Israel was born in 1643; he was a resident of Salem during the witch trials of 1692, and passed away in that town in 1706.
During the witch-hunt madness, Israel and his wife Elizabeth were among those who defended -- at no small risk to themselves -- one of the accused, the greatly-respected Rebecca Nurse; their names not only appear among the thirty-nine on a petition testifying to her good character, but also among the four appearing on written testimony further endorsing her innocence. This defense of one of the ultimate victims of the trials stands in stark contrast to the role of Israel's nephew John Porter (son of Israel's brother Samuel), who testified against another accused witch, Goody Bibber.
The trials in which these members of the Porter family became enmeshed have been shown to have arisen largely out of the tension, in Salem, between Israel's father John Porter -- Salem's largest landowner in his day -- and John Putnam, Sr. Their mid-1600s rivalry, and the factionalism arising from it, set the scene for the later trials; this assessment was at the heart of the 1985 PBS miniseries, "Three Sovereigns for Sarah", which dramatized how town politics significantly gave rise to the madness of the witch hunt.
Christening
Christening 12 FEB 1643 Hingham, Massachusetts [1][2]
↑ "Genealogical and Family History of the State of Maine" by George Thomas Little, A. M., Litt. D., (Lewis Historical Publishing Company, New York 1909)
↑ William Richard Cutter, A. M., Genealogy - Boston and Eastern Massachusetts Lewis Historical Publishing Company, New York, 1908.
↑ "Genealogical and Family History of the State of Maine" by George Thomas Little, A. M., Litt. D., (Lewis Historical Publishing Company, New York 1909)
↑ William Richard Cutter, A. M., Genealogy - Boston and Eastern Massachusetts Lewis Historical Publishing Company, New York, 1908.
↑ "Genealogical and Family History of the State of Maine" by George Thomas Little, A. M., Litt. D., (Lewis Historical Publishing Company, New York 1909)
Witch-trial references and reference to the PBS Amercian Playhouse production "Three Sovereigns for Sarah" from personal knowledge of Christopher Childs (Childs-1516), descendant of the elder John Porter and of trial victim Susannah (North) Martin, and an actor in the miniseries.
Massachusetts Applications of Freemen, 1630-91: Name: Mr. Israell Porter; Application Date: 18 Apr 1690; Residence: Salem Village, Massachusetts, USA; Original Source: Inter., Vol. II. pp. 12-14. Household Members: Name: Mr. Israell Porter
Massachusetts, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1790-1890: Name: Israell Porter; State: MA; County; Massachusetts Colony Township; Freeman 18 Apr; Year: 1690; Database: MA Early Census Index
Massachusetts, Compiled Marriages, 1633-1850: Name: Israell Porter; Gender: Male; Spouse: Elizabeth Hathorne; Marriage Date: 20 Sep 1672; City: Salem; County: Essex; Source: Family History Library, Salt Lake City, UT, Film # 0761210. Household Members: Name: Elizabeth Hathorne; Israell Porter
New England, The Great Migration and The Great Migration Begins, 1620-1635: Name: Israel Porter; Gender: Male; Household Members: Name: Israel Porter
U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s: Name: Israell Porter; Arrival Year: 1690; Arrival Place: Massachusetts; Household Members: Name: Israell Porter
U.S., New England Marriages Prior to 1700: Name: Israel Porter; Gender: Male; Marriage Date: 20 Nov 1672; Marriage Place: New England, USA; Spouse: Elizabeth Porter; Household Members: Name: Israel Porter; Elizabeth Porter
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Goody Sarah Bibber was not an accused witch, she was someone who accused several other women of witchcraft. John Porter, the son of Samuel Porter and grandson of John Sr., was one of several people who testified against Goody Bibber in the DEFENSE of Rebecca Nurse. Lydia Porter also testified similarly against Sarah Bigger in defense of Rebecca Nurse. They both basically said that she was an unruly and turbulent spirit, double tongued, and often very cross and quarrelsome. The description above contrasting the actions of Israel Porter and John Porter is not accurate or fair to John. They were both trying to save Rebecca Nurse. My source for this are the transcriptions of the actual depositions and testimonies, which can be found at http://salem.lib.virginia.edu/category/swp.html
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