Porteous, John, d. 1809.

William Porteous was a merchant and land owner in New York, N.Y. prior to and during the American Revolution. He was a close associate of Sir William Johnson and his family before and after the war. Porteous remained loyal to the Crown during the war and attempted to enlist in the British Army. After the war, Porteous remained in New York City until 1790, at which time he relocated to Little Falls, N.Y. He assisted the heirs of Sir William Johnson in settling Johnson's estate and acquired a significant amount of land in and around Little Falls, including the Vaughn Patent. Porteous leased and later sold much of his property to Alexander Ellice, a resident of London, England.

Porteous' daughter, Catherine Mary married William Alexander. Upon Porteous' death, Catherine Mary inherited the bulk of his estate, which was managed by her husband. William had a considerable amount of dealings with Alexander Ellice, serving as his attorney and agent in America. One lessee of Ellice's was William Girvan, who somehow came into the posession of this collection, as evidenced by the fact that his descendant, W. M. Girvan, donated this collection to the State Library.