Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Potters & Allied Families in Orange County, New York, 1800s

The following comes from the Portrait & Biographical records of Orange County, New York, 1895, pages 787-788:

Lewis Potter, owner of the "natural bridge" farm in the town of Highland, was born at Ft. Montgomery, August 17, 1825, and the first fourteen years of his life were passed in the place of his birth. He then came to Forest of Dean, and for the four ensuing years was in the employ of Daniel Slosson, upon the farm which he now owns. As soon as he had a sufficient amount saved to warrant independent action, he began farm work on his own account, and for a number of years thereafter he rented farms in Forest of Dean and Ft. Montgomery. His next venture was the purchase of a yoke of oxen, and thus equipped he engaged in teaming for three years, after which he was employed on the Hudson River for one years, and for two years tilled the soil in partnership with his brother.

After his marriage, Mr. Potter rented a farm near Ft. Montgomery, and this place he worked for nine years on shares. He then was employed for a year in New Jersey, but the following year returned home and began the cultivation of the place where his family had resided during his absence. On this property, which was situated near Ft. Montgomery, he engaged in general agricultural pursuits for three years, and later rented a farm near the mines for ten years. Desirous, however, of having property of his own, in 1873 he bought one hundred and twenty-six acres, and upon that tract he settled two years later. He has since added several hundred acres to the estate, which, under his efficient management, is one of the most productive farms in the neighborhood. The place is a very old one, and one field was cleared and has been in cultivation since a period antedating the Revolution.



It is worthy of note that our subject's grandfather, Aaron, and great-grandfather Potter were participants in the Revolutionary struggle and took an active part in the Battle of Ft. Montgomery, where the latter was killed and the form had part of his ear shot away.

For a time after the Revolution Aaron Potter lived on Long Island, whence he came to Orange County and took up a large trace of land near Highland Mills. After his death his son Thomas, our subject's father, removed to Ft. Montgomery, and died at the home of his daughter there. His wife bore the maiden name of Margaret Weyant, and was the daughter of Tobias Weyant, of Highland Mills.

The marriage of our subject took place at Forest of Dean, February 16, 1850, at which time he took as his wife Miss Phoebe, daughter of James and Catherine (Vought) Clark. Her father, who was a farmer by occupation, was a son of Moses Clark. Her mother was a daughter of Joseph and Amelia (Conklin) Vought, and the latter in turn was a daughter of Jacob and Mary (Nelson) Conklin. Henry, father of Joseph Vought, was a soldier in the War of the Revolution. Mrs. Potter is the eldest of eleven children, of whom all but two are living. Our subject was the eighth among fourteen children, and he and his brother John M.,  who was third in order of birth, are the only survivors.

The family of Mr. and Mrs. Potter consisted of five children, namely: Millie Ann, who married Thomas Cox and is now deceased;  Sarah Jane, who died in infancy; Jane, wife of George VanTassell; Catherine, who passed away in infancy; and Mary Emma, wife of Fred Holman, a fireman in an apartment house in New York City. The latter has one child, Arthur J., a fine lad of six years.

In politics Mr. Potter upholds the principles of Democracy, and has been prominent in the local ranks of his party. For thirty years he has served as Collector, and he has also filled the position of School Director.

Saturday, March 12, 2016

Were Potters Scotch-Irish in Colonial Virginia?

I found Potter information in all three volumes of Lyman Chalkley's Chronicles of the Scotch-Irish Settlement in Virginia, extracted from the original court records of Augusta County, 1745 to 1800.



From Volume One:

Page 446:  John Potter, confined for desertion, 1780
Page 230:  James Potter mentioned in the estate administration for William Steele, 15 April 17873
Page 299:  William Mark vs. Abraham Potter, account for one saddle, 21 April 1748
Page 309:  Abraham Potter vs. Robert Craven, May 1753... in 1744 ...dispute with Robert Craven
     and James Fisher regarding 350 acres on Cook's Creek..."Abraham Potter otherwise called
     Abraham Potter of Sussex upon Delaware."

From Volume Two:

Page 195:  Polly Miller, wife of Henry, has married John Potter, son of David..... she had 4 
     children by David Potter since Henry's death.... David died intestate by 14 Jun 1816
Page 218:  George L. Clemmer vs. David Potter's heirs.... 1820.... David Potter, of Rockbridge,
     died, his wife pre-deceased him, living children were:
     Margaret  --  wife of Christian Runkle
     Catherine
     Susanna  --  wife of John Wambuck or Warnburk
     Mary  --  wife of Benjamin Baltzer
     John
     Sarah  --  wife of Peter Koontz
     Eve
     Charles
     Barbara
     David (infant)

     John Potter has since died, leaving widow, Mary, and two children (Elizabeth and Sarah);  
     Sarah Potter Koontz leaves husband and daughter, Mary
Page 390:  William Steele, administrator of James Potter,  15 Apr 1783

From Volume Three:

Page 142:  John Potter's appraisement by John Kirk, Alex Kirk, John Beard, 22 Nov 1775,
     "for sogering (soldiering) money under Capt Moffett, L6.7.6"
Page 465:  Gordon Potter was testator on 10 Nov 1767, along with Thomas McIlhany...
     and Alexander to James Stewart
Page 562:  James Potter and John Wright and Robert McKittrick, testators to deed, ca. 1780

Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Potters to Missouri, 1829-1876


From Gone To Missouri, From Whence They Came, To Where & Why, by Marilyn Moore, 1991.
Found at the Heritage Quest Research Library, Sumner, Washington. 

Name  --   From Where  --  To What MO County  --  Year

A.J. Potter - Greene Co, MO  --  Greene Co  --  1841
A.W. Potter  --  DeKalb Co, MO  --  KeKalb Co  --  1853
C.H. Potter  --  Washington Co, PA  --  Harrison Co  --  1868
David Potter  --  Juniata Co, PA  --  Jasper Co  --  1866
Edward Potter  --  Ohio  --  Jefferson Co  --  1876
J.A. Potter  --  Knox Co, KY  --  Ray Co  --  1855
J.W. Potter  --  Missouri  --  Cooper Co  --  1854
Jacob Potter  --  Kentucky  --  St. Charles Co  --  1829
John Potter  --  Jackson Co, TN  --  Greene Co  --  1832
John Potter  --  Prussia  --  Greene Co  --  1860
L.C. Potter  --  Greene Co, MO  --  Green Co  --  1848
M.B. Potter  --  Greene Co, MO  --  Greene Co  --  1833
Nicholas Potter  --  Prussia  --  Greene Co  --  1859
T. Potter  --  Clay Co, MO  --  DeKalb Co  --  1858
W.H.F. Potter  --  Green Co, MO  --  Greene Co  --  1850
W.S. Potter  --  Missouri  --  Cooper Co  --  1836
J.H. Potter  --  Cooper Co, MO  --  Morgan Co  --  1866