The Porter family from County Down to Montague

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Porter family crest

     The Porter surname is an occupational patronym. It was given to watchmen or gate keepers. It is also associated with people who carried things, an anglicized version of the French word "porter" to carry. That usage of the word is only about 200 years old so comes far later than the institution of last names.

     Clan Porter is a sept of the MacNaughton clan. The Porter motto is "I hope in God".

MacNaughton tartan

Porter badge and Motto

     Our first Porter ancestor I have information about is James. He was born in county Down, Ireland around 1817, probably from Knockbreda parish. In 1837, he married Jane McGibbon 1822-Jan 3, 1867. In 1839, he and Jane emigrated to Canada, settling first in Kitley, then Montague township, Lot 9, Concession 5. I can't find him on the 1851 census, he is not listed in Kitley but Montague's records are very fragmented. He is said to have been a blacksmith but all the census data I have on him lists his occupation as farmer.

County Down in red

     James and Jane had ten children.

Robert 1840-Apr. 1, 1925 married Ellen Saunders

Samuel 1841-Dec. 30 1913

John Dec.12, 1843/4-Jan.11, 1921 married Anne Lewis

Mary Jane 1845-Nov. 30, 1912 married Murray Buker

Sarah 1846-1923 married Adam Johnson

James 1849-1930 married Dorcas Corr

Esther 1856-Jan 31, 1933 married John Smith

Frank 1857-July 23, 1917 married Harriet McCreary

Joseph June1,1859-July 15, 1932 married Mary Ann Bradley

William 1863-1933 married Agnes Kirkland

     In the 1881 Montague census, James has a second wife Eliza Anne Johnston. I'm not sure of the date of the second marriage.

James and Eliza Anne 1881, Montague

     I have no pictures of James and his family. Hopefully a Porter cousin will pass some along.

     James' son John married Anne Lewis, April 14, 1877. Anne was born May 13, 1852, the daughter of Robert Lewis and Maria Lucas. Maria Lucas was the daughter of James Lucas and Susan Leach. There is that Leach surname again.

     John and Anne had nine children.

James A. 1876-1948

married Catherine "Kate" McNab 1886-1948

Robert Lewis 1877-1973

married Violet McMullen 1887-1954

Maria Lavina June 22, 1879-Jan. 26, 1952

married Oct. 16, 1901 to William Albert Fisher Sept. 3, 1875-Dec. 6, 1966

Henry Dec.19, 1881-June 5, 1937

married  Sept. 18, 1912 to Sophia "Gertrude" McMurdy June 21, 1884-Feb. 24,1979

Jane "Jennie" McGibbon Jan 2, 1885-July 23,1965

married  June 25, 1913 to Henry " Harry" Geddes Jan. 2, 1885-Jan. 11, 1930

married  Nov. 2, 1932 to John Thomas "Jack" McBryde 1883-1958

Elanor Susan Mar. 25, 1886-Dec.30, 1977

married  Aug. 10, 1910 to George Albert Geddes Mar. 7, 1882-Mar. 6, 1976

John 1888-1972

William "Harold" Oct. 25, 1891-Oct. 5, 1970

married June 8, 1920 to Etta "Ellie" Belle Lewis June 8, 1900-Nov. 27, 1983

Esther Anne July 29, 1893-Oct. 24, 1983

     I have this picture of John and Anne's son Henry's barn raising in 1931. Henry's farm bordered Maria and her husband's. Their son John Fisher is pictured as is George Geddes, Elanor's husband. Ken Porter, Henry's eldest son, is also pictured.  

    
     The only other picture I have are of John and Anne's family is of Maria, my great grandmother. Please feel free to pass along any other photos and I will post them.

     John and Anne's daughter Maria Lavina married William Albert Fisher Oct. 16, 1901. They had nine children.

William Duncan b) May 25th 1903-Sept.5th, 1938, married Elizabeth Merle "Bessie" Brownlee in 1925
William was killed in a hunting accident, here is the link to the newspaper, the article is on page six, tragic story.
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=xfEuAAAAIBAJ&sjid=1tsFAAAAIBAJ&pg=7032%2C5400165

Ellen (Elanor) Mildred b) Sept. 20th 1904- 1995

John Arthur b) April 29th, 1907- Feb 14th 1980, married Ida Matilda Geddes Feb. 11, 1931 after 1967 he remarried to Willow Elizabeth Featherstone

Howard James b) Dec. 20th, 1908-Jan. 1984, married Evaline Anne Montgomery Mar. 30th, 1932

Iva May Maria b) Sept 10, 1910-1950, married William Cecil McBryde Apr. 12 1944

Marion Evelyn b) Aug. 8th, 1914-Jan. 5th, 1986, married Robert Edward "Ned" Daly Oct. 26th 1932

Harold Lewis b) Feb. 27th, 1917, married Laura Graham Sept. 2nd, 1939

Herbert Leach b) Dec 6th, 1919-2006, married Beatrice Sadler Dec. 16th, 1942.

Ernest b) Aug 21st, 1922-1979

William Albert Fisher and Maria Lavina Porter

William and Maria with family and friends

Ernie Fisher, Ned Daly?, John Fisher, Ida Fisher (Geddes) (with Lois
Fisher ) Maria, Jennie (Porter) ? Harry Geddes?  William
Front Clarence Fisher, Marion Fisher, Lloyd Fisher, William (Willie) Fisher

     For other pictures of Maria and William's family follow the links to the Fisher family history or my grandfather's page below. I'm quickly running out of storage space for photos so am trying not to repost everything.

http://theossingtonkitchen.blogspot.com/2011/03/fisher-family-from-perthshire-scotland.html

http://theossingtonkitchen.blogspot.com/2011/01/herbert-leach-fisher.html

     Maria and William's son Herbert Leach Fisher is my grandfather and so ends my direct tie to the Porter family. I don't know my Porter relatives well so please feel free to contact me and we can get acquainted. To contact me, click on my profile, About Me, on the right and it will take you to an email link.

     Hopefully as I work my way through my grandparents pictures more photos will come to light and I'll post them as I find them. I am also working on my Porter family research so if I find anything I'll update it here. For all the Porter 'cousins' out there, feel free to pass along anything you'd like to share and I'll be happy to post it for us all to see and enjoy.

     Take care, Paul.