Ancestors

Peter Latourette

Peter Latourette was born on Staten Island, New York, on 26 February 1774 by compiled genealogies. His gravestone gives 1771. By the same genealogies he was a son of Peter La Tourette and Abigail Mercereau, of the Huguenot families of Staten Island, and his father died in 1784. He became a blacksmith. Mathews' county history of 1886 says he "came from New York, where he was born, to Orange County, and thence, in 1822, to Lebanon, where he was a farmer."

He married Rebecca Moore of Woodbridge, New Jersey, between February 1800 and about May 1801. Her father's will of February 1800 lists her among his unmarried daughters. Their eldest son, Jacob, was born in Richmond County, New York, on 18 February 1802.

On 1 June 1802, as "Peter Latorrette of the City and County of New York," he bought a house and lot of one acre in Woodbridge for $325. The sellers were Morris Read and "Deliverence his wife," Rebecca's sister. The lot stood on the south side of the Stage Road. On 14 July 1802 he bought 11 acres on the north side of the road from Woodbridge to Metuchen from Ichabod Potter. On 19 March 1805 he mortgaged the 11 acres to Jacob Mercereau for $114.75. Mercereau was probably of his mother's family. His daughter Delia was born at Woodbridge in August 1804. Later children were born on Staten Island, and the family went on to Orange County, New York.

Another Peter of the family lived at Woodbridge in the same years, and the two are easily confused. He was a son of Henry Latourette, a weaver of Fresh Kills on Staten Island. Born in 1754, he married Elizabeth Androvette, and in 1783 his father lent him £600 "to buy plantation at Woodbridge." He worked there as a weaver "with his father's tools," and in April 1801 he and "Elizabeth his wife" sold the plantation. He is the Woodbridge Latourette of the 1780s and 1790s. This Peter was still "of the City and County of New York" when he bought his house there in 1802.

In 1822 Peter brought the family to Lebanon Township in Wayne County, Pennsylvania. Goodrich's history of 1880 calls him "a blacksmith from Orange county, N.Y.," who "first began in the town, on the turnpike opposite Hugh Gammell's." About 1837 he moved to a farm "where a small improvement had been made by one Perkins," later held by his grandson George. "Devoting the rest of his working days to farming, he cleared up much valuable land." His sons John and Samuel took farms adjoining his, and the stretch became the Latourette Settlement. His son Jacob stayed in Orange County and became "a wealthy farmer" there. His daughter Mary Ann married Alexander Rutledge Jr.

Rebecca died on 8 October 1858, and Peter on 7 April 1859. Mathews says "both himself and wife died at the age of eighty-five years, and were buried at Rileysville." That was true of Rebecca. Peter's stone at Bolkcom Cemetery gives "born Feb. 26, 1771, died Apr. 7, 1859," which made him 88.

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Cite: Heirology, "Peter Latourette (1774-1859)", https://heirology.com/ancestors/peter-latourette-1774-1859-eec590.