These research notes are provided as-is and contain supplementary working research.
Evidence
MBCR 1:331 gunpowder-fine remission (2 June 1641)
The Massachusetts General Court order of 2 June 1641 remitted the fine of John Porter, James Ludden, and John Gurney, incurred "for want of gunpowder."
Why this conclusion
- Supports Finding Weymouth associates: Ludden, Porter, Goodman KingThe 1641 gunpowder record names Ludden and Porter as John's Weymouth co-petitioners (cross-topic).
- Weighed by Analysis Porter forename: petition 'Richard … of Weymouth' vs printed 'John'Analysis weighs the printed court order's 'John Porter.'
- Synthesized by Finding Record coverage: a continuous 1641-1663 civic/land/court/probate footprintThe 1641 gunpowder-fine remission is the earliest secure record anchoring the footprint's opening (cross-topic: arrival-chronology).
- Required by Published-source statement Anderson GMD (2025): arrival 1636, Boston/Braintree, origin UnknownAnderson's GMD assessment cites the 1641 Massachusetts General Court gunpowder-fine order (MBCR 1:331) among its six documentary bases for John — the cited-record relationship behind the published arrival/settlement statement.
- Required by Finding Reception into an established Weymouth community, not a shared voyageThe reception reading rests on the 1641 gunpowder-fines record that first places John among named Weymouth men.
- Supports Finding Earliest firm presence: Weymouth by 30 May/2 June 1641Primary court order fixes John's 1641 presence.
Qualifications and conflicts
- Qualified by Negative result Negative: no active military serviceThe service negative keeps the 1641 powder fine from being over-read as evidence of military service (cross-topic).
Sources
- Shurtleff, Nathaniel B., ed. Records of the Governor and Company of the Massachusetts Bay in New England. Vol. 1, 1628-1641. Boston: William White, 1853., vol. 1, p. 331
fined 'for want of gunpowder'; remitted by the General Court, 2 June 1641
Topic file location: Colonial arrival chronology
Technical details
- Research item:
G13-RI-000001 - Graph revision:
244 - Machine-readable JSON:
/assets/g13-graph/findings/G13-RI-000001.json
This is one research item from the John Gurney research graph; the fuller narrative treatment is in the linked topic above and the research library.