This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list.
Surnames: PORTER ATHEARN ALLEN STEELE CUMMINGS
Classification: Query
Message Board URL:
http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/Ui.2ADE/338.1.1
Message Board Post:
Any information on Harriet J. ATHEARN would be greatly appreciated! We don't know
much about Rev. Joseph PORTER either, just that he came from Ohio and married Harriet in
Rising Sun, Indiana in 1835. I have found records indicating that her father, Prince
ATHEARN, lived in Rising Sun and designed and/or built several river boats while living
there. Joseph and Harriet must have left the states shortly after being married, because
my GGG grandfather Joseph Allen Porter was born to them in 1837 in India while they were
doing missionary work there. They brought him back to the states in 1849, left him with
relatives or friends, then returned to India without him where I believe they both died
about 1853. Prince ATHEARN's mother was Lydia ALLEN, and this is where my middle name
comes from. Her father's name was Joseph ALLEN, and Prince's father's name
was Joseph, also. My grandpa and great grandpa PORTER also both had the middle name of
ALLEN, as does one of my three sons!
. I suspect that my Rev. Joseph PORTER from Ohio was born in 1808 and is the son of
Joseph PORTER and Hannah STEELE, but I can not prove this. If so, Ebenezer PORTER and
Lydia CUMMINGS would have been his paternal grandparents. Joseph was born to Ebenezer
& Lydia in Massachusetts in 1770 (the same year & area Prince ATHEARN was born,
perhaps the families were acquainted and this was a factor in Rev. J & Harriet's
marriage.) Thank you for posting a response, any additional information would be greatly
appreciated.