James was the third son of Hezeklah, born in Hadley, Mass. February 24, 1695 We find no record of James while in Hadley, but while a young man, he probably moved to Northfield from East Hartford, Conn., to which latter place, he probably moved with his parents in 1707.

He took an active part in the defenses of Northfield, during the second and third settlement of that town, and when the Wrights were in the garrison of Northfield. From December 1. 1721 to July 24 1722, are the first dates In which he is mentioned in the history of Northfield, at which time he is reported as being a soldier in Father Rahl's Was as follows: Seventeen weeks in 1722, twenty six weeks In 1724 and thirty three weeks In 1725. The services of 1722 was undoubtedly in the garrison at Northfield. In 1724 he served under Capt. Kellogg in an expedition up the Connecticut River, after old chief Cray Lock and his tribe.

There were 'our detachments which started from Northfield,, November 30, 1724, each taking a different route to the north and the north -rest. The trip was without results and he with another company, under Capt. Thomas Wells, started in February 1725, on a similar trip up the same river and when on their return, April 24, the canoe containing James Porter and five others was over-turned coming over the falls in the Connecticut river, at what is now Bellows Falls, and three were drown. James and two companions were saved, (see history of Northfield) this trip was also without results, as in many similar instances the enemy had completely disappeared.

Immediately after, Capt. Wright organized a company of scouts and made an excursion to northwestern Vermont and undoubtedly, James Porter was one of this party. And very soon after, married the Captains daughter, Experience, and about 1750, with his -family, moved to No.  4, the new settlement on the Connecticut River, later named Charleston.

Tradition states that James Porter married the daughter of Benjamin Wright the noted Indian fighter but does not state her first name. History of Charleston, states he married Experience surname unknown. The genealogy of the Wright family, names Experience, as the youngest daughter by his second wife, (Mary Baker) of Capt. Benjamin Wright, and is the only woman of that name mentioned in the residents of Northfield at that time. This evidence and the fact that the name Benjamin has been perpetuated by the descendents Of the Porter family, established the marriage relation between the two families the Porters and Wrights.

As will be seen from these records and the genealogical records Of John of Windsor, we have two different records of this James Porter of the same date of birth and from the same parents.  Both cannot be right. The one wherein James marries Mary Pitkins, is from the genealogy of John Porter of Windsor, Conn., compiled by two different people and at different times, with a number of years intervening, and the information obtained in the last revision was largely by correspondence, and that the same authority so mixed up the family records of Hezekiah, James' father, where it is recorded that Hezeklah's second wife, Hannah, died in 1708, and he married his third wife, Elizabeth, In 1714. Notwithstanding this six years of unmarried life, the records show the birth of two children in that interval. A copy of these same records, a copy of which appears in the Newberry library of Chicago, Ill., has very many corrections in names, dates and places, made by people who have referred to other sources for their information.

On the other hand, the History of Charleston, was compiled by Rev. H. H. Sanderson, a resident of that place.  He was thoroughly familiar, not only with the history of his own town, but of the surrounding country, and his work was done at a period of time when many of the old people living, either remembered, or had heard from the lips of those who had participated In the affairs of old No. 4. The incidents and family histories he recorded, when that source of Information was available, he had access to the old town and state records to verify tradition and dates. For these reasons, the History of Charleston, we must accept as the true history end genealogy of the Porter family.

On July 2, 1753, James Porter was one of the forty four grantees of Charleston and Petitioners for charter. On June 21, 1750, James and his son William, with twenty seven others, enlisted in His Majesty's service under the command of Capt. Phineas Stevens for duty at the fort No. 4. It was arranged that one half should go on duty from June 21-22 to December 20th, following when the term of the second half should commence and continue to the following June, although this was after the treaty of peace of Aix-la-Chapelle, the Indians were restless and uneasy and showed signs of an outbreak on the least provocation.

In the list of the residents of Charleston prior to 1776, or those that became residents between the first date of settlement 1740, and that date, appear the names of James Porter and his two sons, William and Noah. On June 16, 1749, orders came to No. 4, for the dismission of all the soldiers except fifteen which was carried into effect the next day.

Heywood in his Journal, says, "The 18th, I kept fort, the 19th, the Captain and all the men left but nine. The 20th, about three o'clock the Indians fired on Ensign Sartwell and Enos Stevens as they were  corn, took Enos, killed Sartwell and his horse.  We instantly fired two alarms with a small gun and fired the great gun to alarm James Porter. Lieut. Willard and his two sons who were at work in the meadow. They heard the guns and took of f to Fort Dummer. About two hours after Doctor Bildad Andross, came from Northfield and stayed until dark and then he and I set off to carry the news.

The next day we sot to Fort Dummer about nine o'clock in the morning and found the runaways there, and then I set off for Northfield.

One may judge from this and many similar occurrences during early settlement of Charleston and other New England settlements that the early settlers led very strenuous lives. Of the one hundred soldiers at No. 4, from March 1st, 1748 to June 16, 1749 were James Porter Jr. and William, son of James.

In 1763, James Porter was appointed one of a committee of three to set off or divide the settlement into school districts and in 1774, he again appears as one of a committee of two for the East District, a new district, set off that year, making four in all.

From an old manuscript in the State House of Boston, we find the following: James Porter of Northfield, petitions May 1727, as Follows: "Being one of the soldiers that in the year ear 1725, enlisted under the command of Capt. Thomas Wells, of Deerfield, on an expedition of the Connecticut river, in the month of March, In the pursuit of the Indian enemy. On our return, it was our bad had to have our canoe over set coming down a ledge of falls. There three of our canoe company were drown. Lieut. Joseph Clesson, Samuel Harmon and myself, with great difficulty gained land. Lost my gun valued five pounds, my blanket and all accouterments fitted for such an expedition valued at five pounds, both amounts allowed."

The records do not show where James Porter or Ms wife were buried. His son, James Porter jr., lived in Charleston until his death and many of his descendents are yet to be found in and about that locality.