Frances Latham (16101677), was a colonial American woman who settled in

Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...

, and is known as "the Mother of Governors." Having been widowed twice, she had three husbands, and became the ancestor of at least ten governors and three deputy/lieutenant governors, and is related by marriage to an additional six governors and one deputy governor. Born in

Bedfordshire Bedfordshire (; abbreviated Beds) is a ceremonial county in the East of England. The county has been administered by three unitary authorities, Borough of Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Borough of Luton, since Bedfordshire County Council wa ...

, England, she was the daughter of Lewis Latham, a falconer for King Charles I. She was first married to William Dungan, with whom she had four children. Dungan died at an early age, and she soon married Jeremy Clarke who brought her and her Dungan children to

New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...

where they settled in

Portsmouth, Rhode Island Portsmouth is a town in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 17,871 at the 2020 U.S. census. Portsmouth is the second-oldest municipality in Rhode Island, after Providence; it was one of the four colonies which merged ...

. Clarke was a prominent merchant who became the President of the colony for a year. With Clarke, Frances had seven children, the oldest of whom,

Walter Walter may refer to: People * Walter (name), both a surname and a given name * Little Walter, American blues harmonica player Marion Walter Jacobs (1930–1968) * Gunther (wrestler), Austrian professional wrestler and trainer Walter Hahn (born 19 ...

, later became a governor of the colony. Jeremy Clarke died when all of his children were still minors, after which Frances married her third husband, the Reverend William Vaughan of Newport. Frances and her last husband both died at about the same time in 1677 in Newport, and Frances was buried in the Common Burying Ground there. She leaves a legacy of thousands of descendants, many of whom reached great prominence during their lives.

Life

Baptized in

Kempston Kempston is a town and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Borough of Bedford, Bedfordshire, England. It had a population of 19,330 in the 2011 census. Kempston is part of Bedford, Bedford's built-up area and is situated directly sout ...

, England on 15 February 1609/10, Frances Latham was the daughter of Lewis Latham and his wife Elizabeth. Her father, born about 1584 in

Elstow Elstow is a village and civil parish in the English county of Bedfordshire. John Bunyan was born here at Bunyan's End, which lay approximately halfway between the hamlet of Harrowden and Elstow's High Street. History Countess Judith, niece o ...

, Bedfordshire, was a Sergeant Falconer under King Charles I. Latham

Frances' first husband was William Dungan, who was a perfumer living in the parish of

St Martin-in-the-Fields St Martin-in-the-Fields is a Church of England parish church at the north-east corner of Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, London. It is dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours. There has been a church on the site since at least the mediev ...

, now a part of

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. With Dungan she had four children, but he died in 1636, being buried at St Martin-in-the-Fields on 20 September of that year, leaving a will with Frances as executrix, and naming each of his four minor children. Within two years she was remarried, this time to Jeremy Clarke of London, a nephew of

Richard Weston, 1st Earl of Portland Richard Weston, 1st Earl of Portland, KG (1 March 157713 March 1634/1635), was Chancellor of the Exchequer and later Lord Treasurer of England under James I and Charles I, being one of the most influential figures in the early years of Char ...

. Soon thereafter the couple immigrated to

with Frances' four young children, and in 1638 Jeremy was admitted as an inhabitant of

Aquidneck Island Aquidneck Island, also known as Rhode Island, is an island in Narragansett Bay in the state of Rhode Island. The total land area is , which makes it the largest island in the bay. The 2020 United States Census reported its population as 60,109. T ...

(

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council. Portsmouth is the most dens ...

) in what soon became the

Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations The Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations was one of the original Thirteen Colonies established on the east coast of America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean. It was founded by Roger Williams. It was an English colony from 1636 until ...

. Following turmoil in the government of the island in 1639, her husband was one of the nine signatories of an agreement to form the settlement of Newport at the south end of the island. He held a number of important positions in the town and colonial government, and in 1648 became President of the entire colony, serving for a year in this role. Clarke died in January 1652, with his death being recorded later in the Friends' (Quaker) records. He was buried in the "tomb that stands by the street by the water side in Newport," now lost, but his governor's grave medallion is in the

Clifton Burying Ground The Clifton Burying Ground is an early colonial cemetery located in Newport, Rhode Island, United States. It is a Quaker cemetery, and has the graves of four Rhode Island colonial governors. Description The Clifton Burying Ground is located ...

where several Quaker Rhode Island colonial governors were later buried. About a year after her second husband's death, her father, Lewis Latham, also died, leaving Frances a small legacy in his will. Frances was again a widow with many young children, and within a few years she had married her third husband, the Reverend William Vaughan of Newport. The time of her marriage to Vaughan was before January 1656 when she made an agreement with her oldest Clarke son,

, through his guardians, John Cranston and James Barker, settling inheritance issues, now that she was no longer widowed. Vaughan had been ordained in 1648 as a member of the First Baptist Church of Newport, but in 1656 he and others formed the Second Baptist Church. He was a highly respected citizen of Newport, so much so that in April 1676, during

King Philip's War King Philip's War (sometimes called the First Indian War, Metacom's War, Metacomet's War, Pometacomet's Rebellion, or Metacom's Rebellion) was an armed conflict in 1675–1676 between indigenous inhabitants of New England and New England coloni ...

, he was one of 16 colonial leaders whose counsel was requested by the General Assembly during "these troublesome times and straits." Others named in this request for counsel were former governor

Benedict Arnold Benedict Arnold ( Brandt (1994), p. 4June 14, 1801) was an American military officer who served during the Revolutionary War. He fought with distinction for the American Continental Army and rose to the rank of major general before defect ...

, former President

Gregory Dexter Gregory Dexter (1610–1700) was an early American printer, Baptist minister, and early President of the combined towns of Providence and Warwick in the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. He was in New England as early as 16 ...

, and future deputy governor James Barker. Frances died in 1677, at about the same time that her husband died. In September of that year Samuel Hubbard of Newport wrote to his children in Westerly, "For news, Mr. Vahan is gone to his long home and his wife is like to follow him if not dead." Frances was buried in the Common Burying Ground in Newport, and on her stone was placed the following inscription, "Here Lyeth ye Body of Mrs. Frances Vaughan, Alius Clarke, ye mother of ye only children of Capt'n Jeremiah Clarke. She died ye 1 week in Sept., 1677, in ye 67th year of her age."

Family and legacy

Late 19th century genealogist John Osborne Austin proposed that Frances had first been married to a "Lord Weston" as a teenager, but strong evidence against this was presented by New Haven genealogist Louise Tracy in 1908. Frances had 11 children by her first and second husbands, and leaves behind numerous descendants, many of them prominent. Her oldest daughter, Barbara Dungan, married James Barker, who served as deputy governor of the colony. Her second daughter, Frances Dungan, married

Randall Holden Randall Holden (1692) was an early inhabitant of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, one of the original founders of Portsmouth, and one of the co-founders of the town of Warwick. He came to New England from Salisbury, Wilt ...

, a signer of the

Portsmouth Compact The Portsmouth Compact was a document signed on March 7, 1638 that established the settlement of Portsmouth, which is now a town in the state of Rhode Island. It was the first document in American history that severed both political and religious ...

, and one of the founding settlers of the town of

Warwick Warwick ( ) is a market town, civil parish and the county town of Warwickshire in the Warwick District in England, adjacent to the River Avon. It is south of Coventry, and south-east of Birmingham. It is adjoined with Leamington Spa and Whi ...

. Descendants through this daughter include William Greene, an early governor of Rhode Island shortly after the Revolutionary War, his son, Honorable

Ray Greene Ray Greene may refer to: * Ray Greene (politician) (1765–1849), United States senator from Rhode Island * Ray Greene (American football) (1938–2022), American football coach * Ray Greene (lacrosse) (1923–1987), American lacrosse player * Ra ...

, and his grandson William Greene, a lieutenant governor of the state. Her oldest Clarke child,

, served for more than 20 years as deputy governor of the colony, and also served several years as the governor. Her daughter, Mary Clarke, married John Cranston, another governor of the colony, and they were parents of the longest-serving Rhode Island governor,

Samuel Cranston Samuel Cranston (1659–1727) was a governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations during the first quarter of the 18th century. He held office from 1698 to 1727, being elected to office 30 times (twice in 1698), and served as ...

. Frances' son Weston Clarke married Mary Easton who was a granddaughter of two other governors,

John Coggeshall John Coggeshall Sr. (2 December 1599 – 27 November 1647) was one of the founders of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations and the first President of all four towns in the Colony. He was a successful silk merchant in Essex, Eng ...

and

Nicholas Easton Nicholas Easton (1593–1675) was an early colonial President and Governor of Rhode Island. Born in Hampshire, England, he lived in the towns of Lymington and Romsey before immigrating to New England with his two sons in 1634. Once in the N ...

Her son, Latham Clarke, married Hannah Wilbur, the daughter of

Samuel Wilbur, Jr. Samuel Wilbur Jr. (1622 – after 1678) was an early settler of Portsmouth in the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, and one of seven original purchasers of the Pettaquamscutt lands which would later become South Kingstown, Rhode ...

who was one of seven purchasers of the Pettaquamscutt lands, and who was also mentioned in Rhode Island's

Royal Charter of 1663 The Rhode Island Royal Charter provided royal recognition to the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, approved by England's King Charles II in July 1663. It outlined many freedoms for the inhabitants of Rhode Island and was the ...

. Her youngest child, Sarah Clarke, married colonial governor

Caleb Carr Caleb Carr (born August 2, 1955) is an American military historian and author. Carr is the second of three sons born to Lucien Carr and Francesca Von Hartz. He authored ''The Alienist'', ''The Angel of Darkness'', ''The Lessons of Terror'', ''K ...

as her second husband. Other Rhode Island governors who are direct descendants of Frances include

Nehemiah R. Knight Nehemiah Rice Knight (December 31, 1780April 18, 1854) was Governor of Rhode Island and United States Senator from Rhode Island. Born in Cranston, Rhode Island, Cranston, he attended the common schools. In 1802 he was a member of the Rhode Isla ...

Henry Lippitt Henry Lippitt (October 9, 1818 – June 5, 1891) was the 33rd Governor of Rhode Island from 1875 to 1877. Family Lippitt was the son of Warren Lippitt and Eliza (Seamans) Lippitt, married to Mary Ann Balch. Lippitt was the father of Charles Wa ...

, Charles C. Van Zandt, Charles W. Lippitt,

John Chafee John Lester Hubbard Chafee ( ; October 22, 1922 – October 24, 1999) was an American politician and officer in the United States Marine Corps. A member of the Republican Party (United States), he served as the 66th Governor of Rhode Island, as ...

, and

Lincoln Chafee Lincoln Davenport Chafee ( ; born March 26, 1953) is an American politician. He was mayor of Warwick, Rhode Island from 1993 to 1999, a United States Senator from 1999 to 2007, and the 74th Governor of Rhode Island from 2011 to 2015. He was a m ...

, as well as a governor of the state of Washington, John R. Rogers. Additional deputy or lieutenant governors that descend from her are Rhode Island's John Gardner and

Samuel G. Arnold Samuel Greene Arnold Jr. (April 12, 1821February 14, 1880) was an attorney and politician from Rhode Island. A Republican, he was most notable for his service as lieutenant governor and as a United States senator. Early life Born in Providence ...

, while another Rhode Island governor related to her by marriage is

William Wanton William Wanton (September 15, 1670 – December 1733) was a governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, serving a short term prior to his death. He spent most of his adult life in the civil and military service of the colon ...

. A small book about Rhode Island history through the eyes of Frances, ''The True Story of Frances, the Falconer's Daughter,'' was published in 1932. Besides governors, other prominent individuals descend from Frances, including Rhode Island Attorney General Daniel Updike, Rhode Island congressman Tristam Burges and

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

Colonels

Christopher Lippitt Christopher Lippitt (October 28, 1744 – June 17, 1824) was a prominent Revolutionary War officer and founder one of the earliest textile mills in Rhode Island. Early life Lippitt was the fourth child of Christopher Lippitt (1712–1764) and Ca ...

and

Christopher Greene Christopher Greene (May 12, 1737May 14, 1781) was an American legislator and soldier. He lead the spirited defense of Fort Mercer in the 1777 Battle of Red Bank, and for leading the African American 1st Rhode Island Regiment during the American R ...

, as well as Major General

. Additional descendants are American explorer

Meriwether Lewis Meriwether Lewis (August 18, 1774 – October 11, 1809) was an American explorer, soldier, politician, and public administrator, best known for his role as the leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery, with ...

, U.S. Army Corps Topographical Engineer Major Howard Stansbury, Kansas abolitionist

John Brown John Brown most often refers to: *John Brown (abolitionist) (1800–1859), American who led an anti-slavery raid in Harpers Ferry, Virginia in 1859 John Brown or Johnny Brown may also refer to: Academia * John Brown (educator) (1763–1842), Ir ...

, abolitionist

Susan B. Anthony Susan B. Anthony (born Susan Anthony; February 15, 1820 – March 13, 1906) was an American social reformer and women's rights activist who played a pivotal role in the women's suffrage movement. Born into a Quaker family committed to s ...

, writers

Julia Ward Howe Julia Ward Howe (; May 27, 1819 – October 17, 1910) was an American author and poet, known for writing the " Battle Hymn of the Republic" and the original 1870 pacifist Mother's Day Proclamation. She was also an advocate for abolitionism ...

and

Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; Edgar Poe; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is wide ...

, British Navy Vice Admiral Sir

Jahleel Brenton Vice-admiral (Royal Navy), Vice Admiral Sir Jahleel Brenton, 1st Baronet, Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath, KCB (22 August 1770 – 21 April 1844) was a British officer in the Royal Navy who served during the French Revolutionary Wars, F ...

and American astronaut

Roger Chaffee Roger Bruce Chaffee (; February 15, 1935 – January 27, 1967) was an American naval officer, aviator and aeronautical engineer who was a NASA astronaut in the Apollo program. Chaffee was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he became an Eag ...

, baseball sports legend

Walter Johnson Walter Perry Johnson (November 6, 1887 – December 10, 1946), nicknamed "Barney" and "The Big Train", was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 21-year baseball career in Major League Baseball as a right-ha ...

, rodeo champion and cowboy artist Earl W. Bascom, western artist and Wyoming cowgirl

Minerva Teichert Minerva Bernetta Kohlhepp Teichert (August 28, 1888 – May 3, 1976) was a 20th-century American painter notable for her art depicting Western and Mormon subjects, including a collection of murals depicting scenes from the Book of Mormon. Te ...

, art professor and muralist Lee Greene Richards, Utah mining magnate

Jesse Knight Jesse Knight (6 September 1845 — 14 March 1921) was an American mining magnate, one of relatively few Latter-day Saints in 19th century Western America to find major success in the field. After the death of his father Newel Knight, Jesse's f ...

, Canadian cattle baron and rodeo champion Ray Knight, Utah politician Inez K. Allen, poetess

Lula Greene Richards Louisa Lula Greene Richards (April 8, 1849 – September 9, 1944) was a poet and was the first female periodical editor in Utah Territory. Richards's work was published under a variety of names, including Louisa L. Greene, Louise L. Green, Lula ...

, Nevada cattle rancher

Cliven Bundy Cliven D. Bundy (born April 29, 1946) is an American cattle rancher who was charged and underwent pre-trial detention for his role in the 2014 Bundy standoff. Bundy vocally advocated a philosophy opposed to what he views as federal government o ...

and his son Ammon Bundy, silent era cowboy movie star and rodeo champion

Art Acord Arthemus Ward "Art" Acord (April 17, 1890 – January 4, 1931) was an American silent film actor and rodeo champion. After his film career ended in 1929, Acord worked in rodeo road shows and as a miner in Mexico. Early life and career Acord ...

, writer and cartoonist

James Thurber James Grover Thurber (December 8, 1894 – November 2, 1961) was an American cartoonist, writer, humorist, journalist and playwright. He was best known for his cartoons and short stories, published mainly in ''The New Yorker'' and collected in ...

, and entertainers

Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe (; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; 1 June 1926 4 August 1962) was an American actress. Famous for playing comedic " blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s, as wel ...

Lucille Ball Lucille Désirée Ball (August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989) was an American actress, comedienne and producer. She was nominated for 13 Primetime Emmy Awards, winning five times, and was the recipient of several other accolades, such as the Golden ...

Ken Curtis Ken Curtis (born Curtis Wain Gates; July 2, 1916 – April 28, 1991) was an American singer and actor best known for his role as Festus Haggen on the CBS western television series ''Gunsmoke''. Although he appeared on ''Gunsmoke'' earlie ...

Bill Paxton William Paxton (May 17, 1955 – February 25, 2017) was an American actor and filmmaker. He appeared in films such as '' Weird Science'' (1985), ''Aliens'' (1986), ''Near Dark'' (1987), '' Tombstone'' (1993), ''True Lies'' (1994), '' Apollo 13 ...

and

Karen Carpenter Karen Anne Carpenter (March 2, 1950 – February 4, 1983) was an American singer and drummer, who formed half of the sibling duo the Carpenters alongside her older brother Richard. With a distinctive three-octave contralto range, she was praise ...

, as well as entertainer and creator of the Muppets,

Jim Henson James Maury Henson (September 24, 1936 – May 16, 1990) was an American puppeteer, animator, cartoonist, actor, inventor, and filmmaker who achieved worldwide notice as the creator of The Muppets and '' Fraggle Rock'' (1983–1987) and ...

"Mother of Governors"

The following governors, deputy governors, or lieutenant governors either descend directly from Frances, or married one of her descendants: Governors who are direct descendants: * Walter Clarke, her son, Rhode Island governor 1676-1677, 1686, and 1696-1698 *

, Rhode Island governor 1698-1729 * William Greene, Jr., Rhode Island governor 1778-1785 *

, Rhode Island governor 1817-1821 *

, Rhode Island governor 1875-1877 * Charles W. Lippitt, Rhode Island governor 1895-1896 * John R. Rogers, Washington governor 1896-1902 *

Goodwin Knight Goodwin Jess "Goodie" Knight (December 9, 1896 – May 22, 1970) was an American politician who served as the 31st governor of California from 1953 until 1959. A member of the Republican Party, he previously was the 35th lieutenant governor ...

, California governor 1953-1959 *

Marvin Griffin Samuel Marvin Griffin, Sr. (September 4, 1907 – June 13, 1982) was an American politician from the U.S. state of Georgia. A lifelong Democrat, Griffin was a native of Bainbridge, Georgia and publisher of the ''Bainbridge Post-Searchligh ...

(1907-1982), 72nd Georgia governor 1955-1959 *

, Rhode Island governor 1963-1969 *

Sarah Palin Sarah Louise Palin (; Heath; born February 11, 1964) is an American politician, commentator, author, and reality television personality who served as the ninth governor of Alaska from 2006 until her resignation in 2009. She was the 2008 R ...

, 9th Alaska governor 2003-2004 *

, Rhode Island governor 2011-2015 Deputy or lieutenant governors who are direct descendants: * John Gardner, Rhode Island deputy governor 1754-1755 and 1756-1764 *

, Rhode Island lieutenant governor 1852-1853 and 1861-1862 * William Greene, Rhode Island lieutenant governor 1866-1868 *

Theodore F. Green Theodore Francis Green (October 2, 1867May 19, 1966) was an American politician from Rhode Island. A Democrat, Green served as the 57th Governor of Rhode Island (1933–1937) and in the United States Senate (1937–1961). He was a wealthy ari ...

Rhode Island lieutenant governor 1933-1937 *

, California lieutenant governor 1946-1953 *

(1907-1982), Georgia lieutenant governor 1948-1955 Governors who are related by marriage: * Jeremy Clarke, her husband, Rhode Island president 1648-1649 * John Cranston, Rhode Island governor 1678-1680 *

, Rhode Island governor in 1695 *

, Rhode Island governor 1732-1733 * William Greene Sr., Rhode Island governor for 11 years from 1743-1758 * Charles C. Van Zandt, Rhode Island governor 1877-1880 Deputy governor related by marriage: * James Barker, Rhode Island deputy governor 1678-1679

References

Bibliography

* * *

External links

*
Lewis Latham family
Website showing portrait of Lewis Latham, apparently brought to New England by Frances

Website with photo of the grave marker for Frances in the Newport Common Burying Ground, and a photo of the book written about her
Rhode Island History
from the State of Rhode Island General Assembly website. See Chapter 2, Colonial Era. {{DEFAULTSORT:Latham, Frances 1609 births 1677 deaths Colonial American women People from Kempston People from Newport, Rhode Island People of colonial Rhode Island Burials at Common Burying Ground and Island Cemetery English emigrants 17th-century American people Clarke family (Rhode Island)

Life

Family and legacy

"Mother of Governors"

See also

References

Bibliography

External links