The town name in the deed books of Fauquier County, Virgina state that the name of the village was taken from the family that settled the area in the latter part of the eighteenth century. Yet an old and oft told tale is of a bull sneaking his way from where he lived to explore other pastures and chose to stop and turn around home, without finding find any ladies to entice. By 1835 it became a part of the Porter plantation.
Colonel Lewis Porter
The last living member of the family to maintain the estate was Colonel Lewis Porter. He survived the War and returned home in 1865. He was fifty-four years old. What is interesting to note in his vital records, there is no marriage certificate. For reasons known only to him, he chose not to marry, but instead, followed the custom of the time for a southern gentleman. Colonel Lewis chose two of his former female slaves as his consorts, Miss Winny Wilkins and her daughter Matilda. This was not a system of co-habitation or common law marriage. What also needs to be considered is, at the time, working plantations were self sufficient and self contained and the individuals working for Colonel Lewis, lived in separate dwellings on the estate, maintaining their own households.
The Wilkins Women
In 1866/7, Miss Winny Wilkins gave birth to a girl named Minty. Matilda Wilkins gave birth in succession, to four girls, respectively named, Mary, 1866/7 born, Agnes, 1868/9 Dolly, 1870/71 and Martin in 1872. The youngest and last girl was named after his father, Martin Porter. All five of carried the last name of Porter, as was the prevailing practice of surnames of the period. And the Colonel, perhaps aware that he would not sire any sons, conceded that at the least, his father’s name would continue.
An Unusual Last Will
Colonel Lewis passed away in 1891, leaving a unique will. Yes, this was a standard practice, but, the Colonel honored both Miss Winny and Miss Matilda and his daughters by leaving their portions of lands and dwellings outright to them exclusively. What this entailed was in the case of their marriage, the property that was bequeathed would not automatically transfer to a husband’s holdings. The legacy could only be willed to their descendants, if they chose to do so. The daughters did marry, and according to the various record books housed in the reference library of Warrenton and the extensive research done by the African American Museum in The Plains, the clans soon expanded to include the Carters, the Malvins, the Pinns and the Turner’s.
The Porter House
The Porter House stayed in the family until 1970. A Mrs. Birney Robert bought the abandoned shell several years ago and has restored the house. The bulk of the out buildings are still standing as well as the original homes of four of the five daughters.
Sources:
Fauquier County Virginia's Clerks Loose Papers, A Guide to Records- 1759-1919, Joan W. Peters, C.G.R.S, pp 45-55, Heritage Books, 1989
Fauquier County Records Department, Warren Green Hotel, Warrenton, Virginia, 20186
Afro American Historical Association of Fauquier County
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