Porter
Re-union A Gala Event
Thomas Porter was born in
Down, Ireland in 1788, going into the army at the age of 15 years as
a drummer boy serving his country. He was a veteran of Waterloo.
In 1803 he married Miss
Rachel Wilson of County of Kilkenny. He was then sent to West India,
as a military inspector of ships. After five years' service there he
was honorably discharged and sailed for Canada, taking up land in
Durham County at the place now called Bowmanville.
After spending 15 years in
that community, he moved to Townsend township, Norfolk County,
hewing logs and building his own home. He carried his first bushel
of wheat on his back 12 miles to have it ground in a stump, enduring
all the hardships of the early settlers.
Thomas and Rachel Porter
were the parents of 11 children: Thomas, Nathaniel, James, Martha
(later Mrs. Wm. Mason), Francis (Mrs. Wm. Hambly), of Townsend
township; Jonathan, Marchal, William, Mary (Mrs. Welland), Sarah
(Mrs. McClelland), all of Bowmanville; and Samuel, who moved to
Brant County, 2 Oct 1882.
[Compiler's
Comment: the balance of this article describes a reunion of their
descendants, 11 Aug 1921 in Brant County.]
