John Porterfield

THE POR TERFIELDS jmemetu Foreword My intention, in this work, is to salvage from the wreck of time, and to assemble a scant history, so laboriously but joyously gathered from widely separated corners, into a permanent form for the Porterfields, and as its interest, composed as it is from their cherished records and personal biographies, is limited to that family, and is of small con cern to others. Moreover, little attempt is made to parade merit or fault. Whatever is given, despite brevity or redundance; was wholly dependent t1pon material, and mention of Por terfields in these pages has not been minimized or extended as a result of prejudice or of favor, but all matter, in every particular, has been carefully compared with records, where extant, and in no place is praise or blame resorted to, be cause neither would be appropriate here, and no ancestry, hpwever eminent, can solely dignify, for social distinction arises not from such inheritance alone, but must be found ed upon personal aim ap.d accomplishment. And it is a true saying that he who honors his ancestry honors himself. Hence, a !high mindfulness of the vener able name is praised, as well as the living of distinguished lives. And to him, who, though highly qualified for this work, has pursued a similar task, whether to completion or not, there will come a vision of toil, beset often with failure, and from him, my fault-finding critic, if one, will receive unwilling ear. FRANK BURKE PORTERFIELD January, 1948. Roanoke, Virginia. John Porterfield Because of their intere.st in and knowledge of the his tory of the Porterfield family, the opinions of Col. George Alexander Porterfield of Charles Town, West Virginia, and of his son, Charles Porterfield, Esquire, of New York, as to the venerable John Porterfield, progenitor of the first American Porterfields, are considered very worthwhile. George Alexander Porterfield writes, 1903: "We are undoubtedly descended from Alexander Por terfield and, I think, from William, the son of Alexander. After the loss of their estates, the family went fir.st to Ire land, and fhence came to America, and were the first of the name to come to this country." Charles Porterfield writes, 1935: ''I have your letter of November 2, and it interests me very much. I am enclosing a copy of the memorandum written by me on the Porterfield family. As you will see, it does not go into detail because many names are missing, and I have not been able to supply them. However, the main fact of which I wish to make permanent memorial is fully set out, that is, all Porterfields, mentioned in the first American records, descended from one or the other sons of John Port~rfield who migrated to Ireland and thence to this country when the family was broken up in Scotland by the confiscation of estates. I am also sending you other information, and still more will follow." Of the many, many records examined none has been found that refuted these statements, but some have been disclosed that confirm them. In the absence of adverse record, it appears, after a long search, that our ancestor, Jdhn Porterfield, immigrant from Ireland to Pennsylvania, was a son of William Porter field who was a son of Alexander Porterfield (1620-1694) and his wife, Marion Hutchinson of Auchengray. Moreover, the first American Porterfields are descendants of that staunch protestant, and learned person, Alexander Porter field (1591-1675), and his wife, Agnes Blair, of Duc'hall. And all these, people of the dead past, except John Porter field, who deceased in Pennsylvania, and his heirs, found sepulture in the Porterfield tomb, Kilmacolm kirkyard, Scotland. The following conclusions have been reached from va rious angles; not only from a tireless study of records, w'here records are, but from family annals and traditions, and from comparisons with other records, facts and tradi tions. Hence, step by step for four generations, the Por terfield descent is faithfully submitted: Alexander Porterfield (1591-1675) of Scotland. Alexander Porterfield (1620-1694) of Scotland. William Porterfield (1645-1728) of Ireland. John Porterfield (1675-1739), immigrant to Pennsyl vania. Issue: (1). William Porterfield (1712-1789) of Berkley County, Virginia. (2). Charles Porterfield (1714-1778) of Frederick County, Virginia. (3). Robert Porterfield (1716..:1785) of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. (4). James Porterfield (1718-1777) of Cumberland County, North Carolina. (5). Patrick Porterfield (1720-1789) of Augusta County, Virginia. (6). Eleanor Porterfield (1722-1782) of Augusta County, Virginia. (7). John Porterfield (l.724-1786). of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. (8). Samuel Porterfield (1726-1789) of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. These remiss years transpired in revolutionary times, in Scotland, in Ireland, and in America. Many records perished in Ireland, and in America, where records and traditions were, and history of the Scotch colonists in IreM land, during the Plantation, as was written in Scotland, has not been written. Respectfully submitted, FRANK BURKE PORTERFIELD Outline of Contents Chapter Page l. Porterfields of Scotland__________________ 7 to 47 II. Porterfields of Ireland ___________________ 48 to 58 III. American Porterfields. Eleanor Porterfield Boyd____ ,________________ 59 to 61 IV. Frederick County Porterfields, embracing Charles and descendants___ _ _________ 62 to 86 V. Cumberland County Porterfields, embracing James and descendants _____________ 87 to 106 VI. Lancaster County Porterfields, embracing • John and descendants ______________ l07 to 160 VII. Augusta County Porterfields, embracing Patrick and descendants __________________ l61 VIII. Dauphin County Porterfields, embracing Robert and descendants ____________ l62 to 164 IX. Westmoreland County Porterfields, embracing Samuel and descendants ____ l65 to 203 X. Chester County Porterfields, embracing William and descendants _________ . _203 to 301 XI. Morrow County Porterfields, embracing Patrick and descendants ____________ 302 to 305 XII. Belmont County Porterfields, embracing Alexander, Jdhn and James and descendants -------------------------305 to 334 XIII. Canada Porterfields ___________________ 334 to 344 THE PORTERFIELDS BY FRANK B- PORTERFIELD SOUTHEASTERN PRESS, INC. ROANOKE, VIRGINIA THE PORTERFIELDS Copyright 1947 FRANK B. PORTERFIELD Roanoke, Virginia Printed in the United States of America · THE PORTERFIELDS EARLY ANCESTRY The name Alanus de Porter is given in a charter, dated 1160. He was retained by King Henry II of England, with nineteen other Scots nobles, as a hostage that the treaty of Falaise, 1174, be observed. These nobles were all Nor man knights. John de Porter was a witness to a deed of gift to the Abbey of Paisley, 1262, by signature, Johannis Porter. Walter de Porter is found in the Ragman Roll, 1296. Stephen de Porter was granted a charter for the lands of Porterfield in the barony of Renfrew, 1362, by David Bruce, as described, "To our well-beloved and most trusty Stephen de Porter.'' Robert Porter appears in the list of benefactors of the Abbey in two deeds. ·John Porterfield was grandson of Stephen de Porter, and son of Robert Porter. The lands of Porterfield were confirmed to him, February 3, 1460. GENEALOGY OF FIRST PORTERFIELDS (1). John Porterfield of Porterfield, as the estate was called in Renfrewshire, Scotland, who received con firmation of the lands of Porterfield, February 3, 1460. Issue: (2). John Porterfield of Porterfield, who married Catherine MacGregor of Ardynconnel, January Tl, 1496. Issue: ( 3). Robert Porterfield of Porterfield, who was con firmed in the lands of Porterfield by a charter of James 8 THE PORTERFIELDS IV. in December; 1500, and who married Isobel Maxwell of Newark. Issue: (4a). Alexander Porterfield, who succeeded to Porterfield, but, having no heir, conveyed to his brother, John Porterfield. (4b). Colin Porterfield, who died young'. (4c). Allan Porterfield, who was vicar of Ardrossan, and owner of several wealthy estates. ( 4d). John Porterfield (1515-1575), who received the estate of Porterfield from his brother, ,Alexander Porter field, and who acquired the barony of Duchall by pur chase, was twice married, first to Beatrix Cunningham of Craigends who deceased after the birth of William, their first child, and second to Jean Knox of Ransurly who sur vived her 'husband several years. Issue: (5b). Gabriel Porterfield, second son, who received. from his father the lands of Blairlin in 1568. (5c). John Porterfielq, who, in 1573, received from his father the lands of Greenend, and who was bailie in his district. (5d). Elizabeth Porterfield, who married Sir James Maxwell of Calderwood. (5a). William Porterfield (1540-1620), who succeed ed to Duchall, was liberally educated, both at home in Scotland, and in France; could speak French fluently; be came eminently wealthy; was married to the beautiful Isabelle Cunningham of Glengarnock, September 28, 1560. Issue: (6a). *Jean Porterfield, who married, anno 1580, Alexander Cunningham of Waterstoun. (6b). Mary Porterfield, who married, anno 1591, Alexander Cunningha11;1 of Corsehill. EARLY ANCESTRY 9 (6c). Marioµ Porterfield, who married, a,nno 1595, Patrick Maxwell of Dargavel. *Of this family, Jean's oldest son, Alexander Cunning ham; Mary's oldest son, Alexander Cunningham, and their brother Alexander's oldest son, Alexander Porter field, all were born at Duchall the same week in 1591, all grew up together at Duchall, all attended the university together, and each became the laird of his

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