In addition to the named children, there is a baptism for a son 21 mar 1690 at Mollens, where the given name is blank. In spite of evidence for some sort of inheritance from Gabriel Mayor, a document dated 29 dec 1677 has Philippe acting on behalf of his mother Marthe Cloux. In addition to the known children, an unnamed son was baptised 21 mar 1690.
The terriers, for example the section relating to Ballens in the terrier ACV FH 31 from about 1585, indicate that this Pierre was the father of Jaques and the late Fran�ois, who had left two sons Sulpice and Pierre. This Jaques, with his nephews, held a 1/4 interest in a number of properties, another 1/2 owned by Fran�ois son of the late Claude Mayor (the one designated as "pupil" above), and the remaining 1/4 held by "Discret" Claude Mayor (the notary whose records have survived 1567-1618, ACV DB 26) and his brothers Louis and Fran�ois. These proportions would naturally follow if Pierre and Egr�ge Claude (father of Discret Claude the notary) were brothers, and if their uncle was Claude Mayor, father of the still-living Fran�ois.
There are many men called Pierre Mayor in the terriers that cover Ballens, and many of them are mentioned in the context of an indefinite past. It has been extremely difficult to determine how they should be connected.
One Pierre, already noted as feu Pierre Mayor in 1569, is mentioned in connection with the house of his son Fran�ois, located next to the house owned by Fran�ois pupil of the late Claude Mayor (1/2) and by Mory Saudan (3/8) and Pierre Saudan le Jeusne (1/8). This Pierre Mayor must not be not the father of Egr�ge Anthoine, Egr�ge Michel, Pernon, and Marguerite, as that Pierre dictated his verbal will late in 1570. Unless there is a different Jaques who was the adult son of Pierre circa 1570, we suggest tentatively that "Jaques nourry de Pierre Mayor", mentioned as early as 1569 in the records of the notary Claude Mayor (ACV DB 26), is the illegitimate son of the same Pierre who had the son Fran�ois. Another reason for this suggestion is the fact that a Jaques Mayor is mentioned frequently in the 1622 terrier of Ballens in citations from a previous terrier of 1570, with his nephews "Sulpy" and Pierre Mayor. Given the apparently ancestry of the uniquely named "Sulpy" (properly Sulpice), it is necessary that this same Pierre had a son Jaques.
However, we have come to believe that the Pierre just described must be brother of the elder notary Egr�ge Claude Mayor.
The present Pierre is apparently the grandfather of the Pierre just described. He must be old enough to be the grandfather of the elder notary Egr�ge Claude Mayor, and old enough to be the grandfather of the "Fran�ois pupil de feu Claude Mayor" who is cited in 1570.
The terrier FH 137, dating from 1506-1508, describes holdings of his son Jacobo (=Jaques), and tells us that Pierre had already died by 22 oct 1507 (fol. 436, also another reconnaissance on fol. 448). During the process of describing about 20 properties held by Jacobo, additional relationships are revealed. Jacobo had a brother Humbert Mayor. Their father Pierre Mayor had married Nycollete, daughter of Aymonet Soudan. Another daughter of Aymonet Soudan, Pernete, had married Mermet Solliard. Mermet and Pernete had a son Nycollet who was thus first cousin to Jacobo and his brother Humbert. Jacobo and Humbert were also related in some way to Antoine son of Michel son of Antoine "de Vernay alias Mayor", whose reconnaissance on fol. 421 (28 may 1506) of the same terrier actually refers to "Jacobo de Vernay alias Mayor" and indicates that Michel de Vernay alias Mayor had a brother Pierre, thus providing the link. Unless there is another generation between Pierre de Vernay alias Mayor and the present Pierre Mayor, we can add another generation to the pedigree of the Mayors.
This Pierre is apparently not the father of "Jaques norry de feu Pierre Mayor" mentioned as early as 1570 in notarial records. The latter Pierre is listed as deceased as early as May 1570, while the present Pierre died in November, according to the proceedings to establish his verbal will. This Pierre cannot be the son of the late Fran�ois, either, as that Pierre is known to have been alive as late as 1596. However, this Pierre seems to be the brother of a somewhat mysterious Humbert Mayor, son of Ottonin (see notes on Pierre's son Anthoine). The terriers are clear on this point, so it seems that the Pierre who was the father of the notaries Antoine and Michel Mayor.
It must be another Pierre, this one the son of Jean, who was the father of F�lix Mayor and his brother the minister Jaques Mayor, according to a number of "reconnaissances" found in the terriers of Aubonne. While there is at least one citation in the church records of a F�lix son of Humbert Mayor in the early 17th Century, it now appears that he did not survive. The F�lix who left children and who held property jointly with his brother the minister Jaques Mayor was the son of Pierre, son of Jean. See, for example, ACV FH 175 fol. 44 and elsewhere in the same terrier.
On the other hand, we are still wavering, because of the language of the nuncupative testament of the present Pierre. It was presented for probate 23 nov 1570 (Claude Mayor, notary, ACV DB 26/2, fol. 44v) by Egr�ge Michel Mayor in his own name and for Egr�ge Antoine Mayor his brother and their sisters Pernon and Marguerite. It also mentions Pierre's widow Fran�oise. The residual heirs are the said "Anthoine et Michel Mayor ses filz par egales portions", which seems to rule out Pierre as the father of two more sons F�lix and Jaques, unless perhaps these two were sons by a previous wife. But that does not seem very logical, either, since F�lix and Jaques left at least part of their inheritance—whatever it was—undivided until 1603. The conclusion we derive from the terriers examined so far is that there were two Pierres, one the son of Ottonin, the other the son of Jean.
A division of an obligation, this time derived from holdings originally dedicated for the support of a chapel at Aubonne, recorded in the terrier ACV FH 161, relates the succession of this obligation from Girard Cigoen and/or Agoen, represented 14 apr 1578 by Egr�ge Antoine and Egr�ge Michel Mayor (each obligated for 1/4), both sons of the late Pierre, and Humbert (for the other 1/2), son of Ottonin Mayor. The proportions again support the conclusion that Pierre and Humbert were brothers, and that Pierre left only the two sons, Antoine and Michel. How the family (Ottonin, in particular) came to hold property from Cigoen and/or Aigoen is not clear; in fact, the terriers seem perplexed: the name wavers among Cigoen, Tigoen, Aigoen, Agoen, etc., and it is not clear whether this constellation of similar names represents one Girard or two.
In the terrier FH 137 (1506, for the Ch�teau d'Aubonne) there seem to be three individuals: Girard, Pierre, and Jean Cigoen. The name is clear everywhere it occurs. In the terrier FH 161, for the chapels of Aubonne, there are several spellings, apparently derived from the prior terrier compiled by Jean Thomasset.
It is not clear why the IGI has identified Pierre Mayor, husband of Jeanne Urbaine Reverdil, with the Pierre Mayor born in Aubonne 10 jul 1646. Records there seem to indicate that the latter Pierre, son of the late Pierre Mayor and Charlotte Caillat, was married in Aubonne 20 mar 1669 to Estienne Gabrielle Neyroud. (Pierre Sr. was married to Charlotte Caillat 12 jan 1644. He was son of Gaspard Mayor son of Louis, she was daughter of Fran�ois Caillat.)
There are several other Pierre Mayors to choose from, but the correct parentage is revealed in a marriage contract of 19 oct 1700 (notary Daniel Marmet) between Jean Fran�ois Dumond of Graney and Jeanne Susanne Mayor daughter of the late Gaspard Mayor, assisted by her mother Jeanne Imberte Favre and her uncle Pierre Mayor, operateur of Ballens.
The couple must have had some connections to the upper social strata of Nyon, as their (first?) child baptised there was presented by a prominent couple, Claude Damond, Banderet, and his wife Emilia Catherine de Crol. There are other connections of the Damond and Reverdil families.
The first mention of this couple in the registers of Bi�re so far discovered is the appearance of Pierre Mayor operateur and Jeanne Urbaine Reverdil at the baptism in Ballens of Jeanne Catherine Rochat, daughter of Jean Fran�ois Rochat and Fran�oise Crossier, 07 nov 1676. On 02 feb 1680, he buys a piece of land for his wife Urbaine Reverdy from Allobacth Rochat of Etoy (living at Lausanne) acting on behalf of his wife Claudine Mayor, her identity not yet known (Gaspard Mayor, notary). In 1683, in a document concerning milk, butter, and cows, he is referred to as Pierre Mayor le jeune operateur � Ballens. The identity of the other Pierre (the elder) implied by this record is not known, but is probably the one who died prior to 1698 and whose children were Jean Louis, Jean Baptiste, and Gabrielle. On 07 dec 1685 the present Pierre (the Operateur) leases the operation of vinyards inherited from his late father near Aubonne to Jacob Saget and his wife Jeanne Pernette Perron of Lavigny (Gaspard Mayor, notary).
At first, we thought the significance of the title "operateur" was revealed in one of the many records of notary Daniel Marmet (25 feb 1702) that mention Pierre in this capacity. Acting on behalf of the town of Ballens, he is listed as "Pierre Mayor operateur dudit Ballens en nom et en qualit� de moderne Gouverneur du village et communaut� dudit Ballens". We thought Operateur must be akin to manager or administrator. However, we have since found other records that prove "operateur" at this period, and for Pierre Mayor in particular, meant surgeon. He was an operator, he performed operations. At least one testimonial to his skill has surfaced, from a man whose son was cured by means of an operation.
A mention of "le jardin des enfans de Sr. Operateur Mayor" in 1714 suggests he had died by then. However, other interpretations are possible. For example, did the garden in question belong to his wife Jeanne Urbaine Reverdil, who had already died? There is a suggestion in the records of Daniel Marmet that Pierre was still alive in 1716 and was then married to Jaqueline Mayor.
We strongly suspect that the Abraham son of Discret Pierre Mayor of Ballens who married in Nyon 14 nov 1695 to Jeanne Louise daughter of the late Jean Jaques Baud of C�ligny is yet another child of Pierre and Jeanne Urbaine. If so, this Abraham would have been born perhaps about 1670, during the interval at Bi�re for which all baptisms are missing. The marriages are missing as well, so the parentage of his wife remains uncertain.
Oddly, we have found no mention of Pierre Mayor between 1668 and 1676. The baptism of Estienne Benedict Mayor, very definitely his son, has not been found. Did the family move to another parish where Pierre practiced his craft?
[14555]
There is long gap in the marriage records of the parish of Bi�re at this period. The marriage is not recorded at Nyon, and we have searched most of the parishes between as well, with negative results.
Parentage in the baptismal record says Ege. Anthoine Mayor and Esther Tripod of Mollens. The witnesses include Sara Tripod wife of Bernard Faber of Aubonne. Because of the references to the Tripod family, and the absence of any other record of an Anthoine at this period in Mollens, Anthoine is taken as an error for Estienne. Sara was present at a baptism in Aubonne in 1623.
Identified indirectly from land sale of 02 may 1707, where her husband Daniel Marmet, the undersigned notary, is listed as the brother-in-law of Jeanne Estienne and Marie Mayor, daughters of Philippe Mayor.
A stray leaf (no date) in the minutaire of Gaspard Mayor, notary, shows that Susanne Mayor is "la plus petite des filles" and notes items she received from the estate. The next girl mentioned is Louise, but the page ends before the rest are named.
Identified as the daughter of the late Eg. Curial Mayor, and granddaughter of Jaques Mayor, in a document of notary Daniel Marmet 29 nov 1723. LDS group sheets submitted by Frederick Lyndon Hinnen, based on data from Irene Smith, gives death date as 06 sep 1754, but this may be either a different Susanne Mayor or the death date of the second wife.
[2374]
Date cited in IGI, but not found in registers at Aubonne. Perhaps she was baptised in one of the surrounding parishes.
[14483]
"Jean Samuel Mayor de Ballens et Susanne Mayor d'Aubonne ont �t� �pous�s le 8e mars 1707", no further information in the church records.
