John Porter

Brief Life History of John

When John Porter was born on 8 August 1736, in Taunton, Bristol, Massachusetts, United States, his father, Ebenezer Porter, was 34 and his mother, Mercy Hull, was 27. He married Lydia Leonard about 1758, in Taunton, Bristol, Massachusetts, United States. They were the parents of at least 6 sons and 5 daughters. He died on 8 October 1817, at the age of 81, and was buried in Taunton, Bristol, Massachusetts, United States.

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Family Time Line

John Porter
1736–1817
Lydia Leonard
1742–1811
Marriage: about 1758
Betsey Porter
1759–1805
Jacob Porter
1762–
Mercy Porter
1764–1829
John Porter
1766–1807
Lydia Porter
1768–1859
Leonard Porter
1771–1802
William Porter
1773–1850
James Porter
1775–1779
Mary Porter
1777–1861
James Porter
1779–1817
Sarah Porter
1783–1845

Sources (19)

  • John Porter, "Massachusetts, Births and Christenings, 1639-1915"
  • John Porter, "Massachusetts, Marriages, 1695-1910"
  • John Porter, "Find A Grave Index"

Spouse and Children

World Events (6)

1776

Thomas Jefferson's American Declaration of Independence endorsed by Congress. Colonies declare independence.

1776 · The Declaration to the King

"At the end of the Second Continental Congress the 13 colonies came together to petition independence from King George III. With no opposing votes, the Declaration of Independence was drafted and ready for all delegates to sign on the Fourth of July 1776. While many think the Declaration was to tell the King that they were becoming independent, its true purpose was to be a formal explanation of why the Congress voted together to declare their independence from Britain. The Declaration also is home to one of the best-known sentences in the English language, stating, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."""

1781 · The First Constitution

Serving the newly created United States of America as the first constitution, the Articles of Confederation were an agreement among the 13 original states preserving the independence and sovereignty of the states. But with a limited central government, the Constitutional Convention came together to replace the Articles of Confederation with a more established Constitution and central government on where the states can be represented and voice their concerns and comments to build up the nation.

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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