James Porter

https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=45670345

Served as a drummer boy in the War of 1812

From http://www.chfamilytrees.com/getperson.php?personID=I00443&tree=Iris

NOTES: Came to Carlisle, Pennsylvania in 1801. Later they moved to Alleghany County Pennsylvania to a farm 6 miles from Pittsburgh. Served as a drummer boy in war in 1812. After marriage settled on a farm in Robinson Township, Alleghany County south of Pittsburgh. In 1830 sold farm then about 1833 went by covered wagon to Cambridge Ohio. Later town of Mantu a was laid out 1/2 mile from farm. At an advanced age and approaching blindness, he and Hannah moved to Kirkwood Illinois to live with daughter Anna.

EMIGRATED NOTES: Came to America in 1801 on a ship called the Stafford, commanded by Captain Kennedy. It was calculated to carry 350 passengers and was so represented to the applicants for passage, that is, that only that number could be carried. However when they were all aboard it was found that the passengers had been deceived and about 700 were actually aboard. The ship was so crowded that a great deal of sickness spread among the passengers, especially among the children, (smallpox mostly) and a large number died, only three or four living to reach America, among them being James Porter.

In 1801 quite a large number of people from County of Down came to the United States. Among them we find the names Joseph Porter and his wife Mary McWhorter, their son James Porter, his brothers Robert and Edward Porter, and William McWhorter, brother of Mary McWhorter Porter. Others who came at the same time, strangers then to each other but who became acquainted in after years were Jane McClug, James Stevenson, his sister Mary Stevenson and Jane and Sarah McCarroll.

1830 - Robinson Twp., Allegheny Co. Pennsylvania. p. 261, line 18 Jas Porter household contained: 2 males < 5 Robert sb 2, James sb 4 1 male 5-9 Joseph sb 8 2 males 30-39 James sb 34 2 females 5-9 Mary sb 6, Eliza sb 10 1 female 20-29 Hannah sb 30

5/14/1831 - James Porter witnessed the will of widow Rebecca McCurdy of Robinson twp. He was executor. 9/8/1832 - also witnessed the will of John Collins of Robinson twp.

Stories of Guernsey Co. Ohio - - Wolfe 1943 A list of landowners in 1840 included James Porter, He owned 123 acres in Section 3 of Adams township. During the civil war, mail was carried from Cambridge to Mantua (Creighton Post Office) two times a week. Here it was soted by James Porter, the postmaster.

History if Guernsey Co. Ohio vol 1 - Col. Cyrus P. B. Sarchet - 1911 pp. 488-492 Came to Guernsey county with the early pioneers and was a school teacher and a Shoemaker, was postmaster at Creighton, Guernsey county, a justice of the peace, and a man of affairs of high standing. 3 of his sons were in the Civil War.

Illustriana Kansas: Biographical Sketches of Kansas Men & Women of Achievement Who Have Been Awarded Life Membership in Kansas Illustriana Society __ - 1933 Ellis K. Porter " His father (Ellis' father's father) who was born in County Down in 2799 and came to the U.S. in 1801, was a shoemaker, teacher, farmer, and merchant, and was of Scotch- Irish extraction." (DOB maybe wrong if he gave his correct age in the census.)

1850 - Adams twp., Guernsey Co. Ohio - Products of Agriculture census for the year ended 6/1/1850 James Porter reported: 65 acres of improved land 45 acres of unimproved land $1000 cash value of farm $100 value of farm implements 2 horses 4 milch cows 0 working oxen 4 other cattle 12 sheep 20 swine $189 value of livestock 140 bushels of wheat 30 bushels of rye 400 bushels of indian corn 100 bushels of oats 20 pounds of wool 20 Irish potatoes 0 buckwheat $10 value of orchard produce 200 lbs. butter 200 lbs. flax 10 bushels of flax seed $20 value of homemade manufactures $45 value of animals slaughtered

Died note: James Porter was a white male, aged 85 years old when he died. He was formerly a shoemaker. He died at 7 A.M. on March 1st. He was married and born in Ireland. He had been in Illinois for 12 years. He died in Kirkwood due to valvular disease of the heart complicated by apoplexy. He had this disease for "some 10 year". He was buried in Kirkwood on March 4.

Portrait and Biographical Record of Guernsey Co. Ohio ___ - 1895 pp. 208-209 "James Porter came to Guernsey County in 1833, and followed agricultural pursuits from that time until his death, which occurred April 28, 1864" (DOD is Way off!!)

1840 - Adams Twp., Guernsey Co. Ohio P 464 James Porter was the head of household. It contained: 2 males 10-14 James sb 14, Robert sb 12 1 male 15-19 Joseph sb 18 1 males 40-49 James sb 44 2 females under 5 Ellen sb 3, Anna sb under 1 2 females 5-9 Cynthia sb 7, Margaret sb 5 2 females 15-19 Eliza James sb 19, Mary sb 16 1 female 30-39 Hannah sb 39 4 people in the household were engaged in agriculture

07/18/1850 James was farmer in Adams twp, Living with them was Charles McKee; a 30 year old who was born in Ohio.

07/20/1860 Adams twp. page 110 P.O. Crighton James was 65, born in Ireland. He was a farmer with $1000 in real estate and $300 personal estate. His son Joseph lived nearby.

08/27/1870 - twp. 11n R 5W, Henderson IL., pg 181 James was 70 or 75, a retired farmer, with personal estate of $1030. He was born in Ireland and was a citizen. His parents were foreign.

06/05/1880 - Kirkwood, Tomkins twp., Warren IL James was 84, a boarder (living with J.W. Howell family, his son-in-law). He was retired, blind. He and both his parents were born in Ireland.

James' mother wished him to be well educated, so he was kept in school during her life and for some time afterwards. He was an apt pupil and had a good memory and made good progress in school. In those days, there were no public schools and paarent had to pay tuition, so when James reached a proper age, his father took him out of school and put him in a boot and shoe shop in Pittsburgh to learn the trade. His honesty was frequently tested by his employer who would put pieces of money where James would be sure to find them when sweeping out the shop at night, but he always reported his finds so the temptations were withdrawn when he was found to be honest. He learned to be an expert shoemaker and finally went into business on his own.

Although too you still to go a a regular soldier, he served in the war of 1812 as a drummer boy. This story was also found in Sarchet's History.

After learning his trade and having practiced it several years, he again attended school at his own expense after which he taught in the public schools for many years, both before and after his marriage, In 1819, he and Hannah bought and settled on a small farm in Robinson Twp, Allegheny Co. Pennsylvania., six miles south of Pittsburgh.

James and Hannah lived on their farm near Pittsburgh and he conducted his boot shop in a large room built into the house, adjoining the living room, especially for that purpose. The children know better than to go into the shop in his absence to meddle with any of his affairs as his stirup or knee strap was always on hand to use on any perpetrator. He also ran his farm and in the winter taught school. In the meantime, he was acquiring quite a family. After the birth if the sixth child, Sarah, in 1830, he sold the farm, but continued to occupy the house during the following winter and conducted a school in the shoe shop. When the term of school ended, the family moved into a cabin about a half mile away where they resided for a about 18 months while James supplemented his funds by teaching before going to Ohio where he bought a farm. A 7th child, Cynthia, was baptized, but before starting for Ohio, the Reverand Andrew Fulton came out from Pittsburgh and preached in their home and baptized a seven children, lined up according to age.

In the fall of 1833, they sold everything but their bedding, clothes, keepsakes, etc., and filling a chest with provisions, they set out in a covered wagon for Cambridge, Ohio. (This chest was still in the possession of their son, Robert Porterr, in 1906, being used as a tool chest.) There were altogether 9 in James Porter's family, and his brother Robert who accompanied them, made 10. They went in a single wagon ( owned by Robert) drawn by three horses and driven most of the time by the oldest boy, Joseph, who was then about 12 years old, while the men walked. The wagon had a large bed on it and was nicely covered. They camped out at night, and crossed the Ohio River on a flatboat at Wheeling, West Virginia. They completed the trip of 100 miles in four days.

They remained at Cambridge about 2 weeks while they equipped themselves with furniture, supplies, etc. Then they went to the farm which James had previously purchased. It had two houses on it almost adjoining. They moved into one of the houses, while the family they bought the farm from lived in the other the first winter. The land was rather rough for pleasant farming. A portion of it was bottom land, but most of the work land was on a high hill. A stream called Sarchets Run passed through the meadow close to the house, where the boys James and Robert liked to play in the water, The second summer at the farms, these 2 boys were put to work either in the cornfield, or gathering sugar water to make maple molasses and sugar. They lived on the farm for two years, during which time Margaret was born. The farm was known as Sarchets Run, because of the stream. James sold this farm to an Irish family named Woodburn, who moved into the second house while the Porters spent the winter. James bought another farms about two miles away. It was a timber farm, thickly wooded with little cleared land on it. It took a lot of hard work to clear it for plowing. All hands were kept busy trying to scrape up a meager living, but they seemed to be jolly and happy anyway. The next 5 children were born in this place. James taught school in the winters and made boots and shoes for the entire family. Eliza also taught some summer terms when she was old enough. They raised flax and sheep. The flax was worked into linen for wearing apparel. They spun the yarn and wove cloth for winter wear, knotting all their own socks and stockings. Everyone was kept comfortably clad. The girls often helped with the farm work.

There was a town plot laid out a mile and a half from their place. Rev Duncan was the first one to erect a house in the town, so he was allowed to name the town. He named it Mantua. James built a store there and opened a general stock of goods and established a post office. The children fetched the mail from Cambridge once a week for some years until a regular carrier was appointed. Robert ran the farm, assisted by the younger children, In Ohio, six more children had been added tto the family. With the exception of two, they all grew up and married. When the youngest, John, was born, James had already reached the age of 50. Other businesses were established in Mantua, but (Robert wrote in in memoirs) "the last account I had of the place, it was nothing but a black spot on the earth,"

Throughout his life, James followed his trade of shoemaker until blindness forced him to retire. He was a good workman and proud of his work. He died at Kirkwood, and was followed later in the same year by his wife Hannah. On the afternoon o of his death, his wife and his daughter Anna, Mary and Margaret gathered around him. He suddenly recovered his sight and for an hour or two was able to see them one more before he died. Both He and Hannah are buried at Kirkwood where a fitting monument has been erected by their children. Four of the sons served in the Civil War. While the Porters have not been illustrious or outstanding, they have been good, honest, God-fearing people and a credit to any community in which they resided.

April 2002 Last week a cousin (Janis) and I (Iris) went to Cambridge, Ohio. We stopped at the Library first. She found a couple maps with James Porters name on them. Mantua is located about 4 miles north west of Cambridge and is situated on the Twp. line between Adams Twp. and Knox Twp., both in Guernsey Co. Very nice country, but a little hilly with lots of trees. First we looked for the sight that they lived the first couple of years there. We found a map that showed the name Woodburn in t the SE of section 1, Adams Twp. Woodburn is who James sold the first farm to after living there for only two years. Sarchets Run is the name of a road that runs in an easterly/westerly direction. There is land along a creek and higher land on both sides. The low land is about 1/2 mile wide.

Next we went to an area on the map immediatly south east of Mantua, and drove along a creek; that land belonged to James. It is a slice a land that runs along the creek nearly 3/4 of a mile long. This land was higher and had been cleared, probably better farm land.

The 1870 atlas showed Mantua and the lot owners in Knox Twp to the north and Adams Twp to the south. Jas Porter owned the first lot in Adams Twp. on the west side of Main street and the second lot going south from the county line on the east side of Main Street. We stopped and talked to a couple of people that lived there. They had no idea that there ever was a town there. This was on Mantua Road but they didn't know how the road got its name. There is a farm and another settlement of about 4 trailers where I believe the old town site to be. I am asuming that Mantua Road used to run up Main Street. There is an old house on the east side of the road that I believe was one of the lots owned by James. I can't estimate how old it is.

Jas Duncan owed three lots on the west side of the road as you travel into Knox Twp. Rev. Duncan was the first person to erect a house in Mantua.