Show ContentsPorteous History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Porteous family

The surname Porteous was first found in Peeblesshire, where they were settled at Hawkshaw. "John Pertus of Glenkirk in record 1443, also owned lands in Fife. George Portwis held the lands of Glenkirk in 1478-1484. John Portewis had charter in 1513 of the lands of Glenkirk and Quhitslaid, and Sir William Portus was chaplain in the parish church of S. Rega of Kilbucho, 1550. James Pourtes, glover, in Edinburgh, 1670. Perhaps of local origin from some place like 'Porthouse.' " [1] Guillaume Porteuse (later William Porteous,) arrived from Normandy, circa 1400. [2]

In England, the name may have been a "nickname, 'port-horse,' i.e. a pack-horse; compare porter, a carrier, also portfolio and portmanteau denoting a hardworking, plodding man" [3] or from Portways, a location name in Oxfordshire. [4]

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 include: Robert Portehors, John Portehors and Ralph Portehors, but no locations are provided. [3] The Placita de Quo Warranto, temp. Edward I-III. included an entry for Ralph Portehors, 20 Edward I (during the twentieth year of Edward I's reign.) [5]

Later the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls include and listing of Robertus de Porterhouse as holding lands there at that time. [3]

Early History of the Porteous family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Porteous research. Another 103 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1443, 1454, 1478, 1479, 1484, 1527, 1549, 1550, 1561, 1563, 1670, 1672, 1701, 1735, 1736, 1757, 1759, 1760, 1764, 1770, 1774, 1785, 1807, 1813 and 1817 are included under the topic Early Porteous History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Porteous Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Porteous, Portieous, Porteus, Porteas, Pertus and others.

Early Notables of the Porteous family

Notable amongst the family name during their early history was

  • John Porteous (d. 1736), captain of the Edinburgh city guard who was lynched by a mob for his part in the killing of innocent civilians during the command to quell a disturbance which was later named...
  • William Porteous (1735-1813), was a Scottish divine, son of the minister of Monivaird, Perthshire. He was born at Monivaird in 1735, and educated for the ministry. Receiving a license from the presbyt...

Porteous Ranking

In New Zealand, the name Porteous is the 984th most popular surname with an estimated 763 people with that name. [6]


United States Porteous migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Porteous Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Robert Porteous, who arrived in Boston in 1657
  • Edward Porteous, his wife Margaret, and their son John, who all arrived in Virginia in 1675
Porteous Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • James Porteous, who arrived in Maryland in 1714 [7]
  • John Porteous, who settled in New York in 1786
Porteous Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Andrew Porteous, who settled in New York, NY in 1821
  • Hugh A Porteous, who landed in California in 1890 [7]

Canada Porteous migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Porteous Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • John Porteous, who settled in Nova Scotia in 1835
  • Agnes Porteous, who settled in Ontario in 1855
  • Sam Porteous, who landed in Victoria, British Columbia in 1862

Australia Porteous migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Porteous Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Miss Catherine Porteous, (b. 1828), aged 20, Scottish convict who was convicted in Edinburgh, Scotland for 10 years for house breaking, transported aboard the "Elizabeth and Henry" on 11th February 1848, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) [8]

New Zealand Porteous migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Porteous Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Miss Janet Porteous, (b. 1842), aged 23, British domestic servant travelling from London aboard the ship "Eastern Empire" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 4th January 1865 [9]
  • Robert Porteous, aged 28, a wood turner, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Halcione" in 1870 [10]

West Indies Porteous migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. [11]
Porteous Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
  • George Porteous, who arrived in Barbados in 1666

Contemporary Notables of the name Porteous (post 1700) +

  • Gabriel Thomas Porteous Jr. (1946-2021), American jurist, United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana (1994-2010)
  • James Porteous (1848-1922), Scottish born, American, inventor of the Fresno Scraper, used in excavation
  • L. Robert Porteous Jr., American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Maine, 1960 [12]
  • John F. Porteous, American politician, U.S. Consul in Oporto, 1857-61 [12]
  • James H. Porteous, American Republican politician, Candidate for Connecticut State House of Representatives from Middletown, 1926 [12]
  • James G. Porteous, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Warren County, 1873 [12]
  • Dave Porteous (b. 1952), American Republican politician, Member of Michigan State University board of trustees; Appointed 1996; Defeated, 1996; Elected 1998 [12]
  • Nico Porteous (b. 2001), New Zealand freestyle skier
  • William Porteous (1735-1812), Scottish divine, son of James Porteous, minister of Monivaird, Perthshire
  • John Porteous (d. 1736), Scottish captain of the Edinburgh city guard, son of Stephen Porteous, a tailor in the Canongate, Edinburgh
  • ... (Another 9 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Hillcrest Coal Mine
  • Mr. James Porteous (1883-1914), Scottish Timberman from Rigside, Lanarkshire, Scotland, United Kingdom who worked in the Hillcrest Coal Mine, Alberta, Canada and died in the mine collapse [13]
  • Mr. Alexander Porteous (1877-1914), Scottish Miner from Douglas Parish, Lanarkshire, Scotland, United Kingdom who worked in the Hillcrest Coal Mine, Alberta, Canada and died in the mine collapse [13]


  1. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  2. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  3. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  4. Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
  5. Testa de Nevill or "Liber Feodorum" or "Book of Fees," thought to have been written by Ralph de Nevill, for King John (1199–1216)
  6. "Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
  7. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  8. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 15th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth-and-henry
  9. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  10. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 12th December 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
  12. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 22) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  13. List Of Miners - Hillcrest Mine Disaster Data. (Retrieved 2014, June 24) . Retrieved from http://www.hillcrestminedisaster.com/data/index.php?title=List_Of_Miners


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