Note by Phyllis Brown: The Benjamin Mason and Elizabeth Berkeley mentioned are my 5th great grandparents – their daughter Ann Nancy Mason married Captain John Linton in 1770. John and Ann Linton moved to Washington County, Kentucky, in 1818.
From Bloomfield, Chaplin and Fairfield – A History and Genealogy of Northeastern Nelson County, Kentucky by Robert P. Moore
Philip Porter’s will, written 11 May 1831, prob. 14 Nov 1831 (Spencer Co., Ky. Will Book A, p. 229), mentions wife Nancy, sons John, William, James, Henry, Charles, Alfred; daughter Katharine Darne. His executors were John Huston, John C. Burnett and James Stone, and securities were James Stone, John Huston, James Tichenor and Stillwell Heady. A person of the same name is in Loudoun County, Virginia, tithable lists in the late 1780s. This, combined with the Loudoun County associations of James Porter of a nearby part of Nelson County, leads one to speculate that James was the son by that name mentioned in Philip’s will.
James Porter, b. 1787, d. 1865, married 2 Jun 1814, Nelson County, Kentucky, Nancy Mason, b. 12 Jan 1792, d. 13 Apr 1869. She was the daughter of George Mason (son of Benjamin Mason and Elizabeth Berkeley) and Elizabeth Grigsby (daughter of Nathaniel Grigsby and Ellizabeth Butler). Nancy is buried on the Frank Allen farm on Hwy 162 near Bloomfield. In the same graveyard are members of a Loudoun County Fox family, and the Masons and Berkeleys were also Loudoun County families.
1. Zerelda Porter, b. 27 Jun 1816, d. 29 Jan 1894, m. 1838, Nelson County, Kentucky, Coleman T. Brown, b. 26 Jul 1809, d. 13 Dec 1895. both buried Old Bloomfield Cemetery, Bloomfield, Kentucky.
2. Benjamin Mason Porter, b. 1818, d. 1888, m. 5 March 1861, Nelson County, Kentucky, Cordelia Meenach, b. 1841, d. 1921, daughter of David Barr Meenach and Cordelia Nourse Thomas. Both buried Old Bloomfield Cemetery, Bloomfield, Kentucky.
3. Sophronia Porter, b. ca. 1809, d. 19 Nov 1891, m. 1855, Nelson County, Kentucky, Frank Johnson, b. ca. 1809, d. 19 Nov 1891, age 82 years, 7 months, 13 days. Both are buried at Riverview Methodist Church, New Haven, Kentucky.
4. Margaret Porter, b. 1825, d. 1890, buried Maple Grove Cemetery, Bloomfield, Kentucky.
5. Charles Porter, b. 1832, d. 1905, m. 8 Oct 1867, Nelson County, Kentucky, Sallie Nicholls, b. 1842, d. 1917, daughter of Henry Nicholls and his cousin Elizabeth Nicholls. Both buried in Maple Grove Cemetery, Bloomfield, Kentucky.
6. Bettie Porter, b. 17 Jul 1836, d. 17 May 1856, buried Fox-Porter graveyard on Frank Allen farm, near Bloomfield.
Categories: Cemeteries, Family Stories, Genealogy Ramblings
Phyllis, you are amazing for all the wonderful history and information that you share on your page. As you might know that This above Porter Family of Loudoun County, Virginia and Nelson County, KY caught my eye, as Philip Porter who married Nancy Ann Brent are my 3rd great grandparents.
Where did you find the information posted by Bob Moore regarding Philip Porter being listed on the Tithables in 1780 in Loudoun Co. VA?. I had been working with Bob Moore just before he died, as he was related to the Porters thru the Vowel Family. Yes, Bob Moore was right, James Porter was the first son of Philip and Nancy Porter. James Porter and Ann and their daughter Elizabeth Bettie were buried first on the Fox-Porter Cemetery on the Frank Allen Farm in Bloomfield, KY. I visited the Allens a few years ago before Frank died. They were the nicest couple and made me feel so welcome. Mrs. Allen took me to the Bloomfield Cemetery and showed me where James and wife Nancy and daughter Bettie were moved from the Fox-Porter Cemetery by supposedly some of their children. Just recently Mrs. Allen contacted me again as she found records that the Allen Farm was once owened by James and Nancy (Mason) Porter, and that is why they were buried there. My cousins and I were going back again to the Fox-Porter cemetery but we had our house for sale in Lewisport, KY, it sold, and now we are in Corpus Christi, TX. Philip Porter was born in Alexandria, Fairfax Co. KY and later was in Loudoun Co. VA. I am not sure if he and Nancy Ann Brent married in Frederick Co. VA where Nancy was born, or possibly in Loudoun. Being that so many families came from Loudoun Co. VA. to KY including Nancy Ann Brents sister Frances Ann who married John Donaldson Connelly and since the Mason and Berkeleys, Fox, and Porters were from Loudoun Co. Va, it makes me wonder if they all came at the same time. There was another family name, Hurst, who also came and lived near the James Porter Farm and later was owned by the Allen Family. Being that I have been unable to find anything on the parents of Philip Porter and his siblings, it seems that I need to go back over all my notes, as I did find a Porter that was in the right age category that might be his father, and there was another Grigsby in their lineage line and I see from your postings that the Grigsbys were connected with the Masons. (also I realized today that the Lintons are also connected to my family too as I never knew that till today. My cousins and I have been searching for over 40 years to find Phillip’s parents and siblings. If anyone knows anything, please correspond. There happened to be another Philip Porter who lived in the same area who m a Sarah Largent who some people thought might be my Philip Porter, but he was accidentlly killed in 1800 and MY Philip Porter did not die till 1831. Thanks so much Phyllis for all you have shared. No matter how busy I am after just moving, I take time to ready your pages. I enjoy all of them, and today noticed an Edward Hagan which I will check out, as the Hagans and Porters intermarried too. Thanks for all your work. Dottie Porter Himes
I thought you would like this post! I have Bob Moore’s book – Bloomfield, Chapin and Fairfield – A History and Genealogy of Northeastern Nelson County, Kentucky. Since Porter’s were not in my direct line it didn’t occur to me that they would be listed – when you mentioned the Duncan’s that made me remember this book!
Attention: Phyllis Brown, I also have the book that Bob Moore wrote somewhere in a box, hopefully I will find it this week as our hall is stacked high with genealogy boxes. I thought that maybe you found the info on the Porters in Bob Moores book but I was not sure, so I will pull out his book again. Bob Moore told me that when he wrote his book, he only knew of James Porter and wife Nancy (Mason) in Bloomfield, and did not realize that he was the son of Philip Porter, who Bob Moore was also related to. While he was fighting cancer, he was so great, and always helping me and many families with their genealogy. He will certainly be missed even though I never had the pleasure to meet him, he was certainly a good man. If you are interested, I can send you pictures taken from the Fox-Porter cemetery too.
I would love pictures from the cemetery! Thank you!
I’m glad you have Bob Moore’s book – it’s such a wealth of information! Unfortunately I never met Bob, but I’ve heard he was a wonderful man – and a very good genealogist!
Was Bob Moore a Dr. Robert Moore? If so, I have some comments re. the Davis family.
No one replied re. my Bob vs. Dr. Robert Moore question, but I have since discovered my answer having finally gone through my old genealogy files. It was that wonderful Dr. Robert Moore who led me to the 1805 Nelson Co, Ky ORIGINAL PROPERTY and LOG CABIN of Mary Linton Lewis (Davis) and husb-cousin Vincent Davis. Wish I could have thanked him myself, but credit should be given where credit is due. In short, I got the info from Dorothy Hodges Thrawley’s metal file cabinets under Dr. Moore’s name, which contained all of her correspondence with him. Such a small world. Dorothy had said he was distantly related. Wonder how.