Brief Life History of Silas
When Silas Porter was born on 21 October 1776, in Litchfield, Connecticut, United States, his father, David Porter, was 30 and his mother, Esther Hopkins, was 24. He married Polly Strong on 21 December 1802. They were the parents of at least 2 sons and 1 daughter. He died on 11 December 1853, in Middlebury, New Haven, Connecticut, United States, at the age of 77, and was buried in Middlebury, New Haven, Connecticut, United States.
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Family Time Line
Sources (24)
- Silas Porter, "United States Census, 1850"
- Connecticut Town Birth Records, pre-1870 (Barbour Collection)
- Connecticut, Town Marriage Records, pre-1870 (Barbour Collection)
Spouse and Children
1776–1853 Male
1779–1873 Female
Children (3)
1804–1887 Male
1804– Male
1806–1867 Female
Parents and Siblings
1746–1826 Male
1752–1831 Female
Siblings (4)
1776–1853 Male
1782–1830 Male
1782–1860 Male
1783– Male
World Events (8)
1781 · The First Constitution
Age 5
1781 · British Forces Capture Fort Griswold
Age 5
1800 · Movement to Washington D.C.
Age 24
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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