Descendant of NC Porterfields?

LEAVES FROM OUR TREE:

WHO WAS DAVID PORTERFIELD, SR.?

WAS HE A DESCENDANT OF THE PORTERFIELDS
OF CUMBERLAND COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA?

 

Written by Diane Carrington Bradford
4th great granddaughter of David Porterfield, Sr.
of Madison County, Georgia, and
Webmaster of Leaves From Our Tree

This article was researched and documented in accordance
with the elements of the "Genealogical Proof Standard" [GPS]
developed by the Board for Certification of Genealogists.

This article was updated Mar 2014 based on new documentation recently discovered.

In Volume III (now out of print) of Porterfield Lines dated, July 1993, editor, Ms. Frances Porterfield Willis considered the ancestry of David Porterfield, Sr., by posing the following questions:

  1. Was he a son of James Porterfield (1718-1777) of Cumberland County, North Carolina, brother of James, John, Dennis, and Eleanor Porterfield?

  2. Was he a son of John (b.1740-50 d. 1796) the second son of James (1718-1777), and a brother of John (1784-1857) who was the ancestor of the Butler County Alabama rterfields’? John (1784-1857) is the only alledged grandson of James (1718-1777) bearing the name Porterfield whom Frank Burke Porterfield [hereinafter FBP] named in his 1947 book The Porterfields.

  3. Was he a descendant of another lineage?

Ms. Willis considered her first two questions from the standpoint of time, place, naming patterns and the records provided to her in 1993 primarily by Porterfield descendant and long-time researcher Evelyn Haynes of Texas.

Based on her examination of the birth and death records for the known children of James Porterfield (1718-1777) Ms. Willis concluded that David Porterfield, Sr. was a contemporary of James, John and Dennis Porterfield and their sister, Eleanor (Porterfield) Owens. David Porterfield, Sr., was not named as an heir in any of the documents or records examined pertaining to the vast bounty lands awarded to heirs of Dennis Porterfield. Neither was he named in the will of John Porterfield (b.1740-50) probated July 1796 in Cumberland County, North Carolina (more on this later).

Therefore, in answer to her question "A" above, neither Ms. Willis nor any other Porterfield researcher had ever discovered any conclusive genealogical records directly connecting the Cumberland County, North Carolina Porterfields to David Porterfield, Sr.

Extant records indicated that John Porterfield was most likely born 1740-50. The 1830 Madison county, Georgia, census records showed that David Porterfield, Sr. was born 1750-1760. Therefore, David, Sr., could not possibly have been the son of John (b.1740-50 d. 1796).

Naming patterns and the repetition of names in succeeding generations often provided significant clues in identifying lineage. David and Christopher were distinctive names used in several generations of David Porterfield, Sr.’s descendants but were never used to name the descendants of James, John or Eleanor. Dennis Porterfield never married and had no direct descendants when he died in action during the Revolutionary War. The names James and John were used in the David, Sr. line and, indeed, were names commonly used among all the Porterfield lines descending from John Porterfield (1675-1739) immigrant from Donegal County, Ireland. The Butler County, Alabama and the Georgia Porterfields had only one other name in common: Willis Porterfield (1815-1870), Butler County, Alabama, son of John Porterfield (1784-1857); and Willis Porterfield (b. 1810), Madison County, Georgia, son of James Porterfield (1782-Jan 1863).

Therefore, in answer to Mrs. Willis’ question "B," neither the naming patterns found in the Cumberland County, North Carolina line, the Butler County, Alabama line nor the David Porterfield, Sr., line or the relevant birth dates examined provided significant evidence of any direct descent.

The many records pertaining to James Porterfield (1718-1777) and his descendants in North Carolina were associated with Cumberland, Bladen, and Moore Counties. Guilford County is in north central North Carolina. Cumberland, Bladen, and Moore Counties are in southeastern North Carolina.

As mentioned previously, David, Sr., married Sarah Nunn in Guilford County, North Carolina 3 Dec 1778. [Source: North Carolina Marriage Bonds, 1741-1868, "Guilford County." [Raleigh, NC, USA: North Carolina State Archives, North Carolina Division of Archives and History.] The couple's two oldest sons, Christopher and James Thomas were born in North Carolina according to 1850 and 1860 Madison County, Georgia census records. All other known records were from Georgia. Therefore, Ms. Willis concluded that there was no direct link and that the two lines were only distantly related.

The only other record of David, Sr., ever found in North Carolina (but not until Oct 2005, so Ms. Willis never knew of this) was in the state militia pay records for Guilford County showing he was due pay for 22 days of service in Jan and Feb 1776 as a private in Col. James Martin's Regiment, Capt. Thomas Flack's company, two years before he married Sarah. [Source: North Carolina Revolutionary Army Accounts, Raleigh, NC: Treasurers and Comptrollers Papers, Vol. 1-6, Reel #48, p 269.] However, this record indicated that David, Sr., was only in Guilford County, never in any other counties.

In response to her question "C," Ms. Willis briefly mentioned census records for a line of Porterfields in Orange County, North Carolina from 1810-1860, and suggested that this family should be explored to determine whether they were related to James Porterfield (1718-1777) and his descendants in North Carolina or to David Porterfield, Sr.

What Ms. Willis might have failed to consider was that in 1760 the counties of Rowan, Orange, Cumberland and Anson shared common borders and comprised the western half of North Carolina. It wasn’t until 1775 that Guilford County was created from approximately equal amounts of land taken from the western side of Orange County and the eastern side of Rowan County. At that point Guilford County still shared parts of its borders with Rowan, Orange, Cumberland and Anson counties, plus two other new counties—Surry and Chatham. The maps below demonstrate that the various Porterfield family branches were not quite as geographically separated as Ms. Willis’ statements seemed to imply. However, the greater probability was that the Porterfield line in Orange County from 1810-1860 were descendants of James Porterfield (1718-1777) of Cumberland County, North Carolina.

While Ms. Willis' evaluations pertained to extant public documents and primarily the information from FBP's 1947 book The Porterfields, she did not consider the family relationships claimed in the Emma Brannon and Lou Goolsby Davis book These Passed Our Way, published in 1972. To clarify the information from the two books, FBP stated on page 95-96 of his book that John Porterfield (b. 1740-50 d. 1796), second son of James of Cumberland County (1718-1777), was the "ancestor of the Butler County, Alabama Porterfields, and those of Elbert, Madison and Franklin counties in Georgia."

He continued, “…The first census of 1790 found John (b. 1740-50 d. 1796) a resident of Laurens County, South Carolina, and the owner of a large Plantation there. No other record of him has been found….” Additionally, FBP wrote, “…John Porterfield (1784-1857), planter, was born at Cambelton, North Carolina; removed with his father to Laurens County, South Carolina; m. Martha Warren; removed to Butler County, Alabama, after the close of the Creek War in 1814, when Alabama was yet a part of Mississippi Territory, and located near Fort Deposit, where he acquired and operated a large plantation….”

Those statements were what Brannon/Davis relied upon in their 1972 book, page 177, wherein they listed James Porterfield (ca 1782-1863, m. Tabitha Bond) as a son of John Porterfield [b. 1740-50 d. 1796] and a brother of John Porterfield (1784-1857). They also suggested that David Porterfield, Jr., of Madison County, Georgia was another brother in this family, but they completely ignored any and all mention of David Porterfield, Sr., and Christopher Porterfield, names also repeatedly found in the Madison County records in the same time frame.

Interestingly, FBP did NOT make such suggestions about James (1782-1863) in his book, nor did he mention any siblings at all for John (1784-1857). Neither did he list the names of ANY Georgia Porterfields in his book. Recent research revealed documentation that showed the statements and claims in both books to be incorrect!

FACTS:

  1. John Porterfield (b. 1740-50 d. 1796) son of James (1718-1777) served as a private in a Wilmington District, North Carolina militia regiment throughout the Revolutionary War. The North Carolina Revolutionary Army Accounts housed at the North Carolina State Archives showed he was paid twice for his services—ca. 1783-84 by Comptroller's Office Voucher No. 4609; and again in 1785 by Comptroller's Office Certificate No. 4058. [Source: Roster of Soldiers from North Carolina in the American Revolution. Published by NCDAR, 1932. Printed by Seeman Press, Durham, NC, page 213, 356.]

  2. He died 15 Jun 1796 on Plantation Deep River, Cumberland County, North Carolina. [Source: Cotten, Elizabeth Henderson, Helen Dortch Harrison & Jane Cutler Bahnsen, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Library, compilers. Marriages & Death Notices from Raleigh, NC newspapers, 1796-1826. Easley, SC: Southern Historical Press, 1977, page 42.]

  3. John (b. 1740-50 d. 1796) left a will on record in Cumberland County, North Carolina, probated July 1796, which mentioned wife, Ann, and nephews, sons of Eleanor, sister of John, who married Col. Thomas Owen. [Source: Cumberland County Wills, 1757-1955, page 73-74; "John Porterfield." Unbound. North Carolina State Archives.]

The above three facts strongly indicated that John (b. 1740-50 d. 1796) always lived in North Carolina. No children, male or female, were mentioned in John's will, which begged the question—were the Porterfields in Alabama directly related to the Cumberland County, North Carolina Porterfield line? The answer was NO!

FACTS:
  1. There was another John Porterfield who received a land grant in Craven County, South Carolina in 1770, but who migrated north and west as more lands were opened up to settlement. [Source: Colonial Plat Books, 1675-1788, (Online database) Series: S213184, Volume: 0011, Page: 00468, Item: 02, Record 1. "Porterfield, John, Plat for 200 Acres in Craven County. Columbia: South Carolina Department of Archives & History.]

    2.
  2. He was an adult head-of-household enumerated on a 1779 census of the Old 96th District, during the middle of the Revolutionary War. [Source: Excerpts from "1779Census - 96th District,"USGenWeb Archives - South Carolina, Statewide: Old Districts & Counties, File: 1779_96D.CEN.]

    3.
  3. Laurens and Newberry counties, which adjoin, were both created out of the 96th District in 1785, so this John Porterfield’s property probably fell across the line into both counties. That would explain why this John Porterfield was enumerated on the 1790 Laurens Co., census report (himself, wife, 3 sons and 2 daughters). He was the only Porterfield enumerated in the entire State of South Carolina that year. [Source: 1790 Laurens County, South Carolina, Census. [Online]. Laurens, South Carolina: 1790. [Ancestry.com electronic database: images of original documents] Roll: M637_11; Image: 0257; Page: 428.]

  4. However, his death before 21 Oct 1795 was recorded in Newberry County as documented by the following (transcribed verbatim):
    5. "On Wednesday the twenty first day of October in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety five the court met & was called to order according to adjournment. Present: J R Brown, JNC

    "Upon motion of Sarah Porterfield ordered that letters of administration of the rights and credits of John Porterfield deceased be granted her that she take the oaths as the law directs and be bound in a bond of the sum of two hundred pounds for her faithful administration that Hames Caldwell John Fifer John Moore and Richard Griffin be directed to appraise the said dec'd estate they being first sworn before Robert Gillam Esq're." [Source: Newberry County, South Carolina, Journals of the County and Intermediate Court, Record of Court Minutes Book A, October Term 1795. Columbia: South Carolina Department of Archives & History. p 655.]

John Porterfield of South Carolina died nearly a year before the death of John Porterfield (b 1740-50 d. 1796) of Cumberland County, North Carolina. More significantly, John Porterfield of South Carolina did have children, including two sons who were under age 16 and one son over age 16 on the 1790 census. The estate records for John Porterfield in Newberry County, South Carolina, indicated that in addition to his wife, Sarah Porterfield, acting as Administratrix,, Robert Porterfield also posted a 200£ bond as Administrator in 1798. [Source: Newberry County, South Carolina, Estate Papers, L36083. Columbia: South Carolina Department of Archives & History. Roll N288; Box 357, Pkg 57, Frames 1330-1336.] Robert was most probably the oldest son noted on the 1790 census.

This was the family that produced the John Porterfield (1784-1957) who married Martha Warren and moved to Butler County, Alabama about 1814. He possibly was the youngest son listed on the 1790 census. The 1800 and 1810 census reports enumerated Porterfields still in Newberry County, but no where else in South Carolina.

Admittedly, all Porterfields in America in that era were descendants of John the Immigrant (1675-1739), therefore were all related to some degree. They just were not related as indicated in either of the previously published books.

In summary, the "facts" documented above clearly confirmed the glaring lack of evidence for the various family relationships as stated by FBP or by Brannon/Davis.

CONCLUSION

To this day, no Porterfield researcher has ever discovered any conclusive genealogical records indicating that the Porterfield family of Georgia descended directly from the Porterfield lines in either Cumberland County, North Carolina or Butler County, Alabama.

This writer's careful scrutiny of the above evidence, plus the 1830 census, showed that the only Porterfields any where in the State of Georgia were those listed as heads of households in Madison County: David, Sr., Christopher, James and David, Jr. Clearly this was a family group that did, indeed, descend from another branch of the Porterfield family.

To accurately determine exactly which branch, Porterfield family researchers still must answer two of the remaining four questions of our original six:

1. Who were his parents and where did they come from?, and

2. Who were his grandparents and where did they come from?

Next: Who were his parents ? to "Who Were His Parents...?"

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