[213] death of his son, Rev. Aaron Porter, though he had then been dead a week; a striking proof of the difficulty of communicating intelligence. The minister of Medford was the second son and the third child of the above Samuel, and was named Aaron, in honor of his grandfather Cook. He was graduated at Harvard College, 1708; previously to which he had joined himself to a society formed at college, May, 1706, that met weekly βfor prayer and spiritual discourse.β Of his ordination at Medford, Chief Justice Samuel Sewall gives the following account in his diary. After mentioning a vehement, drifting storm of snow the day preceding, he writes:--
Wednesday, Feb. 11, 1713: Mr. Aaron Porter is ordained pastor of the church at Meadford. Mr. Angier, of Watertown, gave the charge; Mr. Hancock, of Lexington, the right hand of fellow-ship. The storm foregoing hindered my son Joseph (settled the same year over the Old South Church in Boston) from being there. Were many more people there than the meeting-house could hold.In the autumn of the same year, Mr. Porter married Susanna, daughter of Major Stephen Sewall, Esq., of Salem, and a sister of Stephen Sewall (H. C., 1721), afterwards Chief Justice. Judge Samuel, her uncle, gives the following account of the wedding:--
1713, Oct. 22: I go to Salem; visit Mrs. Epes, Colonel Hathorne. See Mr. Noyes marry Mr. Aaron Porter and Miss Susan Sewall at my brother's. Was a pretty deal of company present. Mr. Hirst and wife, Mr. Blowers (minister of Beverly), Mr. Prescot (minister of Danvers), Mr. Tuft, sen. (father of Rev. John Tufts, of Newbury), Madame Leverett (lady of Pres. Leverett), Foxcroft, Goff, Kitchen, Mr. Samuel Porter, father of the bridegroom, I should have said before. Many young gentlemen and gentlewomen. Mr. Noyes made a speech: said, Love was the sugar to sweeten every condition in the married relation. Prayed once. Did all very well. After the Sack-Posset (a common article of entertainment at weddings), sung the 45th Psalm from the 8th verse to the end,--five staves. I set it to Windsor tune. I had a very good turkey-leather Psalm-book, which I looked in, while Mr. Noyes read; and then I gave it to the bridegroom, saying, β I give you this Psalm-book in order to your perpetuating this song; and I would have you pray that it may be an introduction to our singing with the choir above.β I lodged at Mr. Hirst's.
