John Porter was born in Kenilworth, Warwickshire, England In the year 1590, at Uraxhall Abbey, the ancient seat of the family, and was the tenth descendant from William De-La-Port, a Roman Knight who cam to England in the train of William the Conqueror in 1066, as seen on the roll of Battell Abbey. Which name, by easy changes, was transformed into Porter. The name is also derived from the French name "Porteur" a grand servant of the King, which position Ralph De-La-Port, son of William the Roman Knight, held under Henry the First.

John Porter, his wife Rose and such children of theirs, as were born in England, sailed from London in the ship "Annie" and arrived in Dorchester, Mass., May 30, 1627, where they resided until the summer of 1635, when they joined one of the companies organized for the purpose of penetrating the wilderness and for religious freedom. These companies made settlement at Windsor, Hartford and Wethersford Connecticut. Mr. Porter and family located at Windsor and from that time on to the present, has been handed down in all records as "John Porter of Windsor”. Here he died April 22, 1648 and his wife, Rose, on May 12th in the same year. Their descendants were pioneers and took part in every Colonial War, the war of the Revolution, 1612 and, the Civil War, and helped to wrest, from the savages, nearly every eastern state.

The children of John and Rose Porter were as follows. As will. be seen, there are many discrepancies in dates but as there is no way of telling which Is right, we follow those given by the first compliers ­whether right or wrong.