Isaac de Porthau
Encyclopedia
Isaac de Porthau was a Gascon
black musketeer
of the Maison du Roi
in 17th century France
. In addition, he was the first cousin once removed of the Comte de Troisville, captain of the Musketeers of the Guard
, and first cousin of Armand d'Athos
. Porthau served as the inspiration for Alexandre Dumas
's character "Porthos
" in the d'Artagnan Romances
.
to Isaac de Porthau de Camptort
de Campagne de Castetbon
(Secretary of the Parliament of Béarn) and Clémence de Brosser, as the eldest of four children: Jean, Jeanne, and Sarah. His brother Jean also became a black musketeer
, and may be in part responsible for the fictional representations of Porthau.
Porthau served in the company of Alexandre de Essarts, cousin of the Comte de Troisville, before joining the Musketeers of the Guard
in 1642. He had two sons: Arnaud and Jean.
Following his father's death in 1654, he resigned from the Guard and took over as Secretary of the Parliament of Béarn. He died of a stroke
on July 13, 1712, and was buried in the Chapelle du Saint-Sacrement in the church of St. Martin
, Pau.
from 1899:
Clearly the Porthaus accepted this interpretation of their name, since the blazon
of their arms
(without tinctures, as the source is a seal) was: A lion rampant and in chief two towers crenellated, masoned and inflamed, one to the dexter and the other to the sinister.
These arms were granted to the Porthaus on November 24, 1674. It is unrecorded what, if anything, were their arms prior to this date.
Gascony
Gascony is an area of southwest France that was part of the "Province of Guyenne and Gascony" prior to the French Revolution. The region is vaguely defined and the distinction between Guyenne and Gascony is unclear; sometimes they are considered to overlap, and sometimes Gascony is considered a...
black musketeer
Musketeers of the Guard
The Musketeers of the Guard were a fighting company of the military branch of the Maison du Roi, the Royal Household of the French monarchy.-History:...
of the Maison du Roi
Maison du Roi
The Maison du Roi was the name of the military, domestic and religious entourage around the royal family in France during the Ancien Régime and Bourbon Restoration; the exact composition and duties of its various divisions changed constantly over the Early Modern period...
in 17th century France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. In addition, he was the first cousin once removed of the Comte de Troisville, captain of the Musketeers of the Guard
Musketeers of the Guard
The Musketeers of the Guard were a fighting company of the military branch of the Maison du Roi, the Royal Household of the French monarchy.-History:...
, and first cousin of Armand d'Athos
Armand d'Athos
Armand, Seigneur de Sillègue, d'Athos, et d'Autevielle , better known as Armand d'Athos , was a Gascon black musketeer of the Maison du Roi in 17th century France...
. Porthau served as the inspiration for Alexandre Dumas
Alexandre Dumas, père
Alexandre Dumas, , born Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie was a French writer, best known for his historical novels of high adventure which have made him one of the most widely read French authors in the world...
's character "Porthos
Porthos
Porthos, Baron du Vallon de Bracieux de Pierrefonds is a fictional character in the novels The Three Musketeers, Twenty Years After and The Vicomte de Bragelonne by Alexandre Dumas, père. He and the other two musketeers Athos and Aramis are friends of the novel's protagonist, d'Artagnan...
" in the d'Artagnan Romances
D'Artagnan Romances
The d'Artagnan Romances are a set of three novels by Alexandre Dumas telling the story of the musketeer d'Artagnan from his humble beginnings in Gascony to his death as a marshal of France in the Siege of Maastricht in 1673....
.
Life
Born in BéarnBéarn
Béarn is one of the traditional provinces of France, located in the Pyrenees mountains and in the plain at their feet, in southwest France. Along with the three Basque provinces of Soule, Lower Navarre, and Labourd, the principality of Bidache, as well as small parts of Gascony, it forms in the...
to Isaac de Porthau de Camptort
Ogenne-Camptort
Ogenne-Camptort is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.-References:*...
de Campagne de Castetbon
Castetbon
Castetbon is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.-References:*...
(Secretary of the Parliament of Béarn) and Clémence de Brosser, as the eldest of four children: Jean, Jeanne, and Sarah. His brother Jean also became a black musketeer
Musketeers of the Guard
The Musketeers of the Guard were a fighting company of the military branch of the Maison du Roi, the Royal Household of the French monarchy.-History:...
, and may be in part responsible for the fictional representations of Porthau.
Porthau served in the company of Alexandre de Essarts, cousin of the Comte de Troisville, before joining the Musketeers of the Guard
Musketeers of the Guard
The Musketeers of the Guard were a fighting company of the military branch of the Maison du Roi, the Royal Household of the French monarchy.-History:...
in 1642. He had two sons: Arnaud and Jean.
Following his father's death in 1654, he resigned from the Guard and took over as Secretary of the Parliament of Béarn. He died of a stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
on July 13, 1712, and was buried in the Chapelle du Saint-Sacrement in the church of St. Martin
Martin of Tours
Martin of Tours was a Bishop of Tours whose shrine became a famous stopping-point for pilgrims on the road to Santiago de Compostela. Around his name much legendary material accrued, and he has become one of the most familiar and recognizable Christian saints...
, Pau.
Pedigree and arms
According to an issue of Macmillan's MagazineMacmillan's Magazine
Macmillan's Magazine was a monthly British magazine from 1859 to 1907 published by Alexander Macmillan.The magazine was a literary periodical that published fiction and non-fiction works from primarily British authors. Thomas Hughes had convinced Macmillan to found the magazine. The first editor...
from 1899:
The Porthaus were an ancient family of BéarnBéarnBéarn is one of the traditional provinces of France, located in the Pyrenees mountains and in the plain at their feet, in southwest France. Along with the three Basque provinces of Soule, Lower Navarre, and Labourd, the principality of Bidache, as well as small parts of Gascony, it forms in the...
, taking their name from one of the old porthaux or portes (small frontier towers resembling the peel-towerPeel towerPeel towers are small fortified keeps or tower houses, built along the English and Scottish borders in the Scottish Marches and North of England, intended as watch towers where signal fires could be lit by the garrison to warn of approaching danger...
s of the British Border) with which the FrenchFrench PyreneesThe French Pyrenees is a large mountain range on the French-Spanish border that is part of the following départements, from east to west: Pyrénées-Orientales, Aude, Ariège, Haute-Garonne, Hautes-Pyrénées, and Pyrénées-Atlantiques ....
and SpanishSpanish PyreneesThe Spanish Pyrenees is a large mountain range which is part of the following provinces, from east to west: Girona, Barcelona, Lleida, Huesca, Zaragoza, Navarra, and Guipúzcoa. The mountain's dominions stretch for 450 kilometres from the Cantabrian Sea to the Mediterranean Sea....
PyrénéesPyreneesThe Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
were studded.
Clearly the Porthaus accepted this interpretation of their name, since the blazon
Blazon
In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image...
of their arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
(without tinctures, as the source is a seal) was: A lion rampant and in chief two towers crenellated, masoned and inflamed, one to the dexter and the other to the sinister.
These arms were granted to the Porthaus on November 24, 1674. It is unrecorded what, if anything, were their arms prior to this date.