His notarial registers from 1669-1720 have survived, and include the marriage contract of his niece Judith Dutoit and David Bergier, 1701. By 1704, he is described in the records of other notaries as "Lieutenant de la Cour et Juridiction du Jadis Chapitre de Lausanne", and it is apparent that he acted as an officer of that court, which had taken over judicial functions for an area formerly controlled by the Bishop of Lausanne before the Bernese occupation.
The surname is most often spelled Portaz in the 17th and 18th Century, but sometimes Porta. In more recent times it has settled on Porta.
After his baptism at Cully, Henri's next mention in the records at Cully seems to be 09 feb 1668, when he was one of the sponsors at the baptism of Jean Henri, son of Jaques Joran and Jaqueline Portaz (Henri's sister).
He was admitted to the bourgoisie of Lausanne on 26 apr 1688, as the following extract from the records of the city of Lausanne shows:
Bourgeoisie.
Jeudi 26 Apvril 1688.
Egrege et prudent Henry Portaz fils de feu Sr. Jean Portaz de Culli pretendant estre Bourgeois de ceste Ville pour se croire desscendre de Saturnin Portaz receue a Bourgeoisie l'an 1574, Mais n'ayant en cest (?) bien esclairci et Justifié sa desscendance, Nous n'avons pas cependant Jugé a propose d'entrer avec luy [un] proceds qui pourroit Causer de grands frais au public, mais avons mieux aimé pour l'Eviter la Recepvoir comme nous faisons presentement et admettrons a Nouveau Bourgeois pour Luy et ses successeurs legittimes et ce tant de Grace Speciale et pour plusieurs preignantes et legittimes Considerations que pour et moyennant la Somme de deux Cents et cinquante florins pp. applicables à l'achet de brochets de Cuir pour servir contre les dangers de feu, Oultre un grant d'isseu (?) des droits pour chacun des Assistans, Soubs les conditions portées et contenues aux Reglemens de cette Chambre fait le 20 8bre 1657 concernant les charges, Item qu'il apportera acte des Srs. ses freres comme ils renonceroient a toutes pretentions a cette Bourgeoisie, et qu'ils ne la recercherent Jamais n'y les leurs avenir pour n'est avoir a present aucun legittime fondement puis que la present concession faitte a leur frere n'est que gratuite et particulliere a luy seul et aux siens, sans qu'elle puisse estre tirée de Consequence pour qui que ce soit.
Ce qu'il a promis d'effectué en dhue forme le 1 May et en meme temps presté le serment requis et payé tout le prix deditte passation livré a Monsr. le Maisonneur comme aussi les Droits de la Chambre a Monsr. le Boursier.
[Marginal notation: Il a masles Daniel, David.]
From this, we see that Henri believed, or at least claimed, to descend from Saturnin Portaz, who appears in the earliest church records at Lausanne. The document also establishes that Henri's father was Jean Portaz of Cully.
An old genealogy of this family is found in a discussion of the Swiss descendants of Dom Antonio I, Prieur de Crato, King of Portugal (A. de Faria, "Descendance de D. Antonio I, Prieur de Crato, XVIIIe roi de Portugal," Archives Héraldiques Suisses 21:39-67, 1907). Antonio's claim to the throne of Portugal was not widely recognized, and he spent much of his life in Paris, where he died in 1595, leaving six sons and four daughters. Of these, Don Emmanuel de Portugal (1568-1638), a colorful character in his own right, married Emilie de Nassau, princess of Orange. They separated, and princess Emilie settled in Geneva. She later acquired the barony of Prangins, near Nyon. Her daughter Maria Belgia or Maria Belgica was thus raised near Nyon and became the bride of Johann Theodore de Croll (or Groll or Kroll), a soldier from Heidelberg. It is the descendants of this marriage who are the subject of the account by de Faria. Among them was Adrienne de Martines, who married David Benjamin Porta. Unfortunately, de Faria used a system of Roman numerals and typefaces to indicate the generations of the descendants, making it extremely difficult to follow the information. He does not give a source, but much of the information can be matched with what we have been able to tease out of the primary sources.
_Clément PORTAZ _____+ | (.... - 1630) _Regnier PORTAZ ____________________| | | | |_____________________ | _Jean PORTAZ _________________________| | (1615 - 1656) m 1647 | | | _____________________ | | | | |____________________________________| | | | |_____________________ | | |--Henri PORTAZ | (.... - 1721) | _____________________ | | | _Jaques de Palézieux dit FALCONNET _| | | | | | |_____________________ | | |_Claudine de Palézieux dit FALCONNET _| m 1647 | | _____________________ | | |____________________________________| | |_____________________
_Pierre PORTAZ _____________+ | (1674 - 1713) _Henri PORTAZ ____________| | | | |_Jeanne Nicolarde VAUTHIER _+ | _Jean Louis Charles Samuel PORTAZ _| | (1756 - ....) | | | ____________________________ | | | | |_Agathe Elizabeth PORTAZ _| | | | |____________________________ | | |--Henri Benjamin Louis PORTAZ | (1783 - ....) | ____________________________ | | | __________________________| | | | | | |____________________________ | | |_Anne LAUSUN ______________________| | | ____________________________ | | |__________________________| | |____________________________
_Henri PORTAZ ____________+ | _Jean Louis Charles Samuel PORTAZ _| | (1756 - ....) | | |_Agathe Elizabeth PORTAZ _ | _François Louis PORTAZ _| | (1788 - ....) | | | __________________________ | | | | |_Anne LAUSUN ______________________| | | | |__________________________ | | |--Henri Jean Gabriel PORTAZ | | __________________________ | | | ___________________________________| | | | | | |__________________________ | | |________________________| | | __________________________ | | |___________________________________| | |__________________________
_Jean PORTAZ _________________________+ | (1615 - 1656) m 1647 _Henri PORTAZ __________| | (.... - 1721) | | |_Claudine de Palézieux dit FALCONNET _+ | m 1647 _David PORTAZ _________| | (.... - 1764) | | | _Hans Jacob VON DIESBACH _____________ | | | (1622 - ....) | |_Elizabeth DE DIESBACH _| | (1652 - 1720) | | |_Rosine MANUEL _______________________+ | | |--Henri Louis PORTAZ | | ______________________________________ | | | ________________________| | | | | | |______________________________________ | | |_Marie Louise OLIVIER _| | | ______________________________________ | | |________________________| | |______________________________________
Marriage contract recorded by George Ansel (ACV DG 4/1). The bride's father, evidently a widower, remarried the next day.
__ | __| | | | |__ | _Pierre PORTAZ ______| | | | | __ | | | | |__| | | | |__ | | |--Hugoz PORTAZ | (.... - 1573) | __ | | | __| | | | | | |__ | | |_____________________| | | __ | | |__| | |__
Her marriage contract (Antoine Cornut, notary at Villette) mentions Jean Delavaulx, her guardian, and Samuel Blondet, her stepfather, both justices for the parish of Villette.
[14569] Date of contract (Antoine Cornut, notary at Villette).
_Clément PORTAZ _____+ | (.... - 1630) _Regnier PORTAZ _____| | | | |_____________________ | _Jean PORTAZ ________| | (1615 - 1656) m 1636| | | _____________________ | | | | |_____________________| | | | |_____________________ | | |--Jaqueline PORTAZ | | _____________________ | | | _____________________| | | | | | |_____________________ | | |_Jeanne FAUQUEX _____| m 1636 | | _____________________ | | |_____________________| | |_____________________
_Saturnin PORTAZ ____+ | (.... - 1589) m 1573 _Petreman PORTAZ ____| | (.... - 1649) m 1617| | |_Rose GROZ __________+ | m 1573 _David PORTAZ _________________| | m 1649 | | | _____________________ | | | | |_Clauda CARRA _______| | m 1617 | | |_____________________ | | |--Jaques PORTAZ | | _____________________ | | | _Estienne JORDAN ____| | | (.... - 1649) | | | |_____________________ | | |_Magdelaine Marguerite JORDAN _| m 1649 | | _____________________ | | |_____________________| | |_____________________
_Claude PORTAZ ______+ | m 1573 _Pierre PORTAZ ______| | | | |_Claudaz JOLI _______+ | (.... - 1573) m 1573 _Antoine PORTAZ _____| | | | | _____________________ | | | | |_____________________| | | | |_____________________ | | |--Jaques PORTAZ | | _____________________ | | | _____________________| | | | | | |_____________________ | | |_____________________| | | _____________________ | | |_____________________| | |_____________________
__ | _Pierre PORTAZ ______| | | | |__ | _Saturnin PORTAZ ____| | (.... - 1589) m 1573| | | __ | | | | |_____________________| | | | |__ | | |--Jaques PORTAZ | | __ | | | _André GROZ _________| | | | | | |__ | | |_Rose GROZ __________| m 1573 | | __ | | |_____________________| | |__
__ | _Pierre PORTAZ ______| | | | |__ | _Clément PORTAZ _____| | (.... - 1630) | | | __ | | | | |_____________________| | | | |__ | | |--Jean PORTAZ | | __ | | | _____________________| | | | | | |__ | | |_____________________| | | __ | | |_____________________| | |__
__ | _Pierre PORTAZ ______| | | | |__ | _Claude PORTAZ ______| | m 1573 | | | __ | | | | |_____________________| | | | |__ | | |--Jean PORTAZ | | __ | | | _Bernard JOLI _______| | | | | | |__ | | |_Claudaz JOLI _______| (.... - 1573) m 1573| | __ | | |_____________________| | |__
_Regnier PORTAZ ____________________+ | _Jean PORTAZ _________________________| | (1615 - 1656) m 1647 | | |____________________________________ | _Abraham PORTAZ _____| | m 1677 | | | _Jaques de Palézieux dit FALCONNET _ | | | | |_Claudine de Palézieux dit FALCONNET _| | m 1647 | | |____________________________________ | | |--Jean PORTAZ | | ____________________________________ | | | ______________________________________| | | | | | |____________________________________ | | |_Catherine FATIO ____| (.... - 1707) m 1677| | ____________________________________ | | |______________________________________| | |____________________________________
__ | _Pierre PORTAZ ______| | | | |__ | _Saturnin PORTAZ ____| | (.... - 1589) m 1573| | | __ | | | | |_____________________| | | | |__ | | |--Jean PORTAZ | | __ | | | _André GROZ _________| | | | | | |__ | | |_Rose GROZ __________| m 1573 | | __ | | |_____________________| | |__
_Pierre PORTAZ ______+ | _Antoine PORTAZ _____| | | | |_____________________ | _Jaques PORTAZ ______| | m 1665 | | | _____________________ | | | | |_____________________| | | | |_____________________ | | |--Jean PORTAZ | | _____________________ | | | _____________________| | | | | | |_____________________ | | |_Marguerite TROSSEL _| m 1665 | | _____________________ | | |_____________________| | |_____________________
There seem to have been at least three men called Jean Portaz about 1630 in the vicinity of Villette and Cully. Jean Portaz l'aîné married at Villette 8 oct 1629 to Magdelaine relaissée d'Antoine DuPort. This Jean Portaz died before 02 feb 1632 leaving widow Magdelaine DuBois who then married David Lyonnas. Meanwhile, another Jean Portaz son of the late Clément married 04 nov 1630 to Ursule Thurin de Romont, widow of the late André Destraz of Lutry. Jean son of René or Regnier was most probably still young for marriage in 1632.
[1872] Since his first known appearance as a sponsor at a baptism was in 1632, it follows that he should have passed the age of first communion by that time, usually about age 16-17, and so he should have been born no later than 1615.
[1873] Died at Villmergen, in the first war of that name.
_Pierre PORTAZ ______ | _Clément PORTAZ _____| | (.... - 1630) | | |_____________________ | _Regnier PORTAZ _____| | | | | _____________________ | | | | |_____________________| | | | |_____________________ | | |--Jean PORTAZ | (1615 - 1656) | _____________________ | | | _____________________| | | | | | |_____________________ | | |_____________________| | | _____________________ | | |_____________________| | |_____________________
[4154] Certainly dead by 02 feb 1632, when his daughter Pernette was married, and still alive 03 apr 1631 when his son Nicolas was baptised.
_Jean PORTAZ _________________________+ | (1615 - 1656) m 1647 _Abraham PORTAZ _____| | m 1677 | | |_Claudine de Palézieux dit FALCONNET _+ | m 1647 _Pierre PORTAZ _____________| | (1674 - 1713) | | | ______________________________________ | | | | |_Catherine FATIO ____| | (.... - 1707) m 1677| | |______________________________________ | | |--Jean PORTAZ | (1718 - 1718) | ______________________________________ | | | _Denis VAUTHIER _____| | | | | | |______________________________________ | | |_Jeanne Nicolarde VAUTHIER _| | | _Jean François BADEL _________________ | | |_Marie Salomé BADEL _| | |_Susanne Sidonie DE CROLL ____________+
_Jean PORTAZ _________________________+ | (1615 - 1656) m 1647 _Abraham PORTAZ _____| | m 1677 | | |_Claudine de Palézieux dit FALCONNET _+ | m 1647 _Abraham PORTAZ __________| | | | | ______________________________________ | | | | |_Catherine FATIO ____| | (.... - 1707) m 1677| | |______________________________________ | | |--Jean Antoine PORTAZ | | ______________________________________ | | | _____________________| | | | | | |______________________________________ | | |_Jeanne Dorothée GAUDARD _| | | ______________________________________ | | |_____________________| | |______________________________________
_Abraham PORTAZ _____+ | m 1677 _Pierre PORTAZ _____________| | (1674 - 1713) | | |_Catherine FATIO ____ | (.... - 1707) m 1677 _Henri PORTAZ ____________| | | | | _Denis VAUTHIER _____ | | | | |_Jeanne Nicolarde VAUTHIER _| | | | |_Marie Salomé BADEL _+ | | |--Jean Louis Charles Samuel PORTAZ | (1756 - ....) | _____________________ | | | ____________________________| | | | | | |_____________________ | | |_Agathe Elizabeth PORTAZ _| | | _____________________ | | |____________________________| | |_____________________
_Saturnin PORTAZ ____+ | (.... - 1589) m 1573 _Petreman PORTAZ ____| | (.... - 1649) m 1617| | |_Rose GROZ __________+ | m 1573 _David PORTAZ _________________| | m 1649 | | | _____________________ | | | | |_Clauda CARRA _______| | m 1617 | | |_____________________ | | |--Jean Marc PORTAZ | | _____________________ | | | _Estienne JORDAN ____| | | (.... - 1649) | | | |_____________________ | | |_Magdelaine Marguerite JORDAN _| m 1649 | | _____________________ | | |_____________________| | |_____________________
_Pierre PORTAZ ______ | _Saturnin PORTAZ ____| | (.... - 1589) m 1573| | |_____________________ | _Petreman PORTAZ ____| | (.... - 1649) m 1617| | | _André GROZ _________ | | | | |_Rose GROZ __________| | m 1573 | | |_____________________ | | |--Jean Pierre PORTAZ | | _____________________ | | | _____________________| | | | | | |_____________________ | | |_Clauda CARRA _______| m 1617 | | _____________________ | | |_____________________| | |_____________________
_Regnier PORTAZ ____________________+ | _Jean PORTAZ _________________________| | (1615 - 1656) m 1647 | | |____________________________________ | _Abraham PORTAZ _____| | m 1677 | | | _Jaques de Palézieux dit FALCONNET _ | | | | |_Claudine de Palézieux dit FALCONNET _| | m 1647 | | |____________________________________ | | |--Jean Pierre PORTAZ | | ____________________________________ | | | ______________________________________| | | | | | |____________________________________ | | |_Catherine FATIO ____| (.... - 1707) m 1677| | ____________________________________ | | |______________________________________| | |____________________________________
Baptismal record gives her father's name as Antoine, in error.
_Pierre PORTAZ ______+ | _Antoine PORTAZ _____| | | | |_____________________ | _Jaques PORTAZ ______| | m 1665 | | | _____________________ | | | | |_____________________| | | | |_____________________ | | |--Jeanne PORTAZ | | _____________________ | | | _____________________| | | | | | |_____________________ | | |_Marguerite TROSSEL _| m 1665 | | _____________________ | | |_____________________| | |_____________________
_Jean PORTAZ _________________________+ | (1615 - 1656) m 1647 _Henri PORTAZ _____________| | (.... - 1721) | | |_Claudine de Palézieux dit FALCONNET _+ | m 1647 _David Benjamin PORTAZ _| | | | | _Hans Jacob VON DIESBACH _____________ | | | (1622 - ....) | |_Elizabeth DE DIESBACH ____| | (1652 - 1720) | | |_Rosine MANUEL _______________________+ | | |--Jeanne Catherine PORTAZ | | _Jaques DE MARTINES __________________ | | | _Henri DE MARTINES ________| | | m 1672 | | | |______________________________________ | | |_Andrienne DE MARTINES _| | | _Claude DAMOND _______________________+ | | m 1653 |_Juliane Catherine DAMOND _| m 1672 | |_Emilie Catherine DE CROLL ___________+ (1630 - ....) m 1653
_Regnier PORTAZ ____________________+ | _Jean PORTAZ _________________________| | (1615 - 1656) m 1647 | | |____________________________________ | _Henri PORTAZ __________| | (.... - 1721) | | | _Jaques de Palézieux dit FALCONNET _ | | | | |_Claudine de Palézieux dit FALCONNET _| | m 1647 | | |____________________________________ | | |--Jeanne Françoise PORTAZ | | ____________________________________ | | | _Hans Jacob VON DIESBACH _____________| | | (1622 - ....) | | | |____________________________________ | | |_Elizabeth DE DIESBACH _| (1652 - 1720) | | _Johann Jacob MANUEL _______________+ | | (1589 - 1641) m 1614 |_Rosine MANUEL _______________________| | |_Marie DE GINGINS __________________+ m 1614