John (Potts) Pott (abt. 1608 - bef. 1673)

Born about 1608 in Llangurig Parish, Montgomeryshire, Wales [uncertain]

Husband of Anne (Potts) Pott — married about 1631 in Llangurig Parish, Montgomeryshire, Wales [uncertain]

Descendants

Died before 18 Feb 1673 before about age 65 in Llangurig Parish, Montgomeryshire, Wales

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Biography

John (Potts) Pott was born in Wales.

John was probably born around 1608 in Llangurig Parish, Montgomeryshire, Wales. His parents are currently unknown, but he may have been related to his wife, Anne Pott and her father, Thomas Pott.

Marriage and children

John likely married Anne around 1630. They had at least nine children, who were possibly born in the following order:

1. John Pott (c1632-<1673).
2. Thomas Pott (c1634-<1684)
3. George Pott (c1636->1673)
4. Margaret Pott (c1638->1673)
5. Ales (or Alice) Pott (c1640->1673)
6. Elizabeth Pott (c1642->1673)
7. Anne Pott (c1644->1673)
8. Sarah Pott (c1646->1673)
9. Ninth child (name unknown)

At some time after their marriage, John and Anne occupied a farm at Nantgwernog (or Nant-gwernog, which translates into English as "Doe Stream") located about 2 miles due east of the village of Llangurig^[1]. It was not far from the road that linked Llangurig with Llanidloes, the local market town.

Death

John died sometime between 12 Feb 1672/3^[2], which was the date of his will^[3], and 18 Feb 1672/3, when an inventory of his estate was made^[4]. His wife Anne likely predeceased him.

Research Notes

Surname

As confirmed in John's will^[3] and in the will of Thomas Pott^[5], his father-in-law, John's surname was "Pott", not "Potts". It was only after his descendants arrived in the American colonies in the late 1600s that the letter "s" was added to the end of the name, making it "Potts".

Details from his father-in-law's will

His father-in-law's will dated 11 Aug 1654 contains the following information relating to John^[5]:

• His wife was Anne Pott, the "natural" daughter of Thomas Pott.
• He is referred to as "John Pott late of Nantgwernog" to distinguish him from two other persons named "John Pott" referred to in the will: (1) John's son (Thomas' grandson), and (2) John's brother-in-law (Thomas' "natural" son). Although the will refers to him as being "late of Nantgwernog", this appears to mean that he was residing there "of late" (i.e., currently or recently), as he died later in 1673.
• At the time of the will:
  • His wife was still living.
  • Thomas' sheep were in John's custody.
  • He and Anne had 9 living children, one of whom (as noted above) was named "John" and the other 8 of whom (unnamed) were not then married.
  • Thomas left his grandson John Pott "eight Sheepe beinge in the custodie of" John's father, John Pott, and gave "all the rest and residue of my sheepe which are in the Custodye of the said John Pott" to his mother Anne "wife of the said John Pott" and "eight of hyr children beinge unmarried" "to be equally divided between them". As John's son John is the only grandchild to receive a specific bequest, this may indicate that he was the oldest child and the only one of legal age (at least 21 years old) in 1654. Assuming John & Anne Pott were married in the early 1630s, John was likely born around 1632, and the other children thereafter.

Details from John's will

John's will contains the following information^[3]:

• His wife is not mentioned which appears to confirm she was already dead.
• It mentions seven of their children as still living, in the following order: Thomas, George, Margaret, Ales (Alice), Elizabeth, Anne and Sarah. Assuming this reflects their order of birth, Thomas was likely born around 1634.
• His son John, mentioned in his father-in-law's will (see above), is not named as a beneficiary, which appears to confirm he predeceased his father.
• The will is witnessed by "John Pott", which is likely to be Anne's brother.
• The will is also witnessed by Thomas Pott (his son), R.E. Rees and Edward Jarman.

Record transcripts

John's will dated 12 Feb 1672/3 and proven 21 May 1673^[3], and an inventory of his personal effects dated 18 Feb 1672/3^[4], are on file in the Consistory Court at Bangor, North Wales. The following are transcripts of these two documents:

The Will of John Pott

In the Name of God Amen the Twelfth day of February 1672 according to the computation of the Church of England I John Pott of the parish of Llangirick in the County of Montgomery yeoman being of perfect Memory & Remembrance praised be God do make and ordaine this my last Will and Testament in manner and form following

First I bequeath my soule into the hands of Almighty God my maker hoping that through the meritorious death and passion of Jesus Christ my only Saviour and Redeemer to receive free pardon and forgiveness of all my sins and as for my body to be buried in Christian burial at the discretion of my Executrix hereafter nominated

Item I give unto my son Thomas Pott the summe of Sixpence

Item I give unto my son George the summe of Sixpence

Item I give unto my daughter Margaret Sixpence

Item I give unto my daughter Ales [Alice] Sixpence

Item I give unto my daughter Elizabeth Sixpence

Item I give unto my daughter Anne Sixpence

Item I give unto my daughter Sarah one Cow one two yeare old heifer two yeareling calfes one Mare one Fillie and Eighteene sheepe with all manner of graine that is in my barne and in the ground and all the rest of my goods whatsoever upon the condition that she shall pay all my depts and legacies and make her sole Executrix of this my last Will and Testament revoking all other Wills and Testaments

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seale the day & yeare first above written

The Marke of John Pott [LS]

The mark of John * Pott

The marke of [ ] dd R E Rees

The marke of Thomas * Pott

The marke of Edward E Jarman

Morgan Evans [Clerk]

Inventory of John Pott's Personal Effects

A true & perfect Inventory of all ye good catels & Chattels household stuffe implements of husbandry & Come of ye decedent John Pott prised by Charles Hamer & David Jenkin husbandmen, prisers, upon ye eighteenth of February Anno etm [query etiaui?] 1672.

First

Item one cow prised... £1 10s 0d

Item one two yeare old heifer pr... £0 15s 0d

Item one yeare old bolock pr... £0 10s 0d

Item one yeare old heifer pr... £0 10s 0d

Item one old Mare prised... £0 6s 0d

Item Eighteen sheepes of all sorts prisd... £2 0s 0d

Item one pig prised... £0 1s 6d

Item Two hens... £0 0s 6d

Item one Loome with all ye implement thereunto belongeing pr... £0 15s 0d

Item Two bedstids with their appurtenances... prised £0 15s 0d

Item one Iron pott one brand[awl? or are?]

Item one Boxston one little Iron pan one pare of Tungs one paire of Iron Links with all the rest af his wooden vessels all together prisd... £0 7s 0s

Item Gates prisd... £0 5s 0d

Item Oatemeal Cheese and one fleetch of backen pr... £0 5s 0d

Item wearing apparel pr... £0 10s 0d

Sum Tott... £8 13s 0d

W sses

John Lloyd

Edward Hadfield

ye marke of George Pott

Morgan Evans

Signum

David Jenkin

Signum

Charles C H Hamer

Sources

1. ↑ The farm was located at the following co-ordinates: 52.40958,-3.55864 and is shown on this Map of Llangurig Parish at SWC Maps (accessed on 31 Dec 2023).
2. ↑ From 1155 to 1752, the English calendar was based on the Julian calendar, and the first day of the English calendar year was 25 March. As a result, the date of the day following 24 Mar 1672, for example, would have been 25 Mar 1673. For this reason, before 1752, dates falling between 1 Jan and 24 Mar would frequently be recorded with both the actual year and the following year, e.g. 12 Feb 1672/3, to avoid confusion.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3} Will of John Pott (c1608-1673), 12 Feb 1672/3, Llangurig parish. Church in Wales, diocese of Bangor, Episcopal Consistory Court. Aberystwyth, Wales : National Library of Wales, 1980 (No. B1673-69-W/I). Ancestry.com (requires subscription). His will is transcribed above and on pp. 61-62 of Historical Collections relating to the Potts Family (see full citation below).
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Inventory of John Pott's Personal Effects, 18 Feb 1672/3, Llangurig parish. Church in Wales, diocese of Bangor, Episcopal Consistory Court. Aberystwyth, Wales : National Library of Wales, 1980 (No. B1673-69-W/I). Ancestry.com (requires subscription). This inventory is transcribed above and on pp. 62-63 of Historical Collections relating to the Potts Family (see full citation below).
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Will of Thomas Pott Sr (<1590-1658), 11 Aug 1654, Llangurig parish. Church in Wales, diocese of Bangor, Episcopal Consistory Court. Aberystwyth, Wales : National Library of Wales, 1980. Ancestry.com (requires subscription). This will is transcribed on pp. 59-60 of Historical Collections relating to the Potts Family (see full citation below). This will is transcribed on pp. 59-60 of Historical Collections relating to the Potts Family (see full citation below).

• James, Isabella Batchelder. "Memorial of Thomas Potts, Junior, who settled in Pennsylvania : with an historic-genealogical account of his descendants to the eighth generation". Canonsburg PA: self-published, 1874 (referred to herein as "Memorial of Thomas Potts"). Archive.org (accessed 2 Jan 2024).
• Potts, Thomas Maxwell. "Historical Collections relating to the Potts Family in Great Britain and America with a Historic-Genealogy of the Descendants of David Potts, an early Anglo-Welsh Settler of Pennsylvania, including contributions by the late William John Potts". Canonsburg PA: self-published, 1901 (referred to herein as "Historical Collections relating to the Potts Family"). Archive.org (accessed 16 Nov 2023).
• The Pott Family of Llangirig. Contains biographies of John & Anne Pott, their son Thomas Pott and his wife Elizabeth, and their children (with sources). TakingTheLongerView.org (accessed 9 Jan 2024).