Thomas Porteous (1765-1830)

He was born at the City of Quebec and became a grain merchant. In 1800, he paid £20,000 for the Seigneury of Terrebonne that was renowned for its production of wheat and flour. He was a director of the Bank of Montreal, Vice-President of the Montreal Savings Bank, and President of the Montreal Water Works. He kept a townhouse on Rue Notre-Dame in Montreal and in 1813 commissioned John Try to build him a large stone house "of the best materials... laid out in a superior style" at Sainte-Thérèse-de-Blainville. He married Olivia Everest at Vermont and had seven children.