A GENEALOGY OF THE DESCENDANTS OF RICHARD PORTER, WIIO SETTLED AT WEY.MOUTH, MASS., 1635, AND ALLIED FAMILIES ALSO, BOME ACCOUNT OF THE DESCENDANTS OF PORTER, WHO SETTLED AT HINGHAM, MASS., 1635, AND SALEM, (DANVERS) MASS., 1644•. BT JOSEPH W. PORTER, OF BURLL...,GTON, MAINE, MRMllltR 011' TIIR N.n:w ENGLAND HISTORIC Gll:NlrAI/JGTC'!AL Sor.m'l'Y; OF •nm MAINE GENEALOGICAL AND llIOGI:API!ICA!. Socnn·Y; AND OF TUE MAINE HlsTORICA.L ·sol:l.ETlr!'. BANGOR: ::eu:rr & ::e.0'b!!.=a0:c., Fri.:z:o.ter&1. 1878, PORTER FAMILIES. Nearly all the families bearing the name of Porter, in the United States, can trace their origin ~o a very few imigrant ancestors. RICHARD PORTER, Settled in Weymouth, Mass., in 1635. He was my ancestor; and a few years since, although not especially fitted for such a work by education or occupation, I began a Genealogy of his descendants. It has been a work demanding patience and persistence, but it has been a pleasure. The ·very many pleasant letters received from members of the family, in nearly every state and territory in the union, containing information and encouragement, I would here gratefully remember. I give in this little book the result, not that it is perfect or complete1 but it is what I have. JOHN PORTER. Of Hingham, and Salem, was at Hingham in 1635-not more than three miles distant from Richard Porter, at Weymouth. I believe they were brothers, but have no positive proof of tile fact. In the course of my researches, I have accumulated much information relating to the earlier generations of this· highly respectable family; with some accounts of later generations. I have concluded to print what I have, hoping that it may be 4 GENE.A.LOGY. of some benefit, by the way of assistance towards· a more complete Genealogy of this family, and of interest until that is accomplished. JOHN PORTER, of Windsor, Conn., settled there, 1638, and said to have been previously at Dorchester, Mass. Hon. Samuel W. Porter, of Rochester, New York, Henry Porter Andrews, of New York City, and Rev. Edward C. Porter, of Racine, Wis., have given much time and research to a. Genealogy of this family, the last named gentleman having prosecuted his work in England. ROBERT and THOMAS PORTER, brothers, were of the eighty-four proprietors of Farmington, Conn., in 1640. Tho first named was ancestor of President Noah Porter, of Yale College. ' DANIEL PORTER, surgeon, of Farmington, Conn., before 1653, said by one authority to have been a brother of Robert and Thomas, of that town. ABEL PORTER, of Boston, Mass., admitted to the church there Jan. 23, 1641. JOHN_ PORTER, of Roxbury, freeman, Nov. 5, 1633, removed to Boston, where in March, 1636, he was appointed by court a referee in a case John Burr vs. Mr. Dummer. He was a follower of Rev. John Wheelwright and Ann Hutchin­ son, in their "seditious doctrines," and (with others,) was warned before the 30th of November, 1637, to deliver up his guns, pistols, powder, shot and match, at Mr. Cane's house in Boston, there to be kept till further orders by the court. "March 12, 1638, John Porter and others • • • having license to depart, summon::i is to go out for them to appear (if "they are not gone before,) at the next court, the third month, to answer such things as shall be objected." Judge Savage, in his Genealogical Dictionary of New England, saya that "he removed to Rhode Island, signed their compact in 1688; was an assistant in 1641, and after for some years. Lived in Portsmouth, R. I., in 1655, and at Wickford, R. I., 1674. • Hazard II, 612." It has been by some thought that PORTER. FAMILIES, 5 • this man was·the same as John, of Hingham and Salem, but I do not see how such can be the case. There are some other families who have come into the country since 1800, from England, Ireland, and the British Provinces. JOSEPH W. PORTER. Burlington, Maine, 1878. NOTE-Where no state is named in connection with towns, Massachusetts is the state, except in cases of well known cities. RICHARD PORTER, Settled in Weymouth, Mass., in 1635. In the New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Vol. 25, page 13, is a "list of passengers at Weymouth, England, :\farch 30, 1635, bound for New England," in which is the name of Richard Porter. In this list, also, are the names of other men, who settled at vVeymouth, some of whose descendants of the same names continue there until this day. Rev. Joseph Hull, minister; Massachiel Barnard, of Badcomb, in the county of Somerset; John Whitmarsh, -William Reed, of Ba<lcomb; Zechary Bick­ nell, Henry Kingman, Thomas Holbrook, Robert Lovell and others. "July 8, 1635, the General Court granted leave to Mr. Hull, a minister,_ and twenty-one families, to sit down at W essaguscus." September 2d, 1835, the General Court changed the name of W essaguscus to vVeymouth, so named, no doubt, for Wey­ mouth, England. During the late war, the selectmen had occasion to look up the incorporation of the town, and found no other authority to act as a town, than this. - For _two hundred ancl forty-three years, Weymouth has been the only ancient town in Massach,usetts, with possibly one exception, which has preserved its original boundaries. Nothing has been added, nothing taken away. Long may the old town continue before it is cut up into insignificance. The town records of Weymouth, prior to 1648, are very meagre. Io that year and in 1654, 1661, 1663, and 1668, grants of la.nd were made to Richard Porter. lfor many years 8 GENE.A.LOGY. he was continually in office as selectman, constable, and upon committees; he was a member of the original church, and the name of "brother Richard Porter" often occurs on the old records. He lived not far from where the meeting house of the North Parish, in Weymouth, now stands; probably between there and the old burial ground. In 1651 a road was laid out between Richard Porter's meadow and Stephen French's land. In 1663 the town v~ted "that the flats upon the back river shall be let out for town's use for the ensuing year, for the thatching of houses, and this to be done by the selectmen. By flats we understand all these flats on this side of river, begining at Snooke's Marsh until you come to the upper end of Richard Porter's marsh.". In 1673 Abiah Whitman and Thomas Hunt, were appointed fence viewers for "middle of the town so far as the brook that runs by Richard Porter's house." In 1661 brother Richard Porter, John Rane, John Bicknell, Stephen French, ancl John Porter, chosen committee to repair meeting house. "Bro. Bicknell, for making the meeting house tite, 3 pounds." The name of his wife · was probably Ruth, and he was probably married after arriving in this country. On Boston records is the following birth: "Ruth, daughter of Richard Porter, born at Weymouth, Oct. 3, 1639." He died between Dec. 25, 1688, tho date of his will, and March 6, 1689, the date of . the inventory ·of his estate. I give a copy of his will which I found in the Suffolk Probate office, unrecorded. I, Richard Porter, of Weymouth, 1n New England, being appre­ hensive of my near approaching departure out of this worhl, and being through the mercy of God of a. short memory and disposing mind ; trusting in the mercy of God through ye Lord Jesus Christ for Etternall Life: Do make this my last will and testament as folowth: Item: I do give and bequeath unto my grandchild, Thomas Porter, the only sone of my sone Thomas Porter, deceased, my now dwelling house and barn and orchard, the swampy meadow. and ye land adjoin­ ing fl'rom ye swampy land of James Lovelll, and Joseph Dyer, down­ ward along by ye country highway, so far as the gate by which wee did turne out of the highway into ye feild comouly called ye mlddle gate, and from that gate erase ye feild upon a streight line into ye land now in ye ocupation of John Blanchett (Illanchard.) PORTER FAMILIES. 9 Also, I give unto rny said grandchild the one full halfe of my lott of land being in the second devision. of common Iott, the divission. to be made when ye· said Thomas shall come to ye age of twenty years; a.lways provided, and it is my will, that if ye said Thomas shall dye before he come to_ ye age of twenty years, that then the foresaid estate shall be and remaine so, to my grandchild Ruth Richards, and the heirs borne of her body, if any be then living. if not then to return to my sone John, to him and his heirs: my will is that ye said Thomas· Porter shall have the income of his part of ye estate immediately after my decease. I give and bequath unto my Grandchild, Samuel Bayley, that my two Acres of Land on King Oak Hill. Also I give and bequath unto my daughter, Mary Bicknell, ten pounds of my estate to bo po.id by my Executors after my decease. All the rest of my estate not before given by this my will, I give and bequeath to my sone, John Porter, whom I <lo make, constitute, aml appoint my sole executor to this my last will and testament, and I do desire and ap­ point my loving ffriends, James Lovell, sen'r, and Thomas Recd, as overseers to this my la.st will and testament, in all respects that it may be fulfiled; and I do hereby make void and null all other former wills by me made and declared, and do dccl arc and publish this to be my last will and testament.