Brief Life History of William
When William Porter was born on 8 April 1740, in Brant Broughton, Lincolnshire, England, his father, John Porter, was 29 and his mother, Ann Gascoyn, was 23. He married Rebekah Pikeley on 19 May 1768, in Brant Broughton, Lincolnshire, England, United Kingdom. They were the parents of at least 6 daughters. He died on 27 June 1802, in his hometown, at the age of 62, and was buried in Brant Broughton, Lincolnshire, England.
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Family Time Line
Sources (24)
- William Porter, "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975"
- William Porter, "England Marriages, 1538–1973"
- Wm Porter in entry for Rebecca Porter, "England, Lincolnshire, Parish Registers, 1538-1990"
Spouse and Children
Children (6)
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Parents and Siblings
World Events (7)
1752 · Gregorian Calendar is Adopted
Gregorian calendar was adopted in England in 1752. That year, Wednesday, September 2, 1752, was followed by Thursday, September 14th, 1752, which caused the country to skip ahead eleven days.
1754 · Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War began as a North American conflict then stretched between England and France. England, along with allies, battled France in America, India, and Europe, making it arguably the first global war. The conflict ended with the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1763 and England was victorious. The Seven Years' war ultimately led to discontent in the colonies and the American Revolution.
1770 · Boston Tea Party
Thousands of British troops were sent to Boston to enforce Britain's tax laws. Taxes were repealed on all imports to the American Colonies except tea. Americans, disguised as Native Americans, dumped chests of tea imported by the East India Company into the Boston Harbor in protest. This escalated tensions between the American Colonies and the British government.
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.
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