My Genealogy Hound

LATSHAW FAMILY. The American ancestors of the various branches of the Latshaw family in Pennsylvania were among the early settlers of Chester county. They were from Alsace, in Germany, formerly a French province, and emigrated at an early period, settling on or near the Schuylkill river. Members of the family were for several generations influential in the counties of Chester and Montgomery. John Latshaw, who lived in the time of the Revolution, wagoned wheat to the starving soldiers of Washington at Valley Forge during the trying winter of 1877-78

Jacob Latshaw was born and reared in Chester county, where he followed the occupation of a farmer during his early manhood, and even later in life. He prospered and became an extensive landowner, his holdings including several valuable farms. As were the others of his family, he was a Mennonite, and became a minister, serving many years in that capacity, but taking no money or other consideration for his services because of conscientious scruples. He married Mary Heistand, of another old family in that section of Pennsylvania. They reared a family of seven children, three sons and four daughters. John lives in Chester county; David and Daniel are deceased; Elizabeth (Betsy) married Abraham Bechtel; Catherine married William Buckwalter, and Mary married Joel Ebert. All the three last named are deceased, but they have left descendants who are active and influential members of the communities in which they live. The other daughter, Anna, married Rudolph Stauffer, and is still living at an advanced age in East Pikeland township, Chester county.

Daniel Latshaw, first son of Jacob and Mary (Heistand) Latshaw, was born in 1820, in Chester county, where he was reared. He was engaged in farming for some years, but later in life removed to the opposite side of the river, where he acquired very extensive real estate interests, owning much of the land on which the borough of Royersford is now located. By platting his land in building lots and selling them to others equally enterprising who built upon and otherwise improved them, Mr. Latshaw became in time the founder of the flourishing and prosperous borough of Royersford. A member of the Mennonite church, he was broad and liberal in his religious views, a trait of character which found a striking illustration in his donation of a large building lot to the congregations of the Methodist and Baptist churches of Royersford. His energy and determination were matters of general knowledge. He did much to encourage the beginning of the various manufacturing enterprises at Royersford which have made it so thriving an industrial center. He was instrumental in securing the establishment of the first stove foundry in the village, that of Francis & Co., which afterwards developed into the extensive Buckwalter establishment. He was a man of great public spirit, and was much interested in educational progress, making it a point to donate the land required for school purposes. He lived an honored and esteemed member of the community for which he labored so arduously and so effectively, and died at Royersford, October 31, 1886, in the sixty-seventh year of his age, and was buried in Fernwood Cemetery. In 1850 he married Angeline Bean, a daughter of Samuel Bean, of Upper Providence township, Montgomery county, and they became the parents of nine children: Samuel E., of whom further in this narrative; Milton, residing at Spring City; Jesse Newton, Jacob and Daniel, all three of whom are deceased; Irvin, residing at Royersford; John H.; William L., and Ira D. Latshaw.