SECOND GENERATION.

Sergeant John^ Porter of Richard^ Porter. Lived in
Weymouth, with ' the possible exception of a few years
in Bridgewater, of which I am doubtful. He was one .of the
most enterprising men of his time. He had many land grants
in Weymouth. He was also a large purchaser of lands in
ancient Bridgewater, in 1686, 1687, 1693, 16&4, 1696 and in
1699. In Bridgewater, Feb. 13, 1686, at a meeting of
purchasers of Bridgewater lands, "they did agree to give to
Rev. Mr. Keith, so many as were willing, out of their thirty
acre wood lots as followeth, two acres each; " this agreement
was signed by John Porter. About the same time he with
others agreed to^ive land for a common in Bridgewater "for
good of all." In 1693 he built the first saw mill in what is
now South Abington at "Little Comfort." In 1696 he sold
half of this mill to Joseph Josselyn. In 1680 he and John
Holbrook of Weymouth took a mortgage of a brewery in
Boston, of Robert Cox, which stood not far from the site of the
present postoffice. In 1705 he and his wife sold Grape Island,
in Weymouth ; he was a useful, honored citizen, holding all the
various town offices at different times ; committee to run town
lines several times. One remarkable fact about him is, that
I cannot find that he was ever made a freeman by the General
Court — without which in those times, no man could hold
public office, it was said. He married Deliverance, daughter
of Nicholas, and Martha (Shaw) Byram, Feb. 9, 1660. He
died in Weymouth, Aug. 7, 1717 ; his widow died Sept. 30, 1720.