The following article was first published in the 2016 edition
of the Clan Magazine, Clach na Coileach, Volume 7, Number 5.
The Latta
Manuscript
by Grahame Thom, Sennachie
*****
When the Clan MacThomas Society was formed in 1954 a
claim to the long dormant chiefship by the Society's
President, Alfred Thoms of Aberlemno, was placed before the
Lord Lyon, King of Arms. This process took some years and the
Society became somewhat inactive while waiting for an
outcome.
*****
In 1958 Alfred
Thoms of Aberlemno died and was succeeded by his son Patrick
MacThomas of Finegand. In 1964 the claim was extensively
revised. Perhaps the most important document included with the
new application was the Latta Manuscript (MS).
*****
Some
background - the Latta Manuscript, two small handwritten
pages, was examined in 1960 by Miss H E Peck MA, Keeper of the
Archives at Cambridge University, who considered them to be a
genuine 18th century document. On the strength of this it was
eventually admitted by the Lord Lyon, Sir Thomas Learney, as
evidence in the MacThomas claim. The Latta Manuscript is
signed "PL", and this is presumed to have been Peter Latta,
who died in 1788, tenant in Southfield, near Leuchars. His
wife, Ann, was the eldest daughter of Robert Thomas in
Balhelvie. In the absence of other written evidence, the
information provided by Latta formed the sole link between
Robert Thomas and Angus
McComie or MacThomas, dejure 10th
Chief.
*****
After the Lord Lyon accepted the claim in 1967, the Latta
MS was returned to Patrick MacThomas. In 2015 Society members,
Hamish Thoms and Grahame Thom (Sennachie), highlighted the
importance of the Latta MS, held by our present Chief, Andrew
MacThomas of Finegand, and recommended that the document be
restored. Plowden and Smith of London, specialists in
conservation and restoration, have now carried out this work
and this has provided the opportunity for the Clan to obtain
quality images.
Finegand commented:
"My thanks to those Society members who drew my attention
to the importance of this document and for all the help they
gave me during the whole process of restoration and
conservation."
Please click
here
to view further information about the Latta and photographs of
the restored documents, which were originally published in
Clach Extra 2016.
