James Haywood Porter Sr (abt. 1832 - 1862)

Born about 1832 in Sampson, North Carolina, United States

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 4 Jul 1862 at about age 30 in Dinwiddie, Virginia, United States

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Biography

Haywood Porter Sr was born in North Carolina.

Private Haywood Porter Sr served in the United States Civil War.
Enlisted: Apr 24 1862
Side: CSA
Regiment(s): Company I

A birth record has not been located for James Haywood Porter. Some marriage information and documentation of at least one illegitimate child and several children by marriage has emerged.

He enlisted 26 Apr 1862 in the Confederate States of America (CSA) Company I of the 46th Regiment North Carolina Infantry, known as Coharie Guards, [estimated age 27], but he died that same year after having contracted rubeola.^[1] A positive match for him in the Soldiers records of Confederate North Carolina Troops suggests that he may have travelled with the regiment in the Army of Northern Virginia and may have been present in on of the Seven Days' Battles, in either Hanover or Henrico County, Virginia.^[2] This same person match shows him as having been born in 1835 Sampson County, that he was a farmer; that he enlisted in Clinton; and that he died 4 Jul 1862, Petersburg, Virginia.^[3]

Primary sourcing on Haywood Porter rests upon the 1850 census, which is reproduced in part here because it is the strongest source, with some exceptions.

1850 Census Data for the Family of Origin Constellation

All household persons on record were born in North Carolina.^[4]

Samuel Porter (M, 40)

Nancy Porter (F, 38)

Their children and James Haywood Porter's siblings:

• Haywood Porter (M, 18 - b. c. 1832)
• Elizabeth Porter (F, 16)
• Daniel Porter (M, 14)
• Blackman Porter (M, 12)
• Moley Porter (F, 10)
• Rebecca Porter (F, 8)
• Henry Porter (M, 6)
• Marshal Porter (M, 3)
• Lucy Porter (F, 0)

Consistent with the findings in the 1860 census, regarding the family of origin, James Haywood Porter is absent in the household of his father by then (by about age 28).^[5]

Pre-marital Partner

No record of a marriage for Haywood Porter and Lucy Fann has been found, but their relationship is acknowledged in the marriage record of one - and maybe their only - son (please see Research Notes). The birth of this child would date his relationship with Lucy Fann to about 1853.

Reconciling His Age & Pre-marital Family

The family of James H (Haywood) Porter is described in the 1860 Northern Division Honeycutts District, Sampson County census, a location consistent with the earlier, 1850 census. The main discrepancy, however, is that the James H Porter in the 1860 census is attributed with an age of 38; whereas, Haywood Porter in the 1850 census was attributed with an age of 18. The most probable error is that he was recorded as 38 in 1860; whereas, his age was 28. This aging is fairly consistent with the age estimate reflected in the CSA record (born 1835 in one source,^[3] and estimated age 27 in another).^[1] Please see the below Research Notes for a discussion of the evidence of at least one child by Lucy Fann, the paternity record, and other circumstantial evidence.

Marriage and Legitimate Children

About 1853, James Haywood Porter married Margaret Jean Butler (b. 27 Jul 1827), the daughter of Benjamin Butler and Anna M Hair.^[6]

Accordingly, with the 1860 census^[7], we find James Haywood Porter had married 6 Dec 1853^{[citation needed]} Margaret Jean Butler (ca. 1827-1897), and five children between them before James (H. Porter) Sr's death in 1862, and from a South Carolina Historical Society report,^[1] and The Heritage of Sampson County, North Carolina:^[6]

1. Charlie Henry Porter^[8] [(5) ca. 1854-1893], m. Nancy Evelyn or Eulene Warren^[9]
2. Celestial Elmore Porter [(4) ca. 1856-1928], m. in 1884 Mathew Butler^[10]
3. Margaret Ann Porter [(2) ca. 1858-1944^[11]], m. Elbert Anson Strickland^[12]
4. James Haywood Porter Jr [(1/12) ca. 1860-1947^[13]], m. in 1884 Apsilla Honeycutt^[14]
5. Samuel Bennett Porter (ca. 1862-1949^[15]), m. 12 Apr 1888 Georgiana Royal - not born as of the 1860 census. Birth records for their children are at FamilySearch, but the first census year that is attached is not until 1900^[16]

Death Record

Note that Find A Grave: Memorial #104665877 applies, describing his death place as Dinwiddie, Virginia and burial location as Petersburg, Virginia; however, it previously attributed a birth year as 1835, without source, which was inconsistent with the majority of the census data indications. A probate record for Haywood Porter in Sampson County has been located.^[17]

Research Notes

Some researchers have read the entry of his name as Bates; whereas, the cursive appears to be subject to interpretation as either Bates or Porter. The Porter read is consistent with the above shown family of origin constellation. Note also that this record does not confirm that Haywood Porter/Bates was present: it acknowledges paternity. Other records confirm a death date earlier than the 1871 Fann-Spell marriage, below-described.

"North Carolina, County Marriages, 1762-1979," database with images, FamilySearch: 3 Nov 2017, Lucy Fann and Husband HAYWOOD BATES (sic) (Haywood Porter - see image attached to this profile) in entry for Adolphus Fann and Harriet Spell, 04 Jun 1871; citing Sampson, North Carolina, United States, p. bk 1, Office of Archives and History, Division of Archives and Records. State Archive of North Carolina and various county Register of Deeds; FHL microfilm 553,930.

The 1860 census clearly appears to apply to Haywood Porter (James H Porter age 38, birth year estimated as 1822); however, the difference of a decade is inconsistent with the 1850 report where Haywood Porter is age 18, an age which easily reconciles with James Haywood having had an pre-marital relationship with Lucy Fann. This relationship is in evidence because Lucy's two children both took her surname.^[18]

The child Haywood Porter had with Lucy Fann (ca. 1828-1896), is confirmed by paternity acknowledged at putative son Adolphus Fann's marriage (also above-mentioned). Furthermore, on the same 1860 census pages:

1. Adolphus D Fann [(7) ca. 1853-1916] - living with Lucy Fann (33) and her brothers John C Fann (28) & Richard Fann (23) and another child of Lucy's: Alpheus Fann (5) at the 1860 census.

Again, on the 1860 census, it may be of no small coincidence that Lucy Fann was living with her brothers, John C and Richard Fann and her two children in a household enumerated as adjacent (with the exception of an unoccupied dwelling-house) to that of James H Porter and his wife, Margaret J (Jean Butler), and their four living children.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Zeznock, Terry. James H Porter Sr Family History in South Carolina Historical Society History.
2. ↑ US Department of the Interior: National Park Service. The Civil War. Battle Unit's Soldiers: 46th Regiment, North Carolina Infantry. Citing M230 Roll 31 alias John H in filing, but reported as James H Porter. Accessed 19 Oct 2020.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Bizzell, Oscar M, & Sampson County Historical Society. The heritage of Sampson County, North Carolina: Article 368P. 1983, p. 241. Newton Grove, North Carolina: Winston-Salem, North Carolina: The Sampson County Historical Society, Hunter Publishing.
4. ↑ 1850 United States Federal Census (Census & Voter Lists): Haywood Porter, Birth: 1832, Residence: 1850 Sampson, North Carolina. See also: "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch: 12 Apr 2016, Haywood Porter in household of Samuel Porter, Sampson County, Sampson, North Carolina, United States; citing family 188, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Administration).
5. ↑ "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch: 12 December 2017), Saml (sic) (Samuel) Porter, 1860.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Butler, Mamie J in Bizzell, Oscar M, & Sampson County Historical Society. The heritage of Sampson County, North Carolina: Article 501. 1983, p. 333. Newton Grove, North Carolina: Winston-Salem, North Carolina: The Sampson County Historical Society, Hunter Publishing.
7. ↑ Note that his estimated birth year here is 1822. However, such a date would mean that the 1850 census reporting was off by ten years, which seems highly unlikely; whereas, it is more probable that his estimated and reported age in 1860 was the only invalid data point. "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch: 12 Dec 2017, James H Porter, 1860.
8. ↑ "United States Census, 1870," database with images, FamilySearch: 12 Apr 2016, Charly H Porter in household of Margaret J Porter, North Carolina, United States; citing p. 19, family 134, NARA microfilm publication M593 (Washington DC: National Archives and Records Administration); FHL microfilm 552,658.
9. ↑ "North Carolina Deaths, 1931-1994," database, FamilySearch: 18 Jul 2017, Nancy E Porter, 14 Dec 1933; citing Mingo, Sampson, North Carolina, fn 1676 cn 191, State Department of Archives and History, Raleigh; FHL microfilm 1,943,078.
10. ↑ "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch: accessed 4 Apr 2019, Celestial Butler in household of Mathew Butler, Honeycut Township, Sampson, North Carolina, United States; citing enumeration district 94, sheet 11A, family 176, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972); FHL microfilm 1,241,217.
11. ↑ Her mother is named as Peggie G Butler in Margarette Ann (Porter) Strickland's death record: "North Carolina Deaths, 1931-1994," database, FamilySearch: indexed 18 Jul 2017, Hazwood Parter (sic) (Haywood Porter) in entry for Margarette Ann Strickland, 09 Sep 1944; citing Honeycutts, Sampson, North Carolina, fn 44-20A cn 20126, State Department of Archives and History, Raleigh; FHL microfilm 1,943,248.
12. ↑ "North Carolina Deaths, 1931-1994," database, FamilySearch: 10 Feb 2018, Margarette A Strickland in entry for Anson Strickland, 17 Oct 1934; citing Honeycutts, Sampson, NC, fn 1746 cn 331, State Department of Archives and History, Raleigh; FHL microfilm 1,943,093.
13. ↑ Noted as son of Peggie Jane (Butler) and James Haywood Porter in his death record: "North Carolina Deaths, 1931-1994," database, FamilySearch: indexed 17 Jul 2017, James H Mr Porter in entry for James Haywood Mr Porter, 06 Oct 1947; citing Little Cohaire, Sampson, North Carolina, cn 23245, State Department of Archives and History, Raleigh; FHL microfilm 1,926,627.
14. ↑ "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch: accessed 4 Apr 2019, James Porter, Little Coharie Township Autryville & Roseboro towns, Sampson, North Carolina, United States; citing enumeration district 96, sheet 17A, family 298, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972); FHL microfilm 1,241,217.
15. ↑ Named as the son of Peggy (Butler) and Haywood Bennett (sic) Porter in Samuel's death record: "North Carolina Deaths, 1931-1994," database, FamilySearch: indexed 17 Jul 2017, Haywood Bennett Porter in entry for Samuel Bennett Porter, 09 Sep 1949; citing Sampson, North Carolina, v 30B cn 30531, State Department of Archives and History, Raleigh; FHL microfilm 1,926,758.
16. ↑ "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch: accessed 4 Apr 2019, Samson Porter, Honeycut Township, Sampson, North Carolina, United States; citing enumeration district 94, sheet 8A, family 126, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972); FHL microfilm 1,241,217.
17. ↑ "North Carolina Estate Files, 1663-1979," database with images, FamilySearch: indexed 16 Mar 2018, Haywood Porter, 1862; citing Sampson, North Carolina, United States, State Archives, Raleigh; FHL microfilm 2,194,856.
18. ↑ "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch: 12 Dec 2017, James H Porter, 1860.

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Greg Rose for starting this profile. Click the Changes tab for the details of contributions by Greg and others.