Individual Details

Said to have lived in Richmond, KY. Never married.

Caroline wrote two letters to Noah D. Comstock in 1879 when he was researching the Comstock family. She apparently never married. Noah's correspondence is in the manuscript collection of Samuel Willett Comstock at NEHGS in Boston. Both men seemed to have been gathering information to publish a Comstock book, but neither finished the task. When John A. Comstock compiled The Comstock Family in America, he used these letters.

What is truly amazing about the letters is that I also have a transcript of a letter Caroline "Carrie" wrote to her sister-in-law, Bettie Porter on 28 Jun 1879, widow of her brother Samuel. In this letter she says, " I had another letter from Mr. Comstock, he is Distantly Related to Ma and is trying to get up a Genealogy of the Family. The Comstocks are a very Old Family." The date on the second letter to Noah Comstock reveals that she had already answered him.


Probably the first letter.
p.1
N. D. Comstock Sir your Letter
of inquiry reached me to day
and I am sorry that I have only
Family Tradition to write to you
My Mother having been One of
the youngest of the Second Family
of My Grandfather Daniel Comstock.
Whatever Family Records they might
have Possessed were in the keeping
of Older Members of the Family.
My Dear Mother Elizabeth Comstock Porter
Died two years since in her 85th
year. I have Often heard her say
that her Father said that all the
Comstocks in the United States were
related being the Descendants of three
Brothers who came to this Country
From Wales at an Early day.
My Grandfather in the first settlement
Of Ohio came West to Live at
p.2
[line missing under binding]
His family he Brought with him
Two Sons by his first Marriage,
William & Seth. but the Indians
Were so troublesome that my Grandmother
who was his second Wife and had small
Children was unwilling to risk the
dangers, and he returned to Providence
Rhode Island with his younger son.
But Uncle William staid behind
and afterward Settled in Hardin Co
Ky where he was Married to Miss Hardin
Whose Father the county was named for
Uncle W. had two Children a son and
a daughter the son I think was named
Ephraim I do not Remember the
Daughters name. Some years after
Uncle Lyndon Comstock who was
My Mothers Eldest Brother left Providence
RI and settled in Lexington Ky
he Married but had no Children. Five
years afterward My Grandfather though
then 70 removed to Lexington Ky
p.3
with his Family where he his Wife
and most of his Children & GrandChildren
are Burried. My Uncle Brown
Comstock my Mothers youngest Brother
was Married had One Son Dr. George
Comstock a very Promising young
Man he Died leaving two sons One of
Them afterward Died Leaving One Lyndon
Comstock the Last we heard of him
he was Living with his Mother in
Columbus Indianna. Uncle Brown
Died a number of years Since
Uncle William & his Wife have been
dead many years I do not know
whether his Children are Living or
not if so they must be very Old.
as far as I know my three sisters
and Myself are the Only Living
Decendents of the Comstock Family who
Emigrated to Ky I believe in the
Year 1808 Uncle Lyndon C went
Out Privateering during the War of 1812
and never returned and the Family
p. 4 [this page reads down, up the side & then back across the top]
never knew what his Fate was
I think it Probable that your
Wife's Great Uncle was Brother
to my GrandFather as I have often
heard my Mother speak of visiting
her Fathers Relatives at Smithfield
RI [part of line cut off by photo] Nathaniel
Sargent Porter of Rye New Hampshire
Was Married to My Mother 8th Jun
1811 they had 7 children. Samuel H. Porter
was Oct 13th 1812 & Died Feb 19th 1875
Oliver Fuller P. was Born Sep 14th 1814
and Died April 17th 1815 Emily C. Porter
was Born May 15th 1816, Caroline Porter
was Born Oct 22nd 1818. S. A. Porter was
Born 17th April 1821 Eliza Porter was Born
the 26th July 1823. John S. Porter Born
6th April 1826 Died June 16th 1876
Perhaps it may give you some else to know
that my Grandfather was Raised a Quaker
[up the side of the page]
or Friends as they are sometimes called and was nearly Related
[upside down at the top]
to the Browns of Rhode Island who
have done so much to Build up
Brown University. if you should receive
this Please Let me hear from you again
if it is any assistance to you.
Respectfully Caroline Porter
[Another page added at the end]
After writing the above it
Has Occurred to my mind that
the Old Home of the Comstock
Family to which my GrandFather
belonged was in Connecticut, but I
do not Remember the Co. He and
his two Brothers were Famers He
moved to Providence after the Death
of his first Wife was was a Miss
Jenks My Grandmother his second
wife was Miss Sallie Fuller of
Providence RI Respf. C. Porter
To N. D. Comstock


Second letter - the first was not dated
p.1
Richmond, May 17th 1879
N. D. Comstock Sir I received
your second letter some days since
and as you must [have?] some more definite
information about the Comstock Family
will give you what I can.
My Grandfathers Children By his first Wife
were Seth, Jenks, William,
Chloe, Cinthia, Abby. Jenks at
the time my Grandfather removed to
Ky Lived with his Brother Seth who
was a Tailor by trade but was
engaged at the time in the Manufacturing
of Hemp. If I Remember right
in Conn. After the Death of My
Grandfather correspondence between the
Familys seems to have ceased. His Children
By his Second Wife Sarah Fuller My
Granmother, were Lynden, Sarah,
Ann, Elizabeth, Andrew, Brown.
p.2
Ann Married Francis Walker
from England. Sarah married
George Coggshell from Rhode Island
Elizabeth, Nathaniel S. Porter from
Rye, New Hampshire. Andrew
Died in Lexington Ky when quite
young. My Uncles & Aunts with
all there are Dead. With Respect
to my uncle Lyndon who was
the Eldest of the Family his fate
is not known. The Last Letter
the Family had from him he was in
the Seas Privateering, but there
were two or three Persons who
had known him in Lexington said
they had met and conversed with him
some time after the letter was
written. He contracted in some
Respects an unfortunate Marriage
he had no Children, and Uncle
Brown always belived that was
The reason he never returned as
He was mainly Attached to his Own
p.3
Family. He Left his Property with
his Wife who lived many years
and Married again. Uncle L.
told One of the Persons he met that
he had heard that his wife was
dead. my Mother thought it
Probable that under that impression
he had contracted a second Marriage
his Family troubles and consequent
absence was a great trial to all
his Family as he was almost Idolized
By them all. I do not know
of any Other Comstocks in Ky,
as you have the same name
what Branch of the Family do you
Belong to? And if it is not
impertinent are you getting up a
Genealogy of the Family, the Porters
have Lately Published One, we have
not Received a copy yet.
My Great GrandMother Comstock
contracted a second Marriage with a
Farnum, had One Son Stephen
p.4
His Wifes name was Ruth and
they had 14 children My G. Grandmother
lived to be nearly 100 years Old She
Died after my Grandfather moved
to Ky. I do not know whether
Dr. George Comstock Son is living
or not we have had no Letters from
from My Uncles Widow. Uncle Brown
kept up a correspondence with
My Mother while he Lived. The
Last we heard from My Aunt she
her Daughter in law & grandson were
Living in Columbus Indianna.
I believe I have told you all I
Know of the Family.
Yours Respt. Caroline Porter

To N. D. Comstock
Please Excuse all mistakes as I am
An Old woman in 61st year. C.P.

Birth

22 Oct 1818

Father	Nathaniel Sargent Porter (1789 - 1827)
Mother	Elizabeth Comstock (1792 - 1877)
Sibling	Samuel Huntington Porter (1812 - 1876)
Sibling	Oliver Fuller Porter (1814 - 1815)
Sibling	Emily Comstock Porter (1816 - )
Sibling	Sarah Anne Porter (1821 - )
Sibling	Eliza Porter (1823 - 1888)
Sibling	John Sargent Porter (1826 - 1876)