Genealogical and Family History of Western New York, Volume I, Part 1

Author: Cutter, William Richard, 1847-1918
Publication date: 1912
Publisher: New York : Lewis Historical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 680

USA > New York > Genealogical and Family History of Western New York, Volume I > Part 1

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org.

Google

This is a digital copy of a book that was preserved for generations on library shelves before it was carefully scanned by Google as part of a project to make the world's books discoverable online.

It has survived long enough for the copyright to expire and the book to enter the public domain. A public domain book is one that was never subject to copyright or whose legal copyright term has expired. Whether a book is in the public domain may vary country to country. Public domain books are our gateways to the past, representing a wealth of history, culture and knowledge that's often difficult to discover.

Marks, notations and other marginalia present in the original volume will appear in this file - a reminder of this book's long journey from the publisher to a library and finally to you.

Usage guidelines

Google is proud to partner with libraries to digitize public domain materials and make them widely accessible. Public domain books belong to the public and we are merely their custodians. Nevertheless, this work is expensive, so in order to keep providing this resource, we have taken steps to prevent abuse by commercial parties, including placing technical restrictions on automated querying.

We also ask that you:

+ Make non-commercial use of the files We designed Google Book Search for use by individuals, and we request that you use these files for personal, non-commercial purposes.

+ Refrain from automated querying Do not send automated queries of any sort to Google's system: If you are conducting research on machine translation, optical character recognition or other areas where access to a large amount of text is helpful, please contact us. We encourage the use of public domain materials for these purposes and may be able to help.

+ Maintain attribution The Google "watermark" you see on each file is essential for informing people about this project and helping them find additional materials through Google Book Search. Please do not remove it.

+ Keep it legal Whatever your use, remember that you are responsible for ensuring that what you are doing is legal. Do not assume that just because we believe a book is in the public domain for users in the United States, that the work is also in the public domain for users in other countries. Whether a book is still in copyright varies from country to country, and we can't offer guidance on whether any specific use of any specific book is allowed. Please do not assume that a book's appearance in Google Book Search means it can be used in any manner anywhere in the world. Copyright infringement liability can be quite severe.

About Google Book Search

Google's mission is to organize the world's information and to make it universally accessible and useful. Google Book Search helps readers discover the world's books while helping authors and publishers reach new audiences. You can search through the full text of this book on the web at http://books.google.com/

University of Virginia Library F:118; C992;1912 V.1 ALD Genealogical and family histor

PX 000 856 276

LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA

OF VIRGIN

1819

FROM THE GENEALOGICAL COLLECTION OF C. V. COMPTON

OF SCOTT COUNTY, VIRGINIA AND ROSWELL, NEW MEXICO.

GENEALOGICAL

AND

FAMILY HISTORY

WESTERN NEW YORK

A RECORD OF THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF HER PEOPLE IN THE MAKING OF A COMMONWEALTH AND THE BUILDING OF A NATION

COMPILED UNDER THE EDITORIAL SUPERVISION OF

WILLIAM RICHARD CUTTER, A. M.

CORRESPONDING SECRETARY AND HISTORIAN OF NEW ENGLAND HISTORIC-GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY: LIBRARIAN EMERITUS OF WOBURN PUBLIC LIBRARY; AUTHOR OF "CUTTER FAMILY." "HISTORY OF ARLINGTON," ETC., ETC.

VOLUME I

ILLUSTRATED

NEW YORK LEWIS HISTORICAL PUBLISHING COMPANY 1912

118 .1992 1912 vil Copy1.

LEWIS HISTORICAL PUBLISHING COMPANY.

---

INTRODUCTORY

HE present work, "Genealogical and Family History of Western New York," pre- sents in the aggregate an amount and variety of genealogical and personal infor- mation and portraiture unequalled by any kindred publication. Indeed, no sim- ilar work concerning the families of this region has ever before been presented. It contains a vast amount of ancestral history never before printed. The object clearly defined and well digested, was threefold:

First. To present in concise form the history of Western New York Families of the Colonial Days.

Second. To preserve a record of the prominent present-day people of the region.

Third. To present through personal sketches the relation of its prominent families of all times to the growth, singular prosperity and widespread influence of this portion of the Empire State,

There are numerous voluminous histories of the State, making it unnecessary in this work to even outline its annals. What has been published, however, relates principally to civic life. The amplification necessary to complete the picture of the section, old and nowadays, is what is supplied in large measu e by these Genealogical and Family Memoirs. In other words, while others have written of "the times," the province of this work is to be a chronicle of the people who have made Western New York what it is.

Unique in conception and treatment, this work constitutes one of the most original and permanently valuable contributions ever made to the social history of an American com- monwealth. In it are arrayed in a lucid and dignified manner all the important facts regarding the ancestry, personal careers and matrimonial alliances of many, who, in each succeeding generation, have been accorded leading positions in the social, professional and business life of the State. Nor has it been based upon, neither does it minister to, aris- tocratic prejudices and assumptions. On the contrary, its fundamental ideas are thoroughly American and democratic. The work everywhere conveys the lesson that distinction has been gained only by honorable public service or by usefulness in private station, and that the development and prosperity of the region of which it treats has been dependent upon the character of its citizens, and in the stimulus which they have given to commerce, to industry, to the arts and sciences, to education and religion-to all that is comprised in the highest civilization of the present day-through a continual progressive development.

The inspiration underlying the present work is a fervent appreciation of the truth so well expressed by Sir Walter Scott, that "there is no heroic poem in the world but is at the bottom the life of a man." And with this goes a kindred truth, that to know a man, and rightly measure his character, and weigh his achieve- ments, we must know whence he came, from what for-

ROBERT MORRIS, Original Owner of Holland Land Grant.

INTRODUCTORY.

bears he sprang. Truly as heroic poems have been written in human lives in the paths of peace as in the scarred roads of war. Such examples, in whatever line of endeavor, are of much worth as an incentive to those who come afterward, and as such were never so needful to be written of as in the present day, when pessimism, forgetful of the splendid lessons of the past, withholds its effort in the present, and views the future only with alarm.

Every community with such ample history as this, should see that it be worthily sup- plemented by Genealogical and Personal Memoirs of its leading families and prominent citizens. Such a work is that which is now presented. And, it should be admitted, the undertaking possesses value of the highest importance-in its historic utility as a memorial of the development and progress of the community from its very founding, and in the personal interest which attaches to the record made by the individual. On both these accounts it will prove a highly useful contribution to literature, and a valuable legacy to future gen- erations. Out of these considerations the authors and publishers have received the encour- agement and approval of authorities of the highest standing as genealogists, historians and litterateurs. In the production of this work, no pains have been spared to ensure absolute truth-that quality upon which its value in every feature depends. The material compris- ing the genealogical and personal records of the active living, as well as of the honored dead, was gathered by men and women experienced in such work and acquainted with local history and ancestral families. These have appealed to the custodians of family records concerning the useful men of preceding generations, and of their descendants who

BUFFALO PUBLIC LIBRARY.

INTRODUCTORY.

HOME OF BUFFALO HISTORICAL SOCIETY.

have lived useful and honorable lives. Such custodians, who have availed themselves of this opportunity of having this knowledge placed in preservable and accessible form, have performed a public service in rendering honor to whom honor is due, in preserving the distinction which rightfully belongs to the Colonial Families, and which distinguishes them from later immigrations; as well as in inculcating the most valuable and enduring lessons of patriotism and good citizenship.

There is probably no section of the United States in which are so well preserved the ideas and characteristics of the original immigrants as in Western New York. At the time when most of the pioneer settlers located in this region, the war for American Inde- pendence had just closed, and many of them were fresh from the struggle, imbued with the highest principles of patriotism, and all brought to their new homes and instilled in their children the practice of the simple virtues, the industry and enterprise which have made the sons of New York pre-eminent in every walk of life throughout the nation. Another important element in the settlement of this section was made up of the early Dutch settlers who came to New Amsterdam (New York) before the adoption of sur- names among them.

Than this region no other offered a more peculiarly interesting field for research. Its sons-"native here, and to the manner born," and of splendid ancestry-have attained distinction in every field of human effort. An additional interest attaches to the present

INTRODUCTORY.

undertaking in the fact that, while dealing primarily with the history of native New York, this work approaches the dignity of a national epitome of genealogy and biography. Owing to the wide dispersion throughout the country of the old families of the State, the authentic account here presented of the constituent elements of her social life, past and present, is of far more than merely local value. In its special field it is, in an appreciable degree, a reflection of the development of th country at large, since hence went out rep- resentatives of historical families, in various generations, who in far remote places-beyond the Mississippi and in the Far West-were with the vanguard of civilization, building up communities, creating new commonwealths, planting, wherever they went, the church, the school house and the printing press, leading into channels of thrift and enterprise all who gathered about them, and proving a power for ideal citizenship and good government.

SIZER MANSION ON NIAGARA SQUARE, BUFFALO, BUILT IN 1832.

vii

INTRODUCTORY.

It was the consensus of opinion of gentlemen well informed and loyal to the memories of the past and the needs of the present and future, that the editorial supervision of William Richard Cutter, A. M., would ensure the best results attainable in the prepara- tion of material for the proposed work. For more than a generation past he has given his leisure to historical and genealogical research and authorship. He was the author, with his father, of "History of the Cutter Family of New England," 1871-1875; and "History of Arlington, Massachusetts," 1880; and edited Lieutenant Samuel Thompson's "Diary While Serving in the French and Indian War, 1758," 1896. He also prepared a monograph entitled "Journal of a Forton Prisoner, England;" sketches of Arlington and Woburn, Massachu- setts, and many articles on subjects connected with local historical and genealogical mat- ters in periodical literature. He prepared a "Bibliography of Woburn," and he has been editor of various historical works outside of his own city.

Others to whom the publishers desire to make grateful acknowledgment of services rendered in various ways-as writers, or in an advisory way in pointing to channels of valuable information, are : Edward Theodore Williams, editor of the Cataract Daily Journal, and member of various historical societies ; Merton Merriman Wilner, editor of the Buf- falo Express; Obed Edson, president of the Chautauqua County Historical Society; Saf- ford Elisha North, a director of the Holland Purchase Historical Society; Albert Edward Waffle, D. D., president of Historical Conversation Club, Albion; John Stearns Minard, president of the Allegany County Historical Society, etc.

In order to insure greatest possible accuracy, all matter for this work was submitted in typewritten manuscript to the persons most interested, for correction. If, in any case, a, sketch is incomplete or faulty, the shortcoming is ascribable to the paucity of data obtain- able, many families being without exact records in their family line; while, in some cases, representatives of a given family are at a disagreement as to names of some of their for- bears, important dates, etc.

It is believed that the present work, in spite of the occasional fault which attaches to such undertakings, will prove a real addition to the mass of annals concerning the historic families of Western New York, and that, without it, much valuable information would be inaccessible to the general reader, or irretrievably lost, owing to the passing away of custodians of family records, and the consequent disappearance of material in their pos- session.

THE PUBLISHERS.

NEW YORK

PORTER The branch of the Porter fam- ily in Western New York, whose leading representative is Hubert E. V. Porter, of Jamestown, descends from John Porter, of Hingham and Salem, Massa- chusetts. They are not connected, so far as known, with the Connecticut family, whose de- scendants settled at Niagara Falls, New York.

John Porter, born in Dorset, England, 1596, was among the early settlers of New England. He may have lived, for a time, in Boston or Dorchester, but the earliest New England rec- ords, thus far discovered concerning him, re- veal his residence at Hingham, in 1635. On September 1, 1637, a house lot was granted to John Porter, on which he established a home. Subsequent to this date various tracts of land were allotted to him. In 1640 he was appointed, by the general court, to value houses and personal property, in Hingham. In 1641 he was chosen constable of Hingham, and, in 1644, deputy to the general court. The same year he removed to Salem, where various tracts of land came into his possession. In 1650 he purchased five hundred acres, which he later gave to his son Joseph, as a marriage portion. At the date of his death he was reputed to be the largest landowner in Salem Village, and his will distributed a large estate. He was a man of energy and influence, well known in the colony, and held many official positions. He is recorded as having served, at one time, upon the military staff of Governor Endicott. He and the governor also joined in the build- ing of a sawmill, on Crane's river. John Por- ter established the first tannery in New Eng- land, and thus founded the hide and leather trade. Massachusetts records show that he made at least two shipments to the Barbadoes. He was familiarly called Farmer Porter and Sergeant Porter. According to a family tradi- tion he served, from Hingham, in the Pequot war. He died in Salem Village, now Danvers, September 6, 1676. His widow, Mary, whom he probably married in England, is said, by Judge Savage, to have died February 6, 1684. Children : John, Samuel, Joseph, Benjamin, Israel, Mary, Jonathan, Sarah. Israel Porter,

one of the aforementioned children, was bap- tized February 12, 1643. Captain Israel Por- ter has been described as the head of a great and powerful family. He owned large landed estates. He and his wife were Puritans. His daughter Elizabeth was the mother of General Israel Putnam, the commanding hero of Bunker Hill. Israel Putnam was named after his grandfather, Israel Porter.

(II) Samuel, son of John and Mary Porter, was a mariner of Wenham, Massachusetts, where he owned a house and large farm. He married Hannah, daughter of William and Elizabeth Dodge, of Beverly, to whom was born one child, a son. His death occurred in 1660, his property being willed equally to his wife and his son, but his father and his wife's father were named as executors. Child : John, of further mention.

(III) John (2), only son of Samuel and Hannah (Dodge) Porter, was born in Wen- ham, in 1658. He inherited his father's farm, on which he was living at the date of his death. During his lifetime he deeded a large part of his estate to his children. He was a man of high respectability, a representative to the gen- eral court in 1712-24-26. He was the mod- erator of town meetings, on various dates, for several years, and classified as a maltster and farmer. He married Lydia, daughter of Henry and Lydia Herrick, of Beverly. She was born in 1661, died February 12, 1737. During the witchcraft delusion he and his wife Lydia, in 1692, were witnesses at court and testified against one Goody Bibber, who had accused Sarah Wildes of bewitching her. He died March 8, 1753, in the ninety-fifth year of his age. Children : 1. Samuel, of further mention. 2. John, born 1683, died 1775, aged ninety-two years. 3. Hannah, born November 24, 1687; married Thomas Kimball, of Wenham, and died at the age of one hundred years. 4. Eliz- abeth, married Daniel Gilbert, of Ipswich; died at the age of one hundred years. 5. Benjamin, born 1692, died 1781, aged eighty-nine years. 6. Jonathan, born September 11, 1696, died 1759, aged sixty-three years. 7. Nehemiah, died at the age of ninety-two years. 8. Me-

NEW YORK.

hitable, born October 11, 1698; married Caleb Kimball Jr., of Wenham, February 15, 1718; died aged eighty-eight years. 9. Sarah, born January 6, 1699; married Thomas Dodge, of Wenham, June 23, 1724; died aged eighty- nine years. 10. Mary, born July 20, 1700: married Robert Cue, of Wenham; died in 1790, aged ninety years. 11. Lydia, died at the age of sixty years. The average age of the eleven children was eighty-seven years.

(IV) Samuel (2), eldest son of John (2) and Lydia (Herrick) Porter, was born at Wen- ham, February 17, 1681, died in 1770. He lived on the old homestead, bequeathed to him by his father. He rendered military service in the colonies and bore the rank of sergeant. In 1706 he married Sarah Bradstreet, grand- daughter of Governor Simon Bradstreet. Chil- dren : Samuel, born November 14, 1711 ; Eben- ezer, 1716; John, of further mention; Anna, August 13, 1719.

(V) Captain John (3) Porter, son of Sam- uel (2) and Sarah (Bradstreet) Porter, was born at Wenham, July 9, 1717. He lived in Wenham, removing to Littleton after 1744. He married (first) Mary Kimball, November 30, 1738; married (second) Lydia - , May 24, 1750, of Littleton. He appears with rank of sergeant, Lexington alarm roll, Captain Aquille Jeuett's company, Colonel James Pres- cott's regiment, which marched on the alarm of April 19, 1775, from Littleton. Length of service, fourteen days. ("Lexington Alarm," vol. 12, p. 148). He also appears upon a list of officers of the Massachusetts militia, of Gro- ton, Massachusetts, March 1I, 1776, as ad- jutant of Jonathan Reed's regiment. Proper rank, captain. ("Massachusetts Muster and Pay Rolls," vol. 41, p. 153). He also appears as adjutant on muster and pay roll of the field and staff officers, Colonel Jonathan Reed, March 30, 1776. He appears in the service of the northern army. residence Littleton, dated Boston, March 10, 1777. ("Massachusetts Mus- ter and Pay Rolls," vol. 26, p. 277). His mili- tary record shows numerous short term en- listments throughout the war. By "Field and Staff Rolls, Muster Roll," vol. 26, p. 24. he appears in service at the capitulation of Gen- eral Burgoyne. At the battle of Bennington he rendered heroic service. He was commis- sioned captain. October 20, 1779, and detached from the Sixth Middlesex County Regiment to reinforce the continental army, by resolve of October 9, 1779. He died at Littleton, Massa-

chusetts, March 12, 1802. Children: Bial, a daughter, born January 3, 1740; John, of fur- ther mention; Mary, November 28, 1744.

(VI) Major John (4) Porter, son of Cap- tain John (3) and Mary (Kimball) Porter, was born at Wenham, April 18, 1742. He re- moved, with his parents, to Littleton, 1744, where he died April 23, 1834, aged ninety-two years. He was a major in the revolutionary war. Military record found at state house, Boston: Appears with rank of major, on a return of officers, in Thirteenth Regiment, Colo- nel Edward Wiggleworth, October 12, 1778. ("Massachusetts Muster and Pay Rolls," vol. 71, p. 23). He appears with grade of major, on a depreciation roll of Colonel Edward Wiggle- worth's regiment, to made good the deprecia- tion of wages for the first three years' service in the continental army, from 1777 to 1780. (Late Calvin Smith's regiment). ("Deprecia- tion Rolls," vol. 31, p. 180). He appears in return of Timothy Bigelow's regiment, dated Robinson Farm, July 28, 1780. Rank, inspector. Autograph signature. ("Massachusetts Mus- ter and Pay Rolls," vol. 69, p. 36). Appears with the rank of major and brigade inspector, on a pay abstract of Colonel Calvin Smith's regiment, for last three months' service, in year 1780. in the Massachusetts line of the continental army, dated Boston, June 19, 1781. ("Abstract of Rolls," vol. 7, p. 66). Appears in a statement of continental balance, with rank of major and brigade inspector, in Colonel Calvin Smith's regiment. ("Militia Officers, etc.," vol. 28, pp. 200-201). Appears on an order, dated Salem, December 22, 1783. for wages due, signed by himself, in the Sixth Massachusetts Regiment, as major. ("Massa- chusetts Muster and Pay Rolls," vol. 54, p. 138, file C). On July 1, 1781, he was appointed, by John Hancock, governor and commander- in-chief in and over the commonwealth of Massachusetts, major of the Sixth Regiment of Militia, county of Middlesex, Henry Wood being colonel. A photograph of the original commission, showing the familiar signature of John Hancock, is in the possession of H. E. V. Porter, of Jamestown, New York. He married Lydia Baker, of Littleton. Intentions published March 26, 1768. She was a daughter of William and Rebecca Baker. Children : John, born June 17. 1769 ; Lydia, August 28, 1770 ; Israel, of fur- ther mention ; Jeptha. September 21. 1790, died 1812.

(VII) Israel, son of Major John (4) and

NEW YORK.

Lydia (Baker) Porter, was born at Littleton, Massachusetts, November 27, 1771. He was edu- cated at New Ipswich Academy (now Apple- ton Academy), of New Ipswich, New Hamp- shire. In 1806 he settled in Gouverneur, New York, as a pioneer of that section, and his name is recorded as one of the founders of Gouverneur, on a tablet in a memorial arch, in the center of the village, erected in 1906. The name of Israel Porter appears with frequency in the history of Gouverneur, and the hotel he erected there, at a very early date, under con- tract with Gouverneur Morris, to accommodate the stage line that passed through that section, still remains in good repair, though occupied at present as a tenement house (1911). He was also engaged in the milling business, in Gouverneur. A large part of his early life was devoted to the vocation of a surveyor. In 1835 he took a trip, with his oldest son, to Wisconsin, and, pushing into the wilderness west of Milwaukee, he surveyed out land for his three sons. Returning to Milwaukee on a visit, in the summer of 1836, he was taken with pneumonia, and died September 16, 1836, aged sixty-five years nine months and nineteen days. His death is recorded as the first Anglo- Saxon death.in Milwaukee. He married ( first ) Hannah Belknap, born April 2, 1778, died in Gouverneur, New York, July 2, 1816, daugh- ter of Abel and Bathiah (Newhall) Belknap. He married (second ) Lucy Church, of Gou- verneur, New York, born 1776, died April 22, 1857. Children: Iantha. born 1798: Israel Washington, of further mention; Emily A .. 1806, died 1808, first white person to meet death in Gouverneur : Sally Ann, 1807: So- phrona, May 30, 1809, married James C. How- ard, March 8. 1829, gave birth to fifteen chil- dren ; John, married Louisa Clark, of Medina county, Ohio, April 6, 1836; Adaline, born 1815 : Jeptha, 1816: married Betsey Stone, lived in Wisconsin, died in Gouverneur.

(VIII) Israel Washington, son of Israel and Hannah ( Belknap) Porter, was born April 12, 1801, died April 14, 1875. He was a mill- wright, stock raiser and general farmer. From Gouverneur, New York, he removed to Wads- worth, Medina county, Ohio, in 1834, and from there to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in the early spring of 1836. The country was wild and heavily wooded. Game was abundant. and wild men roamed at will through the territory. In 1866, on account of impaired health, he re- moved to Forest Grove, near Vineland. New

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Genealogical and Family History of Western New York, Volume I, Part 1

Author: Cutter, William Richard, 1847-1918 Publication date: 1912 Publisher: New York : Lewis Historical Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 680

Author: Cutter, William Richard, 1847-1918
Publication date: 1912
Publisher: New York : Lewis Historical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 680