Historic Latta Plantation - Jane Knox Latta

Jane Knox was the daughter of Robert and Mary Ewart Knox of Lincoln County, both of whom are buried in Unity Presbyterian churchyard now on Lake Norman. Robert was not rich but in his will he left his wife Mary "all my books, to dispose of as she may think proper among my children." His estate was to be divided amongst eight of his children. To the ninth, his daughter "Jane Latta," he left only five dollars. Jane was not disinherited, but, by 1833 when her father died at the age of ninety-one, she was considerably better off than the rest of the family. Robert had left her a fine heritage of patriotism and integrity. He had fought through the Revolutionary War and so had the Ewarts who were prominent Whig leaders.

Jane Knox connected herself with the Presbyterian church when but 14 years of age and always lived in accordance with her profession. There were meager opportunities for the education of girls in the back county after the Revolutionary War and Jane's formal schooling was limited, but she came from a family which stressed "learning" and she was better advantaged than many of her sex and time. Years later when her daughters reached their teens, they were sent away to the Moravian school at Salem for opportunities which were not to be had on the Catawba River.

James Latta's travels as a merchant from Salisbury, North Carolina to Yorkville, South Carolina appear to have led to his introduction to Jane Knox of Lincoln County. He was a widower with two small sons, but he was growing reasonably wealthy. The marriage bond in Lincoln County for Jane Knox and James Latta is dated April 12, 1796.

Where they were living when Betsy, their first child was born on February 7, 1797 is not known. By then end of the century, James Latta was building his substantial home place, still standing two and a half miles west of Hopewell Church on the Catawba River. It was a fine house for its day with elaborate woodwork trim and mantels made by an unknown craftsman who appears to have aalso worked on the original Torrance house/store. Most farmers were still building houses out of logs, but James Latta built a frame house...

Latta Place was not a scene of frivolity but must have been a happy home while Betsy, Nancy, and Polly Latta were growing up. Of one thing we may well be sure: they spent every Sabbath day at Hopewell when they were at home. There were usually two long sermons, one in the morning and one in the afternoon....The meeting house was somewhat barn like, but on the inside there were high seats and low seats to distinguish between those of high estate and the more common class of people. Of a certainty, Jane Knox Latta occupied a high seat.

Jane Latta may have occasionally taken trips to Philadelphia with her husband. Tradition has it that he was not easy to live with. On October 30, 1837, at the age of eighty-two he died and was buried at Hopewell.

Latta Place was too isolated a location for Jane Latta to remain there alone. Perhaps had little Ezekiel lived, she would not have left it. Under the circumstances, it was offered up for sale and she moved to a small house across from her son-in-law's Mount Mourne Plantation to help rear her grandchildren.

Jane's glasses

Her daughter Nancy had married Rufus Reid and had died leaving three little girls. Her daughter Betsy had married Benjamin W. Davidson and had been left a widow with six small sons. Thereupon the Widow Davidson married her brother-in-law Major Rufus Reid and they built the imposing Mount Mourne mansion in 1837. Betsy Reid died in 1838, leaving her husband and a daughter. Ten motherless grandchildren awaited Jane Latta's affection and admonition. She would not live with her son-in-law but kept her independence by inhabiting a small house across the highway from the plantation.

In time, Major Reid took a third wife, this time a stepdaughter of Jane Latta's daughter Polly Torrance. The Major's third wife was already a widow with a daughter of her own when he married her. He then proceeded to found a third family with his second widow. It is said that only "Grandma Latta" could explain to the five sets of Mount Mourne children how they were related to each other.

Of course, there were also the children of Polly Latta Torrance who lived over at "Cedar Grove."

Shortly before Jane Latta removed from Hopewell, the congregation had built a new brick church and it must have been a wrench for her to give it up. Doubtless she returned to Hopewell for services whenever an occasion was propitious, but Centre Church was close by her new home and there were many family ties between Hopewell and Centre. In 1854, the Centre congregation pulled down its big log meeting house and erected the more impressive, if smaller, church now standing with financial aid from the Reid and Latta worshippers.

The grandchildren all grew up and married. Jane Latta outlived all three of her daughters and their husbands. Many of her descendants settled in and around Mount Mourne. The large Houston connection of great-grands lived close by. Her grandsons attended Davidson College and she must have seen many a Commencement gathering. The girls continued to go to Salem Academy.

"Rich and useful instruction was afforded by her counsel and example to all her friends and especially to the young," wrote one who knew her well. To many Mount Mourne meant "Grandma Latta."

The fact that her only surviving likeness is a small photograph taken in New York indicates that she continued to travel. Her obituary states that "she was remarkably venerable and dignified in appearance," but it is unfortunate that the one surviving photograph was taken obviously after she had lost all her teeth.

Jane Latta

Religion was the solace of her old age as it had been the joy of her youth. She lived into her eighty-ninth year. Toward the end of her life she wrote to a granddaughter, "I live very much alone but I can see no help for it, they are all very good in coming and staying with me when they can. There is nothing so dear in this world to me as my grandchildren. Their welfare, for time and eternity, is my prayer both day and night."

Jane's will

The War between the States was almost over before she died. She had spanned the years between the two American revolutions. Her death occurred on July 1, 1864. She was taken back to Hopewell for burial , and on her tombstone is the following tribute to her lasting influence: