George Guinane Latchford

The Latchford Family are present in the 1820 Tithe Applotments at Paradise, Kilchreest, Ballynacally, County Clare Ireland as tenants of 6 acres of land.

The head of the family was Francis Latchford who was married to Mary Guinane.

There were 3-5 other Latchfords who were landholders at that time in Kilchreest. The others were William of Carrowkilla, and possibly three Johns of Dangan, Mullegruman and Knockasogarth. Francis and Mary Latchford of Paradise had at least seven children. The fifth child was George Guinane Latchford. It is believed that the Latchfords originally came from to Kilchreest from the Rathkeale, Limerick area where they were employed by Thomas Southwell as tenant farmers. It is not known whether the family originally came from England or the German Palatine states.

The original Latchfords were of the Protestant faith tradition, but the family of Francis Latcford was raised as Roman Catholics. Francis Latchford and his family emigrated to Maryland USA about 1835. George Guinane Latchford who was probably born at Paradise in 1828, eventually purchase his own hotel at Annapolis Junction, Maryland (now part of Fort Meade) at the age of 23. This hotel was located at an important junction on the B&O rail line between Washington, DC and Baltimore and Annapolis.

George had two wives and 15 children, before he died 22 Mar 1901. George had 7 children with his first wife, Sarah Jane Marshall, and 8 with his second wife, Miranda Harding.

Sarah Jane Marshall died in 1863. George remarried in 1865. George Guinane Latchford and the Howard Hotel held an important function during the American Civil War.