticut. Contains accounts of labor, shipbuilding and outfitting; 1849-1863 | ||||||||||||