Individual Details

Henry Porter Fuller was reported in an Ancestry FamilyTree as the son of Jabez Fuller & Hannah Shelton. This seems most unlikely since Jabez would have been only age 9 at the birth of Henry Porter - if his birth was correctly reported. The censuses compound the problem with varying ages of Jabez. Several databases online report four children for Jabez & Hannah, none named Henry - the children born in New York. I believe the answer lies in the 1850 census. It would appear that Jabez and Porter (there's no indication he was ever "Henry") were brothers, not father and son, both sons of Oliver Fuller.

1850 Census. LeRay, Jefferson, NY, Hh 310
Jabiz F. Fuller, 36.
Clark S. 7. Charles W. 6
Hannah L. 40
Mary N. 2. Adeline M. 1
Amelia Sheldon, 15
The way this census is written, Hannah might have been a second wife. However as I looked over several pages, there seemed to be no rhyme or reason to listing a wife in the middle of some of the children. In instances where there might have been stepchildren because of this method of listing the wife in the middle, i. e. the children were older than those before her, there was no separate surname. Frustrating, but I believe it was random in this case and had no implications.
Hh 311
Benjamin Fuller, 38. Salinda 40. Emily Perry, 17
Hh 312
Oliver Fuller, 71, b. MA
Porter. 21. Samuel 19. Both b. NY
Sally, 62, b. Rhode Island
Sally 24. Huldah A. 16, b. NY
William Carey, 15, b. NY

1860 Census. LeRay, Jefferson, NY, Hh 1318
Porter Fuller, 32, b. NY. Thirza 26, b. OH. Adda, 4. Buel, 2. Children b. NY
next door in 1819, the whole family b. NY
Jabez F. Fuller, 56. Hannah C., 49
Clark S. 17. Charles W. 16. Matilda M. 12. Adaline M. 10

1870 Census. LeRay, Jefferson Co, New York, Hh 239
Porter Fuller, 43, farmer, b. NY
Addie, 15. Buel 12. Norman 9. all born New York
he did live next door, Hh 240 to:
Jabez F. Fuller, age 56, farmer, b. NY [seemed to not have aged since 1860]. Hannah Fuller, 60, b. NY. Charles 25. Matilda 23. Adaline, 20 and Mary 23 - Charles and Mary marked as having married in February of 1870. Without doubt this is the widow of Jabez Porter and she is old enough to have been Porter's mother at age 17 - Jabez, if only age 56, would have been 13.


Here is a different Porter Fuller - almost the same age:

1860 Census. Macon, IL, Hh 1464 - two families
William Long, 72, b. PA & Rachel, 68, b. PA
Porter Fuller, 33, b. NY. Louisa 35, b. Ohio, Mary, 8, b. OH. James, 1, b. IL.

Note: I could never find the Macon Co IL Porter Fuller in 1870, but it's obvious he is a different person.

1880 Census, Whitmore, Macon, IL, Hh 4
Perry Rhoderick, 31, farmer, b. Ohio, parents b. Ohio
Mary A., 27, wife, b. Ohio, father b. New York, mother b. Ohio
Charles F., 10, son, broket foot - all children b. IL
Elmer B, 8, son
John A., 6, son
Matilda, 4, dau
Benjamin, 10 months, born in July, both feet crooket
Porter Fuller, 54, father-in-law, spinal effected, b. NY, parents b. Massachusetts

1900 Census. Decatur Ward 3, Macon, IL, Hh 332
Perry Rodrick, b. Oct 1849, 50, married 31 years, b. Ohio, parents' birth places unknown
Mary A., wife, b. Jul 1849, 6 children -4 living, b. Ohio, father b. PA, mother b. Ohio
Porter Fuller, Father-in-law, b. Aug 1825, 74, widow, b. New York

Birth	Aug 1825	New York
Marriage		Living

Spouse	Living
Child	Norman C. Fuller (1852 - 1938)

Father	Oliver Fuller (1781 - 1860)
Mother	Sarah Healy ( - )
Sibling	Jabez F. Fuller (1814 - )