William Porter

Maleabout 1834–

Brief Life History of William

When William Porter was born about 1834, in West Harptree, Somerset, England, United Kingdom, his father, James Porter, was 36 and his mother, Phoebe Davis, was 28. He lived in Gloucestershire, England, United Kingdom in 1841 and St George's Church, Brandon Hill, Bristol, England, United Kingdom in 1851.

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Family Time Line

James Porter
1799–
Phoebe Davis
1807–1890
George Porter
1830–1899
Ann Porter
1831–
William Porter
about 1834–
Sarah Porter
1835–1901
Elizabeth Porter
1838–
James Porter
1841–
Phoebe Porter
1843–
Mary Porter
1845–

Sources (5)

  • William Porter in household of James Porter, "England and Wales Census, 1841"
  • Legacy NFS Source: William Porter - Government record: Census record: birth-name: William Porter
  • William Porter, "England, Somerset, Church Records, 1501-1999"

Parents and Siblings

Siblings (8)

+3 More Children

World Events (8)

1843

Age 9

Dickens A Christmas Carol was first published.

1854 · The Crimean War

Age 20

The Crimean War was fought between Russia and an alliance of Britain, France, Sardinia and Turkey on the Crimean Peninsula. Russia had put pressure on Turkey which threatened British interests in the Middle East.

1880 · School Attendance Becomes Mandatory for Children

Age 46

School attendance became compulsory from ages five to ten on August 2, 1880.

Name Meaning

English and Scottish: occupational name for the gatekeeper of a walled town or city, or the doorkeeper of a great house, castle, or monastery, from Middle English and Older Scots porter(e), port(o)ur ‘doorkeeper, gatekeeper’ (Anglo-Norman French port(i)er, portur, Latin portarius). The office often came with accommodation, lands, and other privileges for the bearer, and in some cases was hereditary, especially in the case of a royal castle. The name has been established in Ireland since the 13th century. In North America, this surname has absorbed cognates and equivalents in other languages, for example German Pförtner (see Fortner ) and Poertner .

English: occupational name for a man who carried loads for a living, especially one who used his own muscle power rather than a beast of burden or a wheeled vehicle. This sense is from Middle English port(o)ur, porter ‘porter, carrier of burdens’ (Anglo-Norman French portur, porteo(u)r).

Dutch: variant, mostly Americanized, of Poorter, status name for a freeman (burgher) of a town, Middle Dutch portere, modern Dutch poorter. Compare De Porter .

Dictionary of American Family Names © Patrick Hanks 2003, 2006.

Possible Related Names

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