March 31, 2007:

James Culhane Latchford was the farm manager for the Ruggles Wright estate.
This page is a continuation of correspondence dated March 30, 2007 on the
Philomen Wright web page on this site.

 JAMES CULHANE LATCHFORD 1810 – 1903                               
 Manager of Ruggles Wright Estate 1847 – 1866

     In an autobiographical narrative my grandfather Francis Robert Latchford, 
	 1854 – 1938, as the son of James Culhane Latchford, describes life on the farm.  

     James Culhane Latchford was born in Rathkeale just west of Limerick, Ireland 
	 in 1810.  His parents, Francis L. Latchford and Catherine Molony Culhane, 
	 also of Rathkeale, had two sons, James C. and  Francis Robert  1813 – 1891 
	 (Boston, Mass., USA) and several daughters, Margaret 1808 – 1875, married 
	 John Conway;  to Canada in 1842, Mary 1816 -  19??, married William Kerwan. 

     James Culhane Latchford was first married to Mary Roche 1820’s – 1842, 
	 their daughter Mary Anne 1841 -  19?? Accompanied her parents to Canada 
	 around 1846. 

     In 1852 James Culhane Latchford married Mary Young 1823 – 1899, daughter 
	 of Robert Young and Mary Carrol / Carroll of Ottawa area.  This marriage 
	 resulted in the births of Francis Robert Latchford 1854 – 1938, Elizabeth 
	 Teresa 1858 – 1944 and Katherine 1861 – 1901 married to Alexander Coulter. 

     When James C. Latchford came to Canada in 1846 he initially worked in 
	 Ottawa as a foreman under Mr. McIntosh, a Rideau Canal contractor.  He 
	 was later appointed manager of the Britannia Farm on the Aylmer Road 
	 owned by the Ruggles Wright estate and remained there for twenty years.  

     As Francis Robert Latchford describes life on the Ruggles Wright farm 
	 the family lived in the house that stood in the same location as the 
	 club house, now erected, on the Chaudiere Golf Club, now the Royal Ottawa 
	 Golf Club. 

     In 1861 the family moved into the (“the Eddy Manor”) with his sister 
	 Elizabeth and Katherine.  Francis Robert recalls the nightly ritual 
	 of documenting the attendance of each employee once the supper table 
	 had been cleared.  Some of the names recalled:   

     Michael Harty / Hearty    Thomas O’Connor     Thomas Mara     
	 Darby Navin / Nevin     Hugh West     Matthew Honan     Joseph Perrault / Perreault    
	 John Lyons     William Collins     _____ Lane     
	 all lived with their families in various houses on the estate.  
	 The Blackburn Mansion and a double home that stood where the second green 
	 of the Royal Ottawa Golf Club are some that are mentioned.  

     James C. Latchford in 1866 went on to become a well respected grocer 
	 on Wellingston Street and retired in 1890 to the family cottage in 
	 Britannia on what is now Latchford Street in west Ottawa adjacent to 
	 the river.  
... Frank Latchford



April 3, 2007:


Here is an extract from the diaries of James Latchford, farm manager
for the Ruggles Wright estate. It notes the first mass held
in 1846 at Notre Dame Cathedral and the new church in Aylmer in 1861. 
Thanks to Frank Latchford.

April 5, 2007:
In 1857 a scaffold collapsed while new houses were being built at Britannia Farm.
John Gleeson / Gleason, Austin Killeen and William Collins were badly
injured. John Conway, Lawrence Dooley and James Costello were slightly hurt.

Thanks to Frank Latchford for the following extract from his Great Grandfather's 
diaries. The Latchford Papers are available at the National Archives. Frank also 
has a large collection of material.


 July 9, 2007:

In 1931, the Honourable Francis Latchford, gave a speech to the Women's Canadian 
Historical Society of Ottawa. Frank Latchford has a copy of this rare 15 page document.
The subject of this speech is the early settlement of Hull by Philomen Wright ( PW ).




 
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