James C Porterfield (1766 - 1837)

Born 1766 in Pennsylvania

Ancestors

Husband of Nancy (Guthrie) Porterfield — married 1794 in Westmoreland, Pennsylvania, USA

Descendants

Died 15 Dec 1837 at about age 71 in Sugarcreek, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, United States

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Biography

James C Porterfield, a first generation American, was a lifelong farmer in Middlesex (now Cowansville), Pennsylvania.^[1] James C was born about 1766 most likely east of present day Armstrong County, Pennsylvania. He was the son of Scots-Irish immigrant Samuel Porterfield.^[1]

In 1797, James Porterfield of Salem Township, Westmoeland County gave up and quit-claimed his interest in the estate of John Guthrie for 5 shillings.^[2]

James is seen in the 1830 census in the Sugar Creek census district in Armstrong County.^[3]

Military Service

James Porterfield served in the Army in the War of 1812
Service started:
Unit(s): Pennsylvania
Service ended:

James first served as a captain in the 5th Company of the 4th Pennsylvania Regiment after the Revolutionary War.^[1]

Later in life he was a teamster in the War of 1812.^[1]

Marriage and Children

James and Nancy Guthrie were the parents of 11 children.

The Porterfields reports the following children. Note that this source tends to only follow the male Porterfield lines. With exception of the first WIlliam it larges matches the will.

1. John (1795-1862), married Elizabeth Thompson^[1]
2. William (1797), presumed to have died when young^[1]
3. James (1798-1889), married Jane McClatchey^[1]
4. Samuel (1800-1872), married Nancy Davis, Margaret S. Carson^[1]
5. Jane (1806-1877)^[1]
6. Sarah (1806-1877)^[1]
7. William Seth (1818-1843), married Lena Parker^[1]
8. Nancy (1811-)^[1]
9. Robert Guthrie (1814-1872), married Hannah Campbell ^[1]
10. David Clarence (1817-1886), married Susannah Vensel^[1]
11. Elizabeth (1819-)

Death

He passed away in 1837 in Sugar Creek, Pennsylvania.^[1][4]

Will

A transcription of the will follows. The paragraph breaks were added for clarity. The original will was written as one large paragraph:^[5][6]

Will of x J. C. Porterfield

In the name of God amen I James C Porterfield sew (?) of the Township of Sugar Creek in Armstrong County, being weak in body but sound of mind and disposing memory, do hereby make and constitute this my last will and testament revoking all former wills by me made. In the first place after any just debts and funeral expenses are paid, I will and bequeath to my beloved wife Nancy, a decent and comfortable support and maintenance out of the plantation, upon I which now reside also, the use and possession of the house in which we now reside on said farm, and a horse and saddle to be ready for her when she shall be disposed to ride all the above bequests is to be while she remains my widow, also two cows to be kept on the place, also all the household furniture which may be in and about the house at the time of my decease.

I will to my son John fifty dollars and the one half of the fifty nine acres of land off the west end of the place as surveyed by Mr. Young.

- I will to my son James the two hundred and six dollars coming from the Swatslander for the place I sold him also all my wearing apparrel.

- I will to my son Samuel fifty dollars

- I will to my daughter Jenny Kinkaid fifty dollars

- I will to me daughter Sally Cowan fifty dollars

- I will to my son William the other half of the fifty nine acres of land as surveyed by Mr. Young and fifty dollars.

- I will to my daughter Nancy fifty dollars

- I will to my son Robert sixty dollars

- I will to my David Cunningham the two hundred acres upon which I now reside it being the Residue after the bequest to my sons John and William also all the farm viz. Horses, Cows, and all the farming utensils of whatever description

- I will to my daughter Eliza, whilst she remains single and with her mother a living on the place and in case she should marry a horse value sixty dollars, a saddle, a bureau, and fifty dollars

and I hereby constitute and appoint my sons John Porterfield and William Porterfield Executors of this my will and testament. In testimony of the above I have hereunto set my hand and seal this eighteenth day of November in the year of our lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty seven. Signed, sealed, and pronounced in the presence of us.

WIlliam Blency (?) , WIlliam McCley (?)

Research Notes

There is a James in the 1820 census but he is too young (16-26) to be this James. It would appear to be his son James. ^[7]

Variations in Children

It appears James and Nancy Guthrie were the parents of 11 children. The four sources cited have slight differences in the number and names of the children.

The Porterfields (1947) appears to be most accurate with eleven children, including ten who live to be adults. It also provides additional details on most of the male lines The ten adult children are also cited in James' will.

Two other sources which are from researchers of the maternal Guthrie line report fewer children.

The Porterfields (1947) report the following children:^[1]

1. John, (1795-1862), married Elizabeth Thompson, more generations listed
2. William (1797), presumed to have died when young
3. James (1798-1889), married Jane McClatchey, more generations listed
4. Samuel (1800-1872), married Nancy Davis, Margaret S. Carson, more generations listed
5. Jane (1806-1877)
6. Sarah (1806-1877)
7. William Seth (1818-1843), married Lena Parker, more generations listed
8. Nancy (1811-)
9. Robert Guthrie (1814-1872), married Hannah Campbell, more generations listed
10. David Clarence (1817-1886), married Susannah Vensel, more generations listed
11. Elizabeth (1819-)

The Beatty book... (1995) reports the following heirs from his will^[8]

1. John
2. James
3. Samuel
4. Jenny, married Mr. Kincaid
5. Sally
6. William
7. Nancy
8. Robert
9. David
10. Elizabeth

American Guthrie and allied families (1933) seems to be the least complete accounting of children.^[9]

1. Jennie, married Mr. Kinkaid
2. John, married (1) Miss McKee, (2) Elizabeth Thompson
3. Samuel, married (1) Nancy Davis, (2) unknown Heiner
4. Sarah, married James Cowan
5. James, married Miss McClatchey
6. William, married (1) Miss Cowan, (2) Leanna Parker
7. Nancy, married James Kinkaid Note: This Kinkaid appears to be in error as Nancy married a Thomas Jackson and had a large family whose ancestors are still alive today. This is possibly the Kincaid that sister older Jennie/Jane married.
8. David Clarence

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15} Frank Burke Porterfield, The Porterfields (Roanoke, Virginia: Multiprint Inc, 1947), p. 182, digital images, https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89066246737;view=1up;seq=190. Hathi Trust Digital Library (https://babel.hathitrust.org: accessed 15 October 2017).
2. ↑ Laurence Rawlin Guthrie, American Guthrie and allied families : lineal representations of the colonial Guthries of Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, North and South Carolina, (1933), p. 716; digital, Ancestry.com (http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=11592).
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1830," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHPR-HGV : 18 August 2015), James C Porterfield, Sugarcreek, Armstrong, Pennsylvania, United States; citing 253, NARA microfilm publication M19, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 145; FHL microfilm 20,619.
4. ↑ Daughters of the American Revolution, DAR Genealogical Research Databases, database online, (http://www.dar.org/ : accessed 13 March 2016), "Record of Samuel Porterfield, Sr.", Ancestor # A091369.
5. ↑ Ancestry.com, Pennsylvania, Wills and Probate Records, 1683-1993 (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, Will Books, 1805-1918; Index to Wills, 1797-1961; Author: Armstrong County (Pennsylvania). Register of Wills; Probate Place: Armstrong, Pennsylvania. Record for J C Porterfield. http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=8802&h=2028604&indiv=try.
6. ↑ "Pennsylvania Probate Records, 1683-1994," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G991-ZXFB?cc=1999196&wc=9PM6-RMQ%3A268497101%2C268535901 : 3 July 2014), Armstrong > Wills 1805-1873 vol 1-2 > image 104 of 597; county courthouses, Pennsylvania
7. ↑ "United States Census, 1820," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHGQ-5PY : accessed 13 March 2017), James Porterfield, Sugarcreek, Armstrong, Pennsylvania, United States; citing p. 316, NARA microfilm publication M33, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 97; FHL microfilm 181,403.
8. ↑ Lu Ann Kennedy Cherry, The Beatty book : the descendants of Samuel Beatty of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, including the families of Guthrie, Sedwick and Sutton (1995), p. 29,52; digital image, FamilySearch (https://dcms.lds.org/delivery/DeliveryManagerServlet?dps_pid=IE947715).
9. ↑ Laurence Rawlin Guthrie, American Guthrie and allied families : lineal representations of the colonial Guthries of Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, North and South Carolina, (1933), p. 384, 408, 421; digital, Ancestry.com (http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=11592).