James Porterfield (1760 - 1847)

Born 1760 in Banffshire, Scotland

Descendants

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Biography

Sargent James Porterfield was born in 1760 in Banff, Scotland.^[1]

Military Service

He served in the Scottish 42nd Highland Regiment of Foot also known as the Black Watch under Lord Blantyre. During the Battle of Alexandria in 1801, he lost his eyesight during the campaign and was retired with a full pension.^[1]

He appears in the 1805 Regimental Register of Service with an age of 45. The register has him as 5' 10" tall. Numerous other physcial traits are listed.^[2]

He passed away in 1847.^{[citation needed]}

Research Notes

Note that Sgt. James' son - James 1811 - 1876 indicates that his mother, a Tavern Keeper was named Jane Davidson. There are references to the Porterfield's in Cranna's History of Fraserburgh, as well as Gillian Bickley's "The Stewarts of Bourtree Bush" and her works on Frederick Stewart, a senior Colonial official in Hong Kong, founder of an education system which insisted on not allowing Cantonese culture to be obliterated for local children. To which end, Frederick learned Cantonese.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Hospital record (Military), A document showing the discharge from the Army, https://www.familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/119672076?p=34879419&returnLabel=James%20Porterfield%20(GHSH-WXH)&returnUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.familysearch.org%2Ftree%2Fperson%2Fmemories%2FGHSH-WXH
2. ↑ Ancestry.com. UK, Regimental Registers of Service, 1756-1900 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012. Original data:War Office and predecessors: Secretary-at-War, Secretary of State for War, and Related Bodies, Registers. WO 25/266–558, 632–634, 677–683, 686–688, 3913–3914, 5411-5516. Records created or inherited by the War Office, Armed Forces, Judge Advocate General, and related bodies. The National Archives, Kew, Surrey, England. https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/186609:3253?tid=&pid=&queryId=76e8de9af4602e7d46300a6f96cc8205&_phsrc=ruQ47860&_phstart=successSource