A "Lost" Potter in Port Angeles, Washington in 1915?

 

(Thanks to FindAGrave.com for this image; Sequim View Cemetery)

An obituary from The Olympic Leader, dated 26 September 1915: 

 Benjamin R. Potter, Pioneer Resident Dead

Benjamin R. Potter, one of the oldest men in Clallam County and a resident of the Sequim community since 1886, died at his home here of old age on Sunday, September 26th. He was close to 90 years.

He was born in Crawford County, Pennsylvania, January 2 1826 and was married to Adelia Sybrant of Sparta Township, Pennsylvania, August 28 1855. His wife survives him.

In 1865 they moved to Minnesota and took up a homestead near Rush City where they resided 21 years coming further west to Washington Territory in 1886 and settling at Sequim where they have ever since made their home.

Here in 1905 they celebrated their golden wedding surrounded by their children and grand children, a very interesting and memorable occasion for the entire assemblage.

Ten years have since been added to their married life making the unusual record of sixty years together.

Born to this union were ten children, nine of whom are living, as follows:  Mrs. J.W. Grant, Seattle;  Mrs. Effie Pilcher, Sequim;  Mrs. J.L Pownall, Eugene, Oregon;  G.E. Potter, Sequim;  Mrs. William Wooding, Reeveton;  J.C. Potter, Mabton;  Mrs. C.L. McDougal and Mrs. Eva Ware, Sequim, and W.B. Potter, Puyallup.

There are 38 grandchildren and 28 great grandchildren. One sister, Mrs. Cynthia Sybrant of Harris, Minnesota, survives the deceased. 

The funeral took place from Mrs. Ware's residence where Mr. and Mrs. B.R. Potter have been making their home. Services were conducted by Rev. C.E. Fulmer of Port Angeles and burial took place in the Sequim Vew Cemetery.

Mr. Potter was a farmer by occupation most of his life. He was a member of the Baptist Church and a highly respected, honorable and industrious citizen throughout his long and useful career.

Will of Nicholas Potter of Salem, 1697

The quite lengthy will of Nicholas Potter was transcribed and published in Vol. 3 of The Probate Records of Essex County in 1916 by the Essex Institute....... and I republished it in Vol. 5, 1985, in Potter Profiles.

In this long document, composed on 10 Aug 1677, Nicholas mentions many/most/all of his children.... and some he designated as those "by my last wife." He mentions sons Robert, Samuel, and Benjamin. Daughters were Elizabeth (NEWALL), Sarah, Mary (ELLSON), Bethiah (WITT), and Hannah (ROCH). Interestingly he mentions his brothers Bartholmew, Eleazer and Nathaniel GIDNEY. I believe that these were not his born-siblings-brothers but brothers to his wife, Mary GEDNEY.  I also found it quite interesting that the names of his children are spelled differently with each mention in the will.

Nicholas Potter's lineage was dubbed by me to be Branch 3 and in the 3000 pages of Potter Profiles there is much information on this line for he had quite a posterity!

Potters In "Olde England"

While attending the National Genealogical Society in Cincinnati in May, I spent some time at the FindMyPast booth looking for Potters. I first searched by year and this is a list of my findings:  1841-11,718 hits;  1851-12,342 hits; 1861-11,743 hits; 1871-16,809 hits; 1881-19,33 hits; 1891-19,662 hits; 1901-24,515 hits; and 1911-25,898 hits. Searching by category here's what I found:  Births: 98,660 hits;  Marriages: 77,697 hits; Deaths: 3,946 hits. Clicking randomly on a database I looked at "Trinity House Petitions," and found these examples:  Eleanor, age 70, w/o David POTTER of Workington, 1851;  Mary, age 55, w/o William POTTER of Sheerness, 1817;  William age 70, wife Margaret, Monkwearouth, 1951.  And in Births at Sea I found this:  William James Calliance POTTER, b. 2 Mar 1861, s/o James and MaryAnn Lewis, born on the ship Calliance. William Frederick POTTER, b. 1880;  James POTTER b. 1884. (Loved the Calliance ref!)
This is a subscription database but if you have Potter ancestors in the U.K. in the 19th century, you might want to give this a tryout.