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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Yorkshire (North Riding) => England => Yorkshire (North Riding) Lookup Requests => Topic started by: Polar on Monday 11 June 12 20:27 BST (UK)

Title: Hiram Portfield
Post by: Polar on Monday 11 June 12 20:27 BST (UK)
Anything at all about this person all my searches come up with place names of Hiram or Porterfield ( different spelling) He had a daughter Mary Ann born 1824 scarborough and thats all I have.
Any help gratefully recieved.
Chris
Title: Re: Hiram Portfield
Post by: Pels. on Monday 11 June 12 23:29 BST (UK)



Hi Chris, welcome !  :)

Can you be sure Mary Ann was born in Scarborough, have a look at this :

Name: Mary Ann Porterfield
Christening : 7th December 1824
Birth Date: 26th October 1824
Father : Hiram Porterfield
Mother : Jane
Place: United Presbyterian
Spittal, Northumberland

Kind regards,

Pels.
Title: Re: Hiram Portfield
Post by: Pels. on Monday 11 June 12 23:31 BST (UK)




Hiram in 1851 :

1851 census :
HO107/2367, Folio 203, Page 28

Yorkshire, Bridlington
Chestnut Cottages

Hiram Porterfield, head, wdr, 50, Boatman Coast Guard, b. Durham, Spittal   
Jane, dau, unm, 18, Dress Maker, b.Sussex, Hastings    
Grace, dau, 13, Scholar. b. Sussex, Hastings    
Charles, son, 11, Scholar, b. Sussex, Hastings

In all the later census returns they were living in Scarborough.

Also, the one and only time I can see the name Portfield written was on the marriage registration.

Pels.
Title: Re: Hiram Portfield
Post by: Pels. on Tuesday 12 June 12 08:29 BST (UK)



By putting the surname 'Portfield' into a FreeBMD search under 'All Types' there's only one result - again it's the marriage of Mary Ann, which suggests it's a mistake.

Marriage, December qtr 1845   
Mary Ann Portfield    
Hull, Vol 22, Page 345

Pels.
Title: Re: Hiram Portfield
Post by: Pels. on Tuesday 12 June 12 08:36 BST (UK)

 


Sorry for plodding through what you could already know, but the above marriage :
   
Marriage : 20th November 1845   
Mary Ann Portfield
John Middleton
Bride's father's name: Hiram Portfield
Groom's marital status :   Widowed
Bride's marital status: Single
Place of marriage:Holy Trinity Church, Hull, York

Pels.
Title: Re: Hiram Portfield
Post by: Pels. on Tuesday 12 June 12 08:41 BST (UK)





Here's the connection, see what you think :

1851 census :
HO107/2329, Folio 451, Page 32

Yorkshire, Pontefract
Village of Knottingley

Mary Ann Middleton, wife, mar, 27, Waterman's Wife, b. Yorks, Knottingley
Jane, dau, 2, b. Yorks, Knottingley
Jane Butterfield, 52, Visitor, b. Durham, Spittal
Isabella Butterfield, 8, Visitor, Durham, Spittal

A variant to the above name has been corrected to - Porterfield !  :) :)

Pels.
Title: Re: Hiram Portfield
Post by: Pels. on Tuesday 12 June 12 09:01 BST (UK)




Just for curiosity, is this where the search originated from in 1881 :

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XQN5-YRR

Pels.

Title: Re: Hiram Portfield
Post by: Pels. on Tuesday 12 June 12 10:13 BST (UK)



In 1891 the widowed John Middleton, born 1804 in Knaresborough, is staying with his son George who was born in Knottingley.

RG12/3516, Folio 46 Page 7

This again would fit with the 1851 census details I posted earlier at Reply #5.

Pels.
Title: Re: Hiram Portfield
Post by: Pels. on Tuesday 12 June 12 10:28 BST (UK)




If you click on this link and check on Family Search surrounding the time of Hiram's birth in Spittal, there are a few Porterfield baptism's. The common denominator being parents George and Mary Porterfield.

http://www.rootschat.com/links/0nih/

Sadly no Hiram, but it would be worth looking into.  :)

Pels.
Title: Re: Hiram Portfield
Post by: crimea1854 on Wednesday 13 June 12 08:38 BST (UK)
Hi Chris

The following may help you in identifying members of the family, and is a reconstruction of his service history while in the Coastguard Service from the CG Establishment Books.

He first entered the CG Service on 5 July 1831 having previously served on the Revenue Cruiser Mermaid. You could trace back his service on Mermaid by consulting her Muster Book (ADM 119/76) at the National Archives, unfortunately this can only be done in person. His first posting was to Priory CG Station near Hastings (ADM 175/5 pdf 249).

On 31 October 1831 he was promoted to Commisioned Boatman remaining at Priory. On 12 October 1841 he was transferred to Bridlington Quay (ADM 175/7 pdf 621), then on 29 August 1856 to Scarborough (ADM 175/7 pdf 615). The record shows he was promoted to Chief Officer, but he was still rated as a Comm. Boatman at Scarborough.

Given his age it cannot have been long before he was retired. The last record takes him up to 1862.

Pels I'm not sure you are correct about him being widowed in 1851, because on the 1871 Census Jane is very much alive (RG10/4818).

Hope this helps.

Martin
Coastguards of Yesteryear

PS: Have now found his discharge on superannuation, 30 June 1863 (ADM 175/9 pdf 56)
Title: Re: Hiram Portfield
Post by: Pels. on Wednesday 13 June 12 18:15 BST (UK)



Pels I'm not sure you are correct about him being widowed in 1851, because on the 1871 Census Jane is very much alive (RG10/4818).


Fantastic information Martin and of course you are right regarding the 1851 !  :) :) 

To be honest that wasn't a priority at the time because I was still trying to find a link to prove my other findings. With Jane not being there at that point - and not having seen the other returns I've quite obviously misread it.

(http://desmond.imageshack.us/Himg545/scaled.php?server=545&filename=marriedwidower.jpg&res=landing)

Pels. :)
Title: Re: Hiram Portfield
Post by: Pels. on Wednesday 13 June 12 18:33 BST (UK)





There's also a mention of Hiram Porterfield on FindMyPast in their Merchant Navy Seamen 1835-1941 section, not a lot of information - but still worth a look.

Over to you now Chris, to see what you think.

Pels.
Title: Re: Hiram Portfield
Post by: Polar on Monday 18 June 12 21:51 BST (UK)
Hi Everyone,
 You have all been so busy, thank you, I have the original birth and baptism certificates for William Middleton a son of John and Mary Ann but the mother signed with a cross as she was illiterate. Therefore she wouldn't have noticed that the r was missing from her name.
I believe I got the birthplace of Scarborough from a census record but I have left half my
papers at work so will have to check them tomorrow.
It would be great if the Hiram Porterfield you have is the right one as it puts life into a person instead of just another name and dates.
Thank you once again
Chris
Title: Re: Hiram Portfield
Post by: Maureen68 on Saturday 06 October 12 14:01 BST (UK)
My husband is descended from Hiram PORTERFIELD. I will be happy to share information about the family.

Maureen.
Title: Re: Hiram Portfield
Post by: Janet Spence on Friday 16 June 17 06:47 BST (UK)
Hi Maureen, my husband is also descended from Hiram Porterfield - 3rd Great grandfather. I am stuck on finding a marriage date for him and wife Jane. Any ideas??
Title: Re: Hiram Portfield
Post by: chempat on Sunday 18 June 17 18:12 BST (UK)
Welcome to rootschat. Janet.

Unfortunately Maureen only posted once on rootschat, so may not reply to your message.

Hopefully someone else (the original starter of this thread has not been active on here for some time) will be able to help you.
Title: Re: Hiram Portfield
Post by: chempat on Sunday 18 June 17 18:30 BST (UK)
Isabella Porterfield was born in about 1842 according to the 1861 census, so if you can find her birth registration that should give you Jane's maiden name.

Added:
This is the only one showing:
Porterfield   (female)  mmn Fife  September quarter 1843 Scilly Isles
    but too late for Isabella who is 8 in 1851.
(And there are other children born in the Sciily Isles, so presumably not her.)
Title: Re: Hiram Portfield
Post by: maureenellen on Sunday 14 April 19 15:20 BST (UK)
Are you still seeking information about Hiram?

Maureen
Title: Re: Hiram Portfield
Post by: LizzieL on Sunday 14 April 19 17:41 BST (UK)
His first posting was to Priory CG Station near Hastings (ADM 175/5 pdf 249).

On 31 October 1831 he was promoted to Commisioned Boatman remaining at Priory. On 12 October 1841 he was transferred to Bridlington Quay (ADM 175/7 pdf 621),

1841 census has Hiram and what I presume is wife and children in Hastings (St Michael on the rock Coast guard station)
Hiram  40 nbic
Jane 40 nbic
Mary 15 nbic
George 15 nbic
Hiram 10 nbic
Jane 9  bic (Sussex)
Margaret 6 bic
Grace 4 bic

people aged 15 and over rounded to nearest 5 of course
Title: Re: Hiram Portfield
Post by: maureenellen on Monday 15 April 19 13:03 BST (UK)
Many thanks for the replies about Hiram. I do have the details from his enlistment in the coastguards, including his birth date of 20th Oct. 1801, all of the census returns and his burial details. Unfortunately I have never been able to find a record of either his baptism or his marriage. A lady who regularly uses Berwick on Tweed records office kindly tried to help in the search but didn't manage to find anything.

Hiram and Jane did have children born after civil registration began but sadly they don't appear to have registered the births. I also tried a local register offices in case a birth had been missed off St Catherine's index but they had no record of a registration.

I found a report in the Kentish Gazette i9n 1833 that Hiram had been fired at whilst on duty and offering a reward for information leading to the offender being convicted.

Maureen
 

Title: Re: Hiram Portfield
Post by: LizzieL on Monday 15 April 19 14:26 BST (UK)
As some children were baptised in a Presbyterian chapel in Spittal, perhaps Hiram was also baptised in a Presbyterian chapel.
They are very close to Scotland, perhaps Hiram and Jane married there

added
Just did a quick search on Scotland's people for Hiram and nothing came up
Title: Re: Hiram Portfield
Post by: maureenellen on Monday 15 April 19 16:10 BST (UK)
Thank you, I did look at the chapel in Spittal but although there were baptisms of Porterfields there Hiram wasn't amongst them. Thanks too for looking on Scotland's people. This couple have certainly added to my grey hairs!
Title: Re: Hiram Portfield
Post by: LizzieL on Monday 15 April 19 17:09 BST (UK)
Another thought Hiram and Jane had Mary Ann, then George, then Eneas, then Hiram and Jane. Naming patterns aren't strictly adhered to but Eneas is such an unusual name, I thought it my be looking for any others in the area. An Eneas Swinhoe son of John and Anne was baptised in Tweedmouth on 11 May 1828. He appears on the 1841 census as Ennes Swinney age 13 with John age 44 and Ann age 43. Some of the children are baptised as Swinney in Tweedmouth. The youngest child in the family (also Ann) was born in 1840 mother's maiden name Cowe. There is a baptism for a John Swinhoe in Tweedmouth (residence Spittal) on 14 Aug 1796 s/o John and Elizabeth. John and Elizabeth also had a daughter Jane baptised on 30 Jun 1801 in Tweedmouth. Notes on baptism transcription state she was the first daughter 1st daughter, father is native of this Parish, mother was late CASELEY, native of Hebborn in parish of Chillingham.
Hiram's wife Jane was born Spittal abt 1801 according to census information, so this might fit.
There is a marriage between Elizabeth Caseley and John Swinnow in Cornhill, Northumberland on 27 Oct 1795 which might be the couple.

Just a wild theory but you never know!
Title: Re: Hiram Portfield
Post by: maureenellen on Tuesday 16 April 19 06:21 BST (UK)
Many thanks, when all else fails a bit of wild speculation can work wonders. I will keep this in mind. Surnames used as christian names in my husband's family can all be connected to female ancestor's maiden names, the one exception being ALLISON so I have thought that it possibly could be Jane's maiden name, another bit of a wild theory.