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The history of my Porter family in New England starts with John Porter who came from Felsted, Essex in England and appears to have been a man of some means. John came to New England in 1630 and settled first in Dorchester. In 1635 he, his bother-in-law, Joseph Loomis and some others went with Rev. John Warham and settled at Windsor, on the Connecticut river. He was living there as early as 1637, when his name appears on the records. His initial land grant was 400 acres, which rated him almost in the top quarter of land owners. His home was near the Little river, at its junction with the Connecticut, between the lands of George Phelps and Joseph Loomis.
He was a man of considerable wealth as shown by his will, he left 470 pounds in land and chattels.
He was a prominent citizen in Windsor, was the town's second constable, was grand juror and deputy to the General Court. He traded overseas and sent his son James to London were he became a prosperous merchant and colony agent.
John died in Windsor, April 22, 1648. He was married to Anna (Rosanna) White, who died in July, 1647. She was the sister of John White of Hartford, Con. Another sister, Mary, was married to Joesph Loomis.
Children of John and Rose are:
John, born 1620, d. 1688 had 12 children. Inherited the family homestead estate, was worth 1000. pounds at his death.
Sarah, 1622
Anna, 1624, married William Gaylord
Samuel, 1626
Rebecca, 1628
Mary, 1630
Rose,1632
Joseph, 1634
James, 1638
Nathaniel, February 29, 1640
Hannah, September 4,1642
Anna, b.1624, married William Gaylord in Feb. 22, 1644, they had a daughter, Hannah b. Jan. 30, 1647 in Windsor Conn., d. Aug. 3, 1678, in Westerly, RI. She married John Crandall.
See direct line to my NY Terrys
Note on the history of the Porter name:
The first of the Porter family in England, William de la Grande, was a Norman Knight who came with William the Conqueror in 1066 and acquired lands at or near Kenilworth, in Warwickshire. His son Ralph or Roger became grand porteur to Henry I., serving from 1120 to 1140 and from this the surname of the family was derived.
The ancient coat-of-arms of the family:
Argent of a fesse sable between two or three church bells of the first.
Crest: A portcullis argent chained.
Motto: Vigilantis et virtuti.
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