From Colonial America to Medieval England: Daniel Poor and the Possible Bishop Connection

 

Salisbury Cathedral, Wiltshire, England 

photograph from Creative Commons CC by 2.0 Deed, Attribution 2.0 Generic

During a recent trip to Europe I saw a few cathedrals. I was in awe of the history and architecture of these cathedrals. Although I didn't see Salisbury Cathedral, I was interested in it because of my possible family connection to it. 

Salisbury Cathedral has a long history in England. The main body of the cathedral was constructed between 1220-1258 A.D. and the spire completed in 1320 A.D. Salisbury Cathedral is the location of one of the remaining original Magna Cartas.

My possible relationship to the cathedral traces back to Bishop Richard Poore (Poor), who was instrumental in the cathedral's founding. Through mainly secondary sources, including family histories, a cousin's genealogical research, and my own United States research, I've established Poor ancestry. But does it connect to Bishop Richard Poore of Salisbury? Further research with primary sources needs to be conducted to prove this.

The materials I’ve found so far are not thoroughly sourced, and I want to be cautious about presenting any conclusions.. The history of Salisbury Cathedral is available online at the Salisbury Cathedral website and it is a good place to learn more about the site's significance.

I’ve also consulted the "East Wind, West Wind" family history published on Genealogy.com. While it offers useful clues, it lacks direct source citations. The site includes a bibliography, but a front-page disclaimer notes, “Some portions are fictionalized for reader interest.” As such, it should be used with caution and as a starting point but not a definitive source.

You might wonder why I’m sharing this now, even though I haven’t found conclusive proof. It’s because of the genealogical concept of the preponderance of evidence, the process of collecting multiple records that, while individually insufficient, together strongly suggest the likelihood of an event or relationship. This approach becomes essential when primary records are missing, as often happens the further we go back in time. Secondary and tertiary sources, when carefully weighed and analyzed, can form the foundation for building a well-supported genealogical case.

It’s also important to avoid being misled by repeated information that stems from a single source. For example, if one researcher publishes birth data, a second cites that in a book, and a third posts it online, it may seem like independent confirmations, but all rely on the same original source. Such circular citations can give a false sense of reliability. Always verify the origin of each record and evaluate its credibility before accepting it as fact.

This is where I am with my Poor family. I feel confident tracing my research to Daniel Poor (1624-1698), who arrived on the Bevis from Southampton in 1638 as a servant to Richard Dummer.  His sister, Alice, 20 and brother Samuel, 18 were on the same ship.  He is listed on passenger list as "Da'yell Poore."

Complicating things further is the spelling of his surname: Poor, Poore, Poer, and more, all of which have been found in records. I am sharing this information in hopes of connecting with other Poor researchers. At this point, I do not have the preponderance of evidence necessary to confidently record Daniel Poor’s parentage, but I remain hopeful that collaboration and further investigation will help fill in the gaps. 

Genealogical research is often a long and winding journey, especially when exploring centuries-old connections. While I haven’t yet verified a direct link to Bishop Richard Poore of Salisbury, I believe in the value of sharing research-in-progress. It invites collaboration, fresh insights, and perhaps even the discovery of that one missing piece of evidence. If you’re also researching the Poor family or have come across similar records, I’d love to hear from you. Together, we might be able to shed more light on this interesting family story.

AI Disclosures

GPT4o suggested blog post titles based upon my writing and ideas and I selected the one with edits to enhance the blog experience.

This blog post used the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) tools at CPT4o. While the content reflects my ideas, writing, and research. the AI was used for grammar and spelling editing.