Free Will Baptist Cemetery, Marker #26 and foot marker: H D

(~1811-1871)

Hannah was born in Pembroke, Yarmouth Township possibly about 1811 and died on 21 or 27 July 1871; the daughter of John and Bethiah (Bent) Porter. Hannah married Joseph R Durkee who is buried next to her and named on the same grave marker. They had 15 children, the youngest of whom, Emeline, married Joseph P Eldridge. She died at the age of 21 and is buried with her parents.

There are discrepancies concerning Hannah’s age when she died. Although her grave marker says she was 62 her death record says she was 60. As the informant for the death record was her husband, Joseph, 60 is being used as her age in this profile, which would give a birth year of abt 1811. A second discrepancy concerns the first name of Hannah’s mother. While most records say her parents were John and Bethiah (Bent) Porter, her death record says her parents were John and Catherine Porter. A third discrepancy concerns the date of her death. While her grave marker appears to say she died 21 July 1871, her death record says she died 27 July 1871. Obviously, more research is needed.

Hannah is descended from William Knowlton, whose grave marker in Shelburne is among the earliest for any English settler in Nova Scotia, it simply reads “William Knowlton, 1632.” Hannah is also a Mayflower descendant, being descended from Mayflower passengers: Isaac Allerton and John Billington. Her husband, Joseph, is descended from passengers William Brewster, John Howland and John Tilley.

More information about Hannah and her children may be found in the Old Stones Family Group Sheet Index.

Please leave a comment if you have additional information, particularly as it concerns Hannah’s dates of birth and death and the name of her mother.