PORTER HISTORY
1810 - 2004
JOHN PORTER came to Canada in 1831 with his bride, ANNE MERCER. Both were emigrating from Yorkshire, England. John was born March 29, 1810, son of Joseph Porter and Alice Thompson at Kirkdale, Yorkshire, England. He married Anne Mercer (Marcer) on December 22, 1829 at Kirkdale.
John settled in York County, and was in little York about six months. Their first child, Ruth, was born on September 17, 1831. John’s brother, William had previously settled in Vaughan and John decided to follow him there. He went to Lot 3, Concession 9, "which was then in its primitive state, and the absence of roads and other adjuncts to comfort and convenience contributed not a little to his labour in early years." As well as being a cabinet maker, he was very active in agriculture. He was among the first to introduce heavy draught horses and the breed of Leicestershire and Cotswold sheep in this section. John was a member of the Township Agricultural Society, a Reformer in politics and a member of the Methodist Church, of which he was a Trustee.
He had 14 children, seven only survived. RUTH PORTER married an undertaker, FRANCIS BUNT, born about 1830, died May 31, 1893. They had seven children, William of Flesherton where Ruth spent her last years, John of Goderich, Mrs. Howard, Charles W. of California (a tailor), Jenney in Toronto, Anney Bell, and another. Ruth was an exemplary church member of the Woodbridge Methodist Church for 57 years. She died July 27, 1907. MARY PORTER married a HARRISON. CHRISTIANNA PORTER married a KING and moved to Bolton. JANE PORTER married a DALZIEL and stayed in Vaughan. ELIZABETH HANNAH PORTER, born 1854, married JOHN DARKER on October 23, 1882 in Vaughan Township. They had at least one girl and Elizabeth was buried at Hillcrest cemetery in Vaughan. CHARLES EDWARD PORTER was born in 1850 and went to Lambton County never to be heard from.
Finally, WILLIAM PORTER, born November 12, 1833 bought Lot 32, Concession 12 King Township in 1849 with his father John for $1000.00 with 10 acres cleared. William still single moved to this lot in 1849 and built a log cabin near the King-Albion Townline, in 1852. Three years later he married ANN ARMSTRONG, born May 18, 1836, who lived on 10th of Albion Lot 18.
There was hard work in the future for William as he began to clear the land from the 13th to the 12th of King. In 1885, as the family was increasing he built a new stone house situated half way between the 12th and 13th of King. Three stone masons were hired to build this house and the stones from the fields were gathered and then split with fire and water. The 13th of King (the townline), the unknown road to many historians as well as past and present-day municipal workers and emergency workers, also had to be constructed.
He and his wife with 4 boys and 7 girls moved into the more appropriate dwelling. The family enjoyed the spacious grounds, gardens, fruit trees, and grape vines which were bountiful. The black raspberries grew wild all along the lane way and in the bush and were most delicious. He was a breeder of excellent cattle and imported cattle. He was a member of the Rich Hill Church in Tecumseth, the closest Methodist church and he was superintendent of the Sunday School and received an engraved cane honouring him for his dedicated work.
ELLEN PORTER, b. February 2, 1857 died at age 21 of tuberculosis. ALICE ANN PORTER, b. August 9, 1858 married JOSEPH PALMER and had four children. ALFRED JOSEPH PORTER, b. May 8, 1860 married ELIZABETH PALMER and moved to Brampton. Apparently at one point he bought Lot 32 Con. 12 from William and then he sold it back to him. JOHN RALPH PORTER, b. April 11, 1862 committed suicide at age 15. ABEL ARMSTRONG PORTER, b. April 2, 1864 lived with Charles all his life. FELICIA JANE PORTER, b. January 5, 1866 married a Watson and had two children, Scott Watson who worked on the railroad in Revelstoke, B.C., and Grace Watson who went to Victoria Island. CHRISTINA PORTER, b. April 27, 1868 kept house for John Darker. MARY PORTER, b. April 18, 1870 had HAROLD PORTER who married ETHEL MAUDE REBINA SMITH and had four children, Mildred, Viola, Stanley and Leslie. Mildred and Viola are in Powassan and Stanley and Leslie went to Welland. RUTH MADELINE PORTER, b. April 14, 1872 kept house for George Archibald. ANNIE ISABELLA PORTER, b. May 19, 1877 married Alec Jamison who was killed in a horrific train accident in Huntsville. She was a school teacher in Huntsville.
In the meantime William Porter now a widower built a brick house in Schomberg (Isobel Porter owned the house from 1966 until the 1980's). He built this house on Church St. then King St. in Brownstown for his four single daughters. The last of these daughters was Christiana Porter who lived in the house until she was 90 in 1964. On January 30, 1911 he passed away. His will left the farm to Charles with the condition that he care for his brother Abe. The estate was valued at $10,740 including the farm left to his son, which was valued at $8,000. The balance of the estate is in book debts and promissory note, and a lot in Schomberg, Ont. and was left to his executors in trust for his four daughters.
William's son CHARLES EDWARD PORTER, b. October 5, 1874 married JANE BELL of the 2nd line of Tecumseth in 1906 (who lived in a stone house - the only one on that road). He was an excellent farmer, cattle breeding and working hard. He went to church every Sunday to Rich Hill Church in Tecumseth. Charles and Jane had six children, four of whom survived.
ANNIE ELIZABETH PORTER, b. October 31, 1907, known as Elizabeth went to high school in Tottenham and then went to nursing college. She worked at Whitby and then in the 1940's went to Penetanguishene where she lived the rest of her life. She was superintendent of nurses at the Penetanguishene hospital and was commended for her good work on many occasions. She contributed to the community and was very well liked in the community. There is a tree planted in her memory. She belonged to the Presbyterian church. She had good friends that were just like family in Penetanguishene. She also had her relatives which she visited often. She travelled to many conventions, horticultural meetings, the nut society meetings, etc., usually with Mrs. Isobel Gourlay and they had many wonderful and many funny stories to tell of their trips together. She saw no reason to ever cut down a tree. She was an avid knitter and knit afghans and baby outfits. She is buried in the Schomberg Cemetery.
WILLIAM JAMES PORTER died at a year old. HELEN JEAN PORTER died at 3-years old. ALFRED JOHN PORTER, b. August 15, 1915 is still living in a nursing home in Newmarket. He farmed with his brother, Doug’s help and Doug’s family’s help until he sold the farm in 1967. He worked for a while as a labourer and moved to Keswick until moving to Newmarket. He never married.
GEORGE EDWARD PORTER, b. December 16, 1917 worked at Chinguacousy golf course. He had five children with EDITH PEARL MAW. Keith, Marion, William, Linda, Bette. All married and with families. Bette is married to MURRAY GORDON who was the President of the Schomberg Agricultural Society one year. George also had four children with GLADYS McPHERSON, John in Calgary, Brenda, Jane and Susan who was murdered when she was a student at Guelph in approximately 1980.
CHARLES DOUGLAS PORTER, b. May 22, 1911 (Douglas) was born on the homestead farm in the stone house and grew up there. At an early age, about 4, he played "farming" by using straw and making sheaves and stooking them. He attended the one room school house on the 19th sideroad and graduated from grade 8. He learned poetry which he could recite in his later years. Farming was his love and so he did not go on to further education. He planted trees for Walter Gordon (Finance Minister in Lester B. Pearson’s cabinet) on his property on the 12th line of King.
He bought Lot 33 Concession 12 West ½ and built a house in 1940 there. He had a housekeeper for the first year. His father died in 1940 leaving him 25 acres in Albion. He met ISABELLA (Isobel) DOUGLAS who came from Islay, Scotland through Walter Cairns and married in 1942. Times were hard. He had to help his brother farm the homestead farm while having a family, Jean, in 1943, a psychiatrist. Greig in 1945, an engineer, Ellen in 1948, a teacher and Neil in 1956. He did manage to buy another 100 acres in Albion Twp., the Hall farm and with it 1/2 of Hall's lake which he sold to Walter Gordon. He owned the lot between the Townline and Albion Trail and sold it to Sedgewick's. He was mixed farming with dairy cattle, pigs, chickens and sheep. The sheep were kept over in Albion. The house on the Albion farm was rented to Dolsons. He had horses which he kept and was the last in the neighbourhood to use. He, along with his children, helped his brother Alfred farm the homestead farm until Alfred sold it for $30,000 in 1967 to Gordon Rhodes. After this he farmed the land for free until the farm sold in 1988 in the range of $700,000-$800,000. When he sold the farm in Albion he changed to beef and pig farming and had hereford cattle. His cattle were excellent stock. A few years before his death he could no longer go to the barn to feed the cattle so he continued haying. Jim Castator, his neighbour, and his sons helped him in the last years. He was so happy to see cattle grazing in the field.
He was a Trustee for the School board at one time. He served on the Schomberg Agricultural Society and was a member of the Rich Hill United Church, New Tecumseth. He was a Liberal. He was an honest man and always shopped at Dove's meat market in Schomberg no matter how much cheaper the groceries were at the supermarket in Newmarket he was faithful to his friends. Where else could you get credit like Dove gave over the years. Payable when you have the money.
Isobel was active in Parent and Teacher Associations, the Schomberg Horticultural Association, the Agricultural Society and the United Church Women. A Blue Spruce is planted at the Schomberg arena in her memory.
In the 1990’s, I, ELLEN PORTER and my husband HEINZ SAGER attempted to farm with about 20 cattle on a part time basis but it proved too much work with our full time jobs. It was an attempt to keep the operation going but we were just too old to start farming. Also in the 1990’s I ran for municipal councillor but lost. I was a member of the Horticultural Society and the Lloydtown Rebellion Association who, since I have left, have succeeded in erecting a statue at the Pioneer cemetery.
After Douglas died in 1995 that land was sold and the severance that I had off that land was sold in 2002. The homestead has been reforested. The blackberries which grew in the 1850’s along the laneway of the homestead farm still grow today and are still as delicious. I was picking them the day my mother died in 1988 along the laneway next to where the log cabin would have been located.