Robert Potter (1566 - 1631)

Born 1566 in Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, England [uncertain]

Ancestors

Husband of Elizabeth (Marshall) Potter — married 4 Nov 1591 in Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, England

Husband of Elizabeth Marshal — married 4 Nov 1591 in Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, England

Descendants

Died 16 Mar 1631 at about age 65 in Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, England

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Jack Wise [send private message] and Elijah Hamid-Fitzpatrick [send private message]

Biography

Caution - Two (or more) Robert Potters

A different, immigrant Robert Potter was born c. 1609 in England, married to 1) Isobel (Unknown), 2) Sarah (Unknown) and lived at Roxbury in 1634, Portsmouth 1639, and Warwick 1642. He died before 14 May 1656 at Warwick.^[1] This Robert Potter was no relation, and certainly not his father.

Unknown Origin

This Robert Potter is sometimes assumed to have been born in 1566 at Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, England, the son of Thomas Potter and Isabel Sumner.^{[citation needed]} Other parents have been proposed (See Research Notes).

The previous version of this profile assigned a middle name of "Ralph" to this person. However, in NONE of the contemporaneous sources does such a name appear. In addition, it was illegal for an English commoner in Elizabethan times to have multiple given names, so the notion that HE (unlike all of his peers) had a middle name. In addition, in that prior version he was identified as "Sir Robert Ralph Potter," but the marriage record includes no such title.

In addition, he identified himself as a "weaver" in his will (see below). And

Marriage

Robert Potter married on Nov 4, 1591 in Newport Pagnell, BuckInghamshire to Elizabeth Marshall.^[2][3][4]

Last Will & Testament

Robert Potter wrote his will on 10 December 1630 at Newport-Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, England. He mentioned his wife, Elizabeth, and named his sons: Robert, Nicholas, Nathaniel, and John, and daughters: Susannah, Mary and Ann. Note: son Nathaniel was apparently not the identical Nathaniel Potter who emigrated to Rhode Island. (Why not?)

Extracted from a transcription of the Will of Robert Potter of Newport-Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, England, published by Donna Potter Phillips' "Potter Profiles."^[5] "In the name of God Amen, the tenth day of December Anno Dm 1630, I ROBERT POTTER of Newport Pagnell in the County of Buck weaver ... Item. I give and bequeath unto ELIZABETH my wife for long time as she shall keepe herselfe widowe, ...the grounde in the tenure of JEFFERIE POTTER on the other side and afterwards I give the land unto JOHN POTTER my sonne and to his heirs and assigns for ever, if he paie to NICHOLAS POTTER my sonne his exectors or assignes ... unto NATHANIELL POTTER my sonne and his heires and assigns fore evere. ... Item. I give and bequeath unto MARIE POTTER my daughter ... Item I give and bequeath unto ANNE POTTER my daughter ... Item I give and bequeath unto SUSAN POTTER my daughter ... Item I give unto everyone of my grandchildren xii d and my meaning further is that the fee ffar__ of my coppie hold lands shal be granted unto the said Nicholas Potter and Robert Potter my sonnes and to their heirs ... All the rest of my goods and chattels unbequeathed I give unto the said Elizabeth my wife whome I make sole executrix of this my will, also I doe hereby frustrate and make voide all the willes by me formerlie made, Also I doe appoint my brother JEFFERIE POTTER and my brother JOHN MARSHALL overseers of this my last will in Witness wereof I have hereunto sett my hande and seale the daie and yeare first above written In the pres. of Richard Shull, Nicholas Potter and Robert Potter (Proved 5 April 1631)

Death

A Robert Potter was buried in the parish of Newport-Pagnell on 16 March 1630 [1631 on the Gregorian calendar],^[3] no doubt the identical man.

Children

Robert and Elizabeth's children, (baptized in Newport-Pagnell):^{[3] [4] [6]}

1. Thomas Potter, bpt. 10 Sep 1592;^[7] must have died young
2. Thomas Potter, bpt. 25 Feb 1595; must have died young
3. Thomas Potter, bpt. 25 Apr 1600^[8]
4. John Potter, bpt. 25 Apr 1602^[9]
5. Nycholas Potter, bpt. 1 Apr 1604 — went to Lynn, MA in 1634/35, then moved to Salem, MA in 1660
6. Robert Potter, bpt. 15 Sep 1606,^[10] emigrated to Lynn, Massachusetts in 1630, d. 1655 at Lynn, Essex Co., MA^[11] was in Massachusetts by 1634 — (not to be confused with Robert Potter who was featured by Robert C. Anderson: b. by about 1609 in England, an adherent of Samuell Gorton, lived at Roxbury, MA and then at at Warwick, Rhode Island where he d.1655/56 See Caution above)
7. Mary (baptized as Marie) Potter, bpt. 11 Dec 1608^[12]
8. Ann Potter, bpt. 2 Feb 1610^[13]
9. (disputed) Nathaniall Potter (order uncertain); named in his Father's will. Probably the Nathaniell Potter "son of Robart Potter," christened in December, 1616 at Stratford St. Mary, Suffolk. While this community is at some distance from Newport Pagnell, it was a center of the woolen trade in the early 17th century, so it would not be strange to find Robert Potter, the weaver, sojourning there for a time. Notably, this Nathaniell Potter fits nicely in a gap between the later children of Robert Potter chr. at Newport-Pagnell, and it makes him exactly the right age to have been admitted as a freeman in Aquidneck Island, in the Rhode Island Colony (1638). There appears to be some dispute about this claim.
10. Susann Potter, bpt. 18 Apr 1619^[14][15] (Another transcript has instead her baptism date as 28 May 1619.^[16]), disputed wife of John Anthony - please read the full analysis concerning the unknown name of John Anthony's wife and why this Susann Potter is not being listed as his wife, here: Unknown Susanna Potter Anthony.

Note: Two sons named Thomas must have died young. There is a burial record for one Thomas Potter, 9 Aug 1595.^{[citation needed]}

Research Notes

Proposed Parents

This profile has Robert as the son of Thomas and Isabel. Kristen Hall has him the son of Nicholas and Unknown. Geni has him the son of Thomas and Isabel.
2. OurFamilyHistories does not show this Robert Potter.
3. FamilySearch. A query for "Robert Potter, England, 1560-1570" returns 4 primary sources. These seem to be from 3 distinct Robert Potters, none with father = Thomas or Nicholas. 250 Trees contain Robert Potter. FamilySearch

The Robert Potter of Newport-Pagnell, who was the father of most of these children never left England. He married Elizabeth Marshall Nov 4, 1591 in Newport Pagnell, BuckInghamshire.^{[17] [18]}

Sources

1. ↑ Anderson, Robert Charles, (1995) "Robert Potter," Featured name. Great Migration 1634-1635, M-P. AmericanAncestors.org NEHGS, (Volume V, M-P, Pages 500-505).
2. ↑ Buckinghamshire - Registrations of Marriage, 1558-1837. Source Information: Ancestry.com. Buckinghamshire, England, Extracted Church of England Parish Records [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2001. Original data: Electronic databases created from various publications of parish and probate records.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} Potter, Frank Elwood. Descendants of Nicholas Potter of Lynn, Massachusetts : supplement to part 9 ...( Baltimore : Gateway Press, 1991) Archive.org (Pages 3, 4, 6).
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Miller, June (Butler). "Nicholas Potter of Lynn and His Descendants." The Essex Genealogist. AmericanAncestors.org NEHGS, (Vol 19, Page 142-).
5. ↑ Phillips, Donna Potter. "Potter Profiles." I think it can be accessed here but requires a subscription Accessed 7 Dec 2017 at adupree.com
6. ↑ Miller, June (Butler). "Nicholas Potter of Lynn and His Descendants." The Essex Genealogist [https://www.americanancestors.org/DB396/i/12956/142/144698013 19:142-45 link at AmericanAncestors ($)
7. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NPRK-TL9 : 30 December 2014, Thoms. Potter, 10 Sep 1592); citing NEWPORT PAGNELL,BUCKINGHAM,ENGLAND, index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 88,489.
8. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J7M7-DQ9 : 30 December 2014, Thoms. Potter, 25 Apr 1600); citing NEWPORT PAGNELL,BUCKINGHAM,ENGLAND, index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 88,489.
9. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NPRL-RM9 : 30 December 2014), John Potter, 18 Apr 1602; citing NEWPORT PAGNELL,BUCKINGHAM,ENGLAND, reference ; FHL microfilm 88,489.
10. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JMGM-D3B : 30 December 2014, Robert Potter, 15 Sep 1606); citing NEWPORT PAGNELL,BUCKINGHAM,ENGLAND, index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 88,489.
11. ↑ Find a Grave: Robert Potter (1606-1655); https://new.findagrave.com/memorial/124227492/Robert-Potter;
12. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J3DQ-NML : 30 December 2014, Mary Potter, 11 Dec 1608); citing NEWPORT PAGNELL,BUCKINGHAM,ENGLAND, index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 88,489.
13. ↑ England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J7M7-66N : 30 December 2014, Ann Potter, 02 Feb 1611); citing NEWPORT PAGNELL,BUCKINGHAM,ENGLAND, index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 88,489.
14. ↑ Parish Baptisms, "Baptisms, Marriages & Burials, 1558-1664", Parish Registers, Buckinghamshire Archives, Ref. PR_153/1/1; "Buckinghamshire Baptism Index," Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, England, transcription of Susanne Potter, 18 Apr 1619 by subscription at FindMyPast.co.uk.
15. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," FamilySearch Susann Potter, 18 Apr 1619; citing Newport Pagnell, Buckingham, England, index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 88,489.
16. ↑ Parish Baptisms, "Baptisms, Marriages & Burials, 1600-1682", Bishop's Transcripts, Buckinghamshire Archives, Ref. D-A/T/140; "Buckinghamshire Baptism Index," Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, England, transcription of Susan Potter, 28 May 1619 by subscription at FindMyPast.co.uk.
17. ↑ Buckinghamshire - Registrations of Marriage, 1558-1837. Source Information: Ancestry.com. Buckinghamshire, England, Extracted Church of England Parish Records [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2001. Original data: Electronic databases created from various publications of parish and probate records.
18. ↑ Potter, Frank Elwood. Descendants of Nicholas Potter of Lynn, Massachusetts : supplement to part 9 ... ( Baltimore: Gateway Press, 1991) Archive.org (Pages 1- 4, 6).

See also:

• Find A Grave: Memorial #124240856 for Robert Potter. (Has dates different from this profile.)

• Geni, Robert Potter of Newport Pagnell. born ca 1558 in Newport Pagnell, died 2 May 1627 in Newport Pagnell. Husband of Elizabeth Marshall (born ca. 1574). "It is probable that Thomas and Isabel are the parents of Robert, but it can't really be proven." This source has considerable discussion and references.

• Hall, Kristen C. "Potter Register Report." http://www.kristinhall.org/fambly/Potter/PotterRegisterReport.pdf PDF for download] Retrieved 12 Dec 2017. Robert Potter, son of Nicholas Potter (born in 1577 in Newport-Pagnell, Buckinghamshire) and his unknown wife. Robert married Elizabeth Marshal in Newport-Pagnell on 4 Nov 1591. They had 9 listed children, Thomas 1, Thomas 2, Thomas 3 (twin), John (twin), Nicholas, Robert, Mary, Ann, Susann.