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John Porter Sr
(1658-1753)
Lydia Herrick
(1661-1739)
Hezediah Smith
(1659-1735)
Hannah Grover
(1662-1751)
Nehemiah Porter
(1698-1784)
Hannah Smith
(1690-1753)
Rev Nehemiah Porter
(1720-1820)

 

Family Links

Spouses/Children:
1. Rebecca Chipman
2. Elizabeth Newell

Rev Nehemiah Porter

  • Born: 22 Mar 1720, Ipswich, Essex County, Massachusetts
  • Marriage (1): Rebecca Chipman on 14 Feb 1749 in Beverly, Essex County, Massachusetts
  • Marriage (2): Elizabeth Newell DEC 1778 in Townsend, Middlesex, Massachusetts
  • Died: 29 Feb 1820, Ashfield, Franklin County, Massachusetts at age 99
  • Buried: Burial: Hill Cemetery (GR4), Ashfield, MA
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bullet  General Notes:

[Research of R. Jones on www.rootsweb.com]
Event: Event 1777 Chaplain in Revolutionary War 1
Occupation: Minister 4 1
Note:
[Jennings file of John Porter.FTW]
Reverend Nehemiah Porter graduated from Harvard College in 1745 and later received an M.A. also from Harvard. He entered Harvard at the "foot" of his class because of the low status of his father, a weaver. He was ordained in 1750.
Dismissed from his first church in Ipswich in 1766 and, having lost his wife a few years earlier, he moved to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. He returned to Mass. in 1771 leaving his oldest son to keep his farm. Settled in Ashfield in 1774. Preached ti l his death on Leap Day a few days short of his 100th birthday.
There is missinformation about Nehemiah in his grandson, Doric Porter's biographies. They say Nehemiah was a Presbyterian minister of Scotch origin. We know this to be wrong on both points as he was a Congregational minister of English origin.
The Worchester, Mass. Historical Society has diaries he kept dated 1749, 1752 and 1753.
From: Genealogy of the descendants Richard Porter who settled at Weymouth, Massachusetts, 1635, and allied families:also some account of the descendants of John Porter, who settled at Hingham, Massachusetts, 1635, and Salem, Massachusetts, 1644 . By Joseph W. Porter, of Burlington, Maine, 1878.
Page 263
"Rev. Nehemiah Porter, of Nehemiah Porter, "born in Ipswich, Nov. 20, 1720, at the Hamlet, now Hamilton; fitted for college by his minister, Rev. Mr. Wigglesworth; graduated from Harvard College, 1745; ordained minister of the Chebacco, or Secon d Parish church, in Ipswich, Jan. 3, 1750, he having preached there for some time already; continued there 16 years, then preached for several years in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, where he founded a Congregational church; then returned to Mass., and wa s installed minister of the church in Ashfield, Dec. 21, 1774, and was minister there forty-five years, dying Feb. 29, 1820; he had a colleague in 1808, but still continued his ministerial labors to a greater or less degree until his death. Marrie d 1st, Rebecca Chipman, daughter of Rev. John Chipman, Feb. 14, 1749; she born in Beverly, July 25, 1728; she died Oct. 28, 1763, aged 36; leaving nine children. The surviving descendants of Mr. Porter at the time of his death, were suppose d to be over two hundred and thirty in number."
(Provided by: Hal W. Jennings)

He had nine children. From the "A Porter Pedigree"
it is not clear (to me) which children came from which
mothers. Rev. Nehemiah Porter early decided to enter the
ministry, and after graduating from Harvard College,
studied theology with Rev. George Leslie. In 1750 he was
ordained pastor of the church in Chebacco parish, and
remained there 16 years. He then went to Nova Scotia,
where he remained for a few years, and then returned to
Massachusetts, and was installed as pastor in Ashfield,
where he remained until his death., having served for
seventy-five years as a minister of the Gospel. He was
a person of unusual originality, and an uncompromising
patriot. He voluntered his services as chaplain during
the revolution, and always believed that his prayers
turned the tide of favor of the Americans at the battle
of Saratoga. He was strongly anti-slavery, and rendered
important services to his country by his counsels. Many
interesting stories are told of him; of his unswerving
rectitude; his ready wit; his undaunted patriotism.
There is room for only one here. A gentlemen who refused
to attend church ended his argument with "I have a right
to think as I have a mind to." To which Mr. Porter instantly
replied, "You have no right to think wrong."
(A Porter Pedigree,Juliet Porter,1907)


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Nehemiah married Rebecca Chipman on 14 Feb 1749 in Beverly, Essex County, Massachusetts. (Rebecca Chipman was born on 25 Jul 1728 in Beverly, Essex County, Massachusetts and died on 28 Oct 1763.)


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Nehemiah next married Elizabeth Newell DEC 1778 in Townsend, Middlesex, Massachusetts. (Elizabeth Newell was born on 26 Aug 1725.)




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