We have had difficulties connecting the early generations of the Reverdil family at Nyon, as the records for this area are rather sparse.
Something of the first Reverdil at Nyon can be seen in an article by E. Olivier, "Menues notes sur le passé médical du Pays de Vaud" (Revue historique vaudoise, 51:161-171, 1943). An ancient maladière, or leprosarium, existed at Colovray, near Nyon, apparently as early as 1244. In 1493, the rector of the maladière was Pierre Reverdil, who had been rector of the hospital at Nyon since at least 1476. He was still the rector at the maladière as late as 1502. (From these dates, we can assume that he was born not much later than 1450. He probably died soon after 1502, and he was not one of the Catholic clergy at Nyon at the time of the Reformation.) Inventories for the Archives Communales de Nyon mention nomination of Urbain Monthion for the post of recteur of the hospital in 1503, so it is virtually certain that Pierre Reverdil had died by then. He is believed to have come from the Tarentaise region of Savoie, and from the nature of his offices, he was clearly a priest. It seems likely that he brought some of this relatives with him, or that a brother or nephew inherited his estate and came to Nyon, and that it is their descendants who played an important role in Nyon for the next several centuries. He is apparently the same Dominus Petrus Reverdilis, capellanus et presbiter, who is cited in a terrier for the noble fiefs subject to the Cistercian abbey of Bonmont in 1487 (ACV Fi 24, fol. 16). Can any trace of his properties be found in the succeeding terriers?
The same Pierre Reverdil is the subject of a document in the Archives Communales de Nyon, summarized in French in an old inventory of those archives. The summary was published by François Théodore Louis de Grenus (1817, Documens relatifs à l'histoire du Pays de Vaud, 1293-1750, Geneva: Manget et Cherbuliez), p. 119:
No. 64, tiré du Répertoire des Archives de Nyon, p. 967.
Acte d'appel du 19 janvier 1499 de la ville de Nyon, du pape même, au pape mieux informé, de bulle émanée en 1497 du pape Alexandre, par laquelle et à l'instance du vénérable Pierre Reverdil, recteur du vieil hôpital de la bienheureuse vierge Marie de la ville de Nyon, il unit audit hôpital et y incorpore les confrairies de la sainte Trinité, de l'Eucharistie de Christ, et du St. Esprit, avec tous les droits, revenus etc. Partibus quarum interest non vocatis etc. Les raisons d'appel sont, 1o. que la ville de Nyon n'a été appelée, ni a consenti à telle union ; 2o. que vénérable Pierre Reverdil a exposé faux dans sa supplication au pape ; 3o. que ledit Reverdil avoit de quoi vivre honnêtement des revenus dudit hôpital ; 4o. que lesdites confrairies ont été fondées et dotées par les bourgeois et les habitans de Nyon, et par les autres paroissiens dudit Nyon, lesquels n'ont point été appelés ; 5o. que ledit hôpital se soutient et se maintient par les bourgeois et habitans de dite ville ; 6o. que noble Jean de Usiez, lors de son prétendu consentement à ladite union, n'étoit pas prieur desdites confairies, ni même confrère, et bien moins unique confrère ; 7o. que telle union n'a dû se faire que par le consentement de toutes personnes intéressées. Enfin la ville de Nyon conclud, que, par ces raisons, et autres résultantes de ladite bulle, cette bulle doit être révoquée etc. (Vieille copie en latin, cotée AA, 34).
There is one mention of Nicolas in the church records that requires comment. At the baptism of Jean, son of Michel Garnier, 20 nov 1596, the inscription shows the sponsor as a son of honorable Nicolas Reverdil. The name of the son was written first as "Jehan", then crossed out and something else written above it. The additional name could be Françoys, but it could also be Jaques. Further analysis may eventually clarify the name. If it is indeed François, this would be a significant step forward in the reconstruction of the family.
The archives of Geneva has several series of abstracts of the notaries there. Two transactions from 1533 were executed in the house of Michel Reverdil, bourgeois de Nyon. This date would likely make the present Nicolas the son or perhaps the grandson of this Michel. The name of the notary is not known—the register in question is a fragment. Probably the same Michel Reverdil appears on the "taille" of 1550, a special tax on those citizens of the Pays de Vaud who had been subjects of Savoie prior to the occupation by Bern, for the purpose of paying off certain claims by Savoie for damages as a result of the occupation (Louis Junod, "La taille de 1550 à Nyon", Revue historique vaudoise 66:92-104, 1958). The "taille" is in effect a census of the heads of households. Michel is the only Reverdil to appear on this list, and he is thus presumed to be the ancestor of all later Reverdils of Nyon. His net worth was estimated at 2863 florins, making his the eighth richest household in the city. More details can probably be found in the terriers. There are mentions of a Nicolas Reverdil as one of the sons of the late Michel Reverdil in some of the terriers from Nyon in the 1550's, but it remains to be proved whether the present Nicolas, father of Claude, Jaques, and Michel, is the Nicolas who was the son of Michel.
__ | __| | | | |__ | _Michel REVERDIL ____| | (1499 - 1556) | | | __ | | | | |__| | | | |__ | | |--Nicolas REVERDIL | (1531 - 1603) | __ | | | __| | | | | | |__ | | |_____________________| | | __ | | |__| | |__
_____________________ | _François REVERDIL __| | (.... - 1613) | | |_____________________ | _Jean Jaques REVERDIL _| | (.... - 1662) | | | _____________________ | | | | |_____________________| | | | |_____________________ | | |--Pernette REVERDIL | | _____________________ | | | _Bernard DUNANT _____| | | (.... - 1631) | | | |_____________________ | | |_Elizabeth DUNANT _____| (1610 - ....) | | _Jean GERVAIX _______ | | |_Andrée GERVAIX _____| | |_____________________
Mentioned in testaments of his parents, 1629.
_Michel REVERDIL ____ | (1499 - 1556) _Nicolas REVERDIL _____| | (1531 - 1603) | | |_____________________ | _Jaques REVERDIL ____| | (1590 - 1641) m 1610| | | _____________________ | | | | |_______________________| | | | |_____________________ | | |--Philibert REVERDIL | | _____________________ | | | _Jean Mathieu FORNIER _| | | (.... - 1623) | | | |_____________________ | | |_Claudine FORNIER ___| (1593 - 1641) m 1610| | _____________________ | | |_______________________| | |_____________________
__ | _____________________| | | | |__ | _Pierre REVERDIL ____| | m 1641 | | | __ | | | | |_____________________| | | | |__ | | |--Philippa REVERDIL | | __ | | | _André DONZEL _______| | | (.... - 1646) | | | |__ | | |_Jaquemine DONZEL ___| m 1641 | | __ | | |_____________________| | |__
Pierre probably belongs to Jaques Reverdil who married Jaquema Fillon. Pierre was born 10 1/2 months after their marriage, and the occupation of the father is listed as cordonnier, like that of Jaques' brother-in-law Estienne Dunant. It is possible, however, that this Pierre is the son of one of the other men of the same name.
_Michel REVERDIL ____ | (1499 - 1556) _Jaques REVERDIL ____| | (1531 - 1606) | | |_____________________ | _Jaques REVERDIL ____| | m 1606 | | | _____________________ | | | | |_____________________| | | | |_____________________ | | |--Pierre REVERDIL | | _____________________ | | | _Jaquemoz FILLON ____| | | | | | |_____________________ | | |_Jaquema FILLON _____| m 1606 | | _____________________ | | |_____________________| | |_____________________
Pierre and his wife Jeanne appear at a baptism in Nyon 18 may 1606. Pierre also appears at other baptisms around this time, no occupation or other details noted. Between 1594 and about 1620, this seems to be the only Pierre Reverdil family with young children in Nyon. There is some possibility of confusion with the children of Pierre Reverdil and Esther du Belois, first noted in 1622, because the baptisms of this period appear to be incomplete. His parentage is uncertain, but see below.
There is, however, a reconnaissance in the terrier ACV Fi 97, fol. 471, dated 09 nov 1607, for Pierre Reverdil filz de feu Pierre Reverdil, for properties that he, the said confessant, had recognized in a terrier of Estienne Brollier. The properties are in Duillier, lieudict ou Boschet, adjacent to properties held by Egrege François Reverdil, Egrege Claude filz de feu Nicollas Reverdil, and (the same?) François Reverdil. Also, fol. 473, apparently on the same day, Egrege Claude filz de feu Claude Reverdil notaire et bourgeois de Nyon, but in the text he is the son of Nicollas Reverdil notaire et bourgeois de Nyon (the latter, apparently, is correct). Another of the properties of this Claude, likewise at Duillier (lieudict vers Verchieres, grange et benoge), had been previously recognized by Nicollas filz de Michel Reverdil, pere dudict confessant, in a terrier by Estienne Brolliet. Another in the same terrier, fol. 510, dated 24 oct 1610, for Jaques filz de feu Egrege Nicollas Reverdil, and previously recognized by this Nicollas in a terrier compiled by Estienne Brolliet — and in this reconnaissance, Jaques and Discret Michel Reverdil are stated to be brothers, and also (fol. 512) mentioning a partage with Egrege Claude Reverdil, another brother (fol. 512v).
As there seems to be no other candidate for the parentage of the present Pierre, we show him tentatively as the son of Pierre, son of Michel Reverdil. Whether the terriers can provide supporting evidence, through the chain of tenancies of his properties, or through connections with his wife and children, still needs to be investigated.
Pierre's wife Jeanne might have been the daughter of Aymé du Nant, suggested by some later records concerning their daughter Gasparde Reverdil, but so far there is no direct evidence.
__ | _Michel REVERDIL ____| | (1499 - 1556) | | |__ | _Pierre REVERDIL ____| | (1531 - 1594) | | | __ | | | | |_____________________| | | | |__ | | |--Pierre REVERDIL | | __ | | | _____________________| | | | | | |__ | | |_____________________| | | __ | | |_____________________| | |__
Marriage settlement recorded by Benedict des Vignes, notary at Nyon, 02 may 1652, Pierre Reverdil acknowledges 500 fl. from his wife Pernette Morel de Crassier, mentioning a vineyard next to Jean Mathieu Reverdil, Pierre George, and Spectable Jonas Page (minister at Nyon).
This may be the Pierre Reverdil son of the late Michel Reverdil who purchased property in Duillier 25 apr 1559 (Claude DesPrez, notary) from Claude son of the late Humbert Johandoz bourgeois of Nyon, with concurrence of Claude's brother Pierre. Pierre Reverdil is described in this document simply as bourgeois de Nyon. A Pierre Reverdi is noted as a gouverneur de la ville de Nyon about 1556 (ACV Fi 168; the other gouverneur at this time was Gabriel Gaudin, notaire).
__ | __| | | | |__ | _Michel REVERDIL ____| | (1499 - 1556) | | | __ | | | | |__| | | | |__ | | |--Pierre REVERDIL | (1531 - 1594) | __ | | | __| | | | | | |__ | | |_____________________| | | __ | | |__| | |__
_Jaques REVERDIL ____+ | (1590 - 1641) m 1610 _Jaques REVERDIL ____| | (1614 - 1651) m 1639| | |_Claudine FORNIER ___+ | (1593 - 1641) m 1610 _Urbain REVERDIL ____| | (.... - 1728) m 1675| | | _Nicolas BUVELOT ____ | | | (.... - 1634) | |_Françoise BUVELOT __| | (.... - 1694) m 1639| | |_Claudine ANSERMET __ | | |--Pierre André REVERDIL | | _____________________ | | | _____________________| | | | | | |_____________________ | | |_Anne Marie DURAND __| m 1675 | | _____________________ | | |_____________________| | |_____________________
_Michel REVERDIL ____ | (1499 - 1556) _Jaques REVERDIL ____| | (1531 - 1606) | | |_____________________ | _Guillaume REVERDIL _| | m 1621 | | | _____________________ | | | | |_____________________| | | | |_____________________ | | |--Pierre Jean REVERDIL | | _____________________ | | | _Alexandre COMBAZ ___| | | | | | |_____________________ | | |_Françoise COMBAZ ___| m 1621 | | _____________________ | | |_____________________| | |_____________________
[3845] Witnesses include Susanne Bonard, wife of Esdras Cornut, minister of the Word of God at Nyon.
_Nicolas REVERDIL _____+ | (1531 - 1603) _Jaques REVERDIL ____| | (1590 - 1641) m 1610| | |_______________________ | _Jean Matthieu REVERDIL _| | (1611 - ....) m 1636 | | | _Jean Mathieu FORNIER _ | | | (.... - 1623) | |_Claudine FORNIER ___| | (1593 - 1641) m 1610| | |_______________________ | | |--Susanne REVERDIL | | _Pierre CORNUT ________ | | m 1600 | _Esdras CORNUT ______| | | (1600 - 1658) m 1620| | | |_Claudine _____ _______ | | m 1600 |_Jeanne Esther CORNUT ___| m 1636 | | _______________________ | | |_Jeanne PARIS _______| (.... - 1632) m 1620| |_______________________
_Nicolas REVERDIL _____+ | (1531 - 1603) _Jaques REVERDIL ____| | (1590 - 1641) m 1610| | |_______________________ | _Jean Matthieu REVERDIL _| | (1611 - ....) m 1636 | | | _Jean Mathieu FORNIER _ | | | (.... - 1623) | |_Claudine FORNIER ___| | (1593 - 1641) m 1610| | |_______________________ | | |--Susanne REVERDIL | | _Pierre CORNUT ________ | | m 1600 | _Esdras CORNUT ______| | | (1600 - 1658) m 1620| | | |_Claudine _____ _______ | | m 1600 |_Jeanne Esther CORNUT ___| m 1636 | | _______________________ | | |_Jeanne PARIS _______| (.... - 1632) m 1620| |_______________________
Two wives are tentatively ascribed to this Urbain Reverdil. For the second marriage, parentage of Urbain is established by the presence at a baptism in 1694 of Mad. Françoise "Bruvelot" (?), widow of the late Jaques Reverdil, grandmother of the infant.
[3855] noted as the late Mr. le Conseiller Reverdit in marriage banns of son Urbain in 1728.
_Nicolas REVERDIL _____+ | (1531 - 1603) _Jaques REVERDIL ____| | (1590 - 1641) m 1610| | |_______________________ | _Jaques REVERDIL ____| | (1614 - 1651) m 1639| | | _Jean Mathieu FORNIER _ | | | (.... - 1623) | |_Claudine FORNIER ___| | (1593 - 1641) m 1610| | |_______________________ | | |--Urbain REVERDIL | (.... - 1728) | _______________________ | | | _Nicolas BUVELOT ____| | | (.... - 1634) | | | |_______________________ | | |_Françoise BUVELOT __| (.... - 1694) m 1639| | _______________________ | | |_Claudine ANSERMET __| | |_______________________
Appears as catechumen 02 apr 1716, identified as son of Mr. le Conseiller Reverdit.
[3863] "Mr. Urbain Reverdit Conseiller et Curial de la justice malade depuis longtems est mort d'une chute que lui a cassé le Temple et enfracé le Crane, mort le 4e avril 1754 agé d'env. 52 ans."
_Jaques REVERDIL ____+ | (1590 - 1641) m 1610 _Jaques REVERDIL ____| | (1614 - 1651) m 1639| | |_Claudine FORNIER ___+ | (1593 - 1641) m 1610 _Urbain REVERDIL ____| | (.... - 1728) | | | _Nicolas BUVELOT ____ | | | (.... - 1634) | |_Françoise BUVELOT __| | (.... - 1694) m 1639| | |_Claudine ANSERMET __ | | |--Urbain REVERDIL | (.... - 1754) | _____________________ | | | _François NATTEY ____| | | (.... - 1677) m 1638| | | |_____________________ | | |_Marie NATTEY _______| | | _____________________ | | |_Nicolarde TISSOT ___| m 1638 | |_____________________
Because she married Pierre de Montay of Geneva in 1676, it must be the other Urbaine Reverdil, daughter of Jean Matthieu, who was the wife of Pierre Mayor of Ballens.
_____________________ | _François REVERDIL __| | (.... - 1613) | | |_____________________ | _Jean Jaques REVERDIL _| | (.... - 1662) | | | _____________________ | | | | |_____________________| | | | |_____________________ | | |--Urbaine REVERDIL | | _____________________ | | | _Bernard DUNANT _____| | | (.... - 1631) | | | |_____________________ | | |_Elizabeth DUNANT _____| (1610 - ....) | | _Jean GERVAIX _______ | | |_Andrée GERVAIX _____| | |_____________________
Baptised as Urbaine Reverdil. As the other Urbaine Reverdil baptised about the same time was the wife of Pierre de Montay of Geneva, this one must be the "Jeanne Urbaine Reverdil" who married Pierre Mayor of Ballens.
Her name was transcribed into the International Genealogical Index as "Vebain", but the baptismal records for her children show the middle name Urbaine, and a surname that is difficult to read. The name is one of the most difficult to read, because in the old script it requires several discontinuities and contains letters that are usually ambiguous. Some records seem to show the final consonant as a "t" or an "s". Transcriptions such as Reverdy and Roverdil are also possible. The name is known in the bourgeoisie of Nyon as early as 1490.
The Dictionnaire Historique (Mottaz 1914) sheds further light on the origin of the family. On 14 nov 1476, Pierre Reverdil de La Pierre from St. Maxime in the diocese of Tarentaise was appointed rector of a new hospital at Nyon (the Maladière, a hospice for lepers). There were some years of administrative squabbles, but he remained in that position at least 15 years. If the Reverdil family maintained some sort of interest in the field of medicine, it is easy to imagine that Pierre Mayor trained with one of them and thus encountered Jeanne Urbaine Reverdil. There is so far no evidence as to how Pierre Mayor acquired his training.
Probably the best clue we have is the presence of Claude Damond or his daughters at baptisms of the children of Pierre Mayor and his wife Jeanne Urbaine Reverdil. Urbaine the daughter of Jean Mathieu Reverdil was the second cousin of Claude Damond. However, if Egrège François Reverdil was the son of Nicolas Reverdil, as suggested by one inscription in the church records that cannot be read with certainty, it turns out that Urbaine the daughter of Jean Jaques Reverdil is also a second cousin of Claude Damond. Therefore, we had no choice but to await further developments. The marriage of Jeanne Urbaine Reverdil and Pierre Mayor has not been located, and it is not certain that the baptisms of all of their children have been found. In fact, we wonder if Pierre Mayor might have moved his family to another parish to further his career. Another source that should be explored is the records of the courts at Nyon, which might show the wife of Pierre Mayor inheriting property from her Reverdil relatives. But as far as we have been able to ascertain from the church records and the records of the notaries, there were only two Revderdil girls bearing the name Urbaine, and when we finally discovered that the daughter of Jean Jaques Reverdil had married Pierre de Montay of Geneva in 1676, it became clear that the remaining one, the daughter of Jean Matthieu, must have been the wife of Pierre Mayor of Ballens.
[2630] Date of birth of last child. Records of Bière need to be checked for later references and perhaps a burial record.
[14578] There is long gap in the marriage records of the parish of Bière at this period. The marriage is not recorded at Nyon, and we have searched most of the parishes between as well, with negative results.
_Nicolas REVERDIL _____+ | (1531 - 1603) _Jaques REVERDIL ____| | (1590 - 1641) m 1610| | |_______________________ | _Jean Matthieu REVERDIL _| | (1611 - ....) m 1636 | | | _Jean Mathieu FORNIER _ | | | (.... - 1623) | |_Claudine FORNIER ___| | (1593 - 1641) m 1610| | |_______________________ | | |--Urbaine (Jeanne Urbaine) REVERDIL | (.... - 1688) | _Pierre CORNUT ________ | | m 1600 | _Esdras CORNUT ______| | | (1600 - 1658) m 1620| | | |_Claudine _____ _______ | | m 1600 |_Jeanne Esther CORNUT ___| m 1636 | | _______________________ | | |_Jeanne PARIS _______| (.... - 1632) m 1620| |_______________________
Her death record at La Mure was attested by her nephews Alexandre and Antoine Eustache.
__ | __| | | | |__ | _Daniel REY ____________| | | | | __ | | | | |__| | | | |__ | | |--Anne Marguerite REY | | __ | | | __| | | | | | |__ | | |_Susanne Marie CURCHOD _| | | __ | | |__| | |__
__ | __| | | | |__ | _Daniel REY ____________| | | | | __ | | | | |__| | | | |__ | | |--François REY | | __ | | | __| | | | | | |__ | | |_Susanne Marie CURCHOD _| | | __ | | |__| | |__
[14724] Date of contract, Jean Marcuard, notary (ACV DP 62/1, fol. 202).
__ | __| | | | |__ | _Daniel REY ____________| | | | | __ | | | | |__| | | | |__ | | |--Jean Jacob REY | | __ | | | __| | | | | | |__ | | |_Susanne Marie CURCHOD _| | | __ | | |__| | |__