Hampshire has a long history of producing writing materials as a consequence of fast flowing and plentiful chalk streams providing energy and water for papermaking. In the year 1700 there were 10 paper mills in the county nine making brown paper and one on the Itchen at South Stoneham near Southampton manufacturing white paper. This mill was then known as Up Mills but today as Gater's Mill.

There were four paper mills at Up Mills each quite large in size together with several rooms including drying lofts and warehouses. Each paper mill needed a fifteen strong team to operate so 50 to 60 people would have been employed at South Stoneham many of them living at the mill.

Up Mills was one of several mills in England operated by the Company of White Paper Makers formed when fifteen men, nine of whom had French protestant roots, were granted a patent and then a charter by James II enabling them to form a company and to make all sorts of writing and printing paper. Of the nine French protestants five had Hampshire connections mainly through Southampton where most were Burgesses and businessmen rather than skilled paper makers. One man Elias de Grouchy became Sherriff and then Mayor of Southampton. Many of their workers were of French origin but also included some Dutch and English papermakers.

During the late 17th and early 18th centuries French protestants known as Huguenots were persecuted and many fled to nearby protestant countries. Huguenot papermakers had a particularly difficult time leaving France as the French wished to maintain their position as a leading European papermaker. If caught trying to leave they could expect to spend the rest of their lives in the galleys. In 1685 the company sent an emissary named Dennis de Manes to France to recruit skilled workers for South Stoneham but he was caught and imprisoned for trying to bring three French papermakers to England.

One young French Huguenot who worked at South Stoneham was Henri de Portal who, legend has it, escaped persecution in France by hiding in the oven of the family home while it was being ransacked by the King's men and then later escaped to Southampton hidden inside a wine barrel with his brother. Henri arrived in Southampton in around 1705 when he was about 15 years old and attended the French Church in Winkle Street. Henri's wealthy family originated from Toulouse and a key papermaker at South Stoneham, Gerard de Vaux, was also from Toulouse and he knew the Portal family well. Gerard obtained work for Henri at South Stoneham where he learned the art of papermaking.

In 1711 Henri was naturalised at Winchester Quarter Sessions. The naturalisation certificate described him as "Henry Portal, of South Stoneham, Gentleman". Henry was clearly a talented and charming man and made influential friends not least Sir William Heathcote who leased him Bere Mill at Freefolk near Whitchurch in 1711. Here Henry established his papermaking enterprise recruiting some of the papermakers from South Stoneham including John de Vaux the son of his friend.

The business went from strength to strength and in 1718 Henry leased Laverstoke Mill further up the Test which he turned into one of the most successful paper mills in the country and where he made paper for the Indian rupee. In 1724 Henry was awarded the contract to produce paper for banknotes by Sir Gilbert Heathcote, the Governor of the Bank of England and uncle of Henry's friend Sir William Heathcote.

Henry's particular expertise was the production of paper with superb watermarks essential for security with paper money and today the business he founded makes paper for the currencies of over 150 countries at its mill at Overton.

Henry died at Freefolk House adjoining Laverstoke Mill on 30th September, 1747 and is buried at the Parish Church of All Hallows, Whitchurch. There is a plaque on the church wall to his memory.