vital records sources
go to William Pittee's page

     There are two primary sources for the birth of a daughter named Mary to John and Deliverance (Byram) Porter. One is among the annual returns of vital records from the towns to the Suffolk County Quarterly Court. This says "John and Deliverance Porter's daughter Mary was born on the 22nd of the 8th month [October on the Julian or Old Style calendar) 1662."1 The other is from the Weymouth town records. This says "Mary of John & Deliverence Porter born Octobr 12 1663."2 The town record appears to be from the late 17th or early 18th century, based on the handwriting. It's a copy of records in the town's "Old Book."3 The county record is also a transcription, although much later. Both are arranged chronologically. The town record doesn't have a Mary being born in 1662 and the county record doesn't have a Mary born in 1663. Neither have a death record for Mary as an infant. Also, the town record differs notably from the county record in terms of names included and there are some discrepancies in birth dates. This is undoubtedly due, at least in part, to wear and loss in the "Old Book," as described at the beginning of the birth records. The transcriber may have had to do some educated guesswork for some of the entries and made errors. It's notable that the dates 22 October 1662 and 12 October 1663 have major similarities. Given all of this, it's unlikely there were two different daughters named Mary involved. Instead, one of the records is incorrect. Since the county record is a once removed transcription and the earliest extant town record was based on a flawed original, the county date, 22 October 1622, is likely correct.

children of Mary Porter and William Pittee:

*James, b. 16 November 16864 211
*Nathaniel. probably younger than James since James was given his father's homestead
*Mary, b. abt. (roughly) 1695
*Sarah
*Deliverance, b. abt. 1705-81

vital records sources:

1. "Massachusetts, U.S., Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988," Ancestry.com image database online (Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011)], Boston (sic)>Transcript of County Records, 1643-1660; Vol. 1 Births, Marriages Deaths from 1630-1666, image 245.
2. "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," familysearch.org image database online (Salt Lake City, UT: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1972)], Norfolk>Weymouth>Births, marriages, deaths 1655-1805, image 67.
3. "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," familysearch.org image database online (Salt Lake City, UT: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1972)], Norfolk>Weymouth>Births, marriages, deaths 1655-1805, image 65.
4. Vital Records of Weymouth, Massachusetts, to the year 1850, vol. 1 (Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1910), 211.