Saturday, April 16, 2011

Orrin Porter of Chautauqua County, New York

I've been sharing some Porter thoughts with Nira at Door Keeper Genealogy and she too has been researching the Porter family in Chautauqua County, New York.  We both suspect William Porter, found on the 1830 census in Chautauqua County is the father of my Nancy Porter born circa 1817.

Nira was able to track William Porter to Knox County, Ohio.  She mentioned to me that William has a son named Orrin Porter which instantly rang a Chautauqua County Porter bell!  There is an Orrin (sometimes spelled Orin) Porter who is a contemporary of William Porter.  In fact they are the right age to be brothers.  So this post is dedicated to Nira and presents what I could find out about Orrin Porter.

Orrin Porter Locations
Place
Date
1850
Pomfret, Chautauqua, NY
1848
Chautauqua, Chautauqua, NY
1840
Hanover, Chautauqua, NY
1830
Norwich, Chenango, NY
The table above lists the dates that I can locate Orrin Porter.  Three census records and a probate petition basically sum up all I know about him.  The probate petition, below, is located on the Chautauqua County GenWeb site.


This petition mentions the estate of Mark Steere who died in 1847.  Orrin Porter is appointed an administrator of Mark Steere's estate.  Mark Steere has no widow and 7 daughters (all of age in 1848) are listed:
  • Lydia Steere (co administrator)
  • Harriet Cook, wife of Peyton R. Cook
  • Sarah Ann Porter, wife of Orrin Porter
  • Julia Steere
  • Betsey Steere of Norwich, Chenango County,
  • Mary Farnham, wife of John P. Farnham
  • Eunice St. Amand, wife of Augustus St. Amand
So let's see what we can find out about this family.

 I know the image above is a little hard to read, but it is for Orrin Porter in 1850.  It reads:
  • Orrin Porter 52 (b. 1798) b. CT? or VT?
  • Sarah A. (Steere) 45 (b. 1805) b. CT? or VT?
  • Julia Steere  28 (b. 1822) b. NY

I wonder if the female b. 1810 to 1820 is another Steere?  I don't think it could be a daughter of Orrin and Sarah as Sarah would be too young.



  The age for Orrin is slightly off, but I think it still seems to be our Orrin Porter.  I can't find Orrin in 1820 or 1860.  My next post will delve a little deeper into the Steere family...