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The name "Potter" is English, Dutch, and North German (Pötter) in origin: an occupational name for (you'll never guess) a maker of drinking and storage vessels, from an agent derivative of Middle English, Middle Low German pot. In the Middle Ages the term covered workers in metal as well as earthenware and clay. The family Coat of Arms is gold with a black cauldren.
First found in East Prussia, the name Pott came from humble beginnings but gained a significant reputation for its contribution to the emerging mediaeval society. Spelling variations include: Pott, Pot, Potte, Potts, Pottes, Pots, Potes, Pottz, Pottez, Poott, Pootts, Bott, Botts, Botz and, of course, Potter.
Some of the first settlers of this name or some of its variants were: John Pott, who settled in Virginia in 1620; William Pott settled in the Barbados in 1635; Anthony Potts settled in Virginia in 1635; Thomas Pott, his wife and children, settled in New Jersey in 1677.
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| Marriage License |
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| Groom: |
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William Potter |
| Bride: |
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Mary Ann Munyon |
| Place: |
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Will, Illinois, USA |
| Date: |
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27 Feb 1848 |
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SOURCE INFORMATION: "Illinois, County Marriage Records", 1800-1940 [database on-line], Film Number: 001401611. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016.
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Our lineage to this family can be traced back to WILLIAM POTTER, born in New York state. We don't kow much about his heritage, other than that his father was born in Rhode Island, and his mother was from England. When he was of age, William set off on his own and moved west. Along the way, he became a farmer and married MARY ANN MUNYON (3/31/1823 - 9/26/1899) of Ravenna, Portage County, Ohio. William and Mary Ann then started a family in Ravenna that eventually grew to eight children. Their marriage certificate is shown at right.
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| Draft Registration |
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| Name: |
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William Potter |
| Birth Year: |
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abt 1821 |
| Age on 1 July 1863: |
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42 |
| Residence: |
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Homer, IL |
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SOURCE INFORMATION: National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington, D.C.; Consolidated Lists of Civil War Draft Registration Records (Provost Marshal General's Bureau; 1863-1865); Record Group: 110; NAI: 4213514; Archive Volume Number: 4 of 5.
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After being married for over a decade and fathering half a dozen kids, the Civil War broke out, and William left his wife, kids and farm to join the fray. Keep in mind, this was a 42-year-old man doing this; he actually had to lie about his age to get in, claiming to be two years younger!
Illinois had been let into the United States just thirty years earlier, and although it was a "free state," the southern section, later known as "Little Egypt", was largely settled by migrants from the South, who were hostile to free blacks. In 1853, a law was even passed to prohibit all African Americans, including freedmen, from settling in the state. But when ex-Illinois resident Abraham Lincoln was elected president in 1860, and the South attempted to secede from the United States rather than agree to abolish slavery, Illinois fell in line with their hometown hero and joined the Union in a Civil War.
Illinois ranked fourth in soldiers who served (more than 250,000) in the Union Army, a figure surpassed by only New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. Beginning with President Abraham Lincoln's first call for troops and continuing throughout the war, Illinois mustered 150 infantry regiments, which were numbered from the 7th to the 156th regiments. Seventeen cavalry regiments were also gathered, as well as two light artillery regiments. Amongst the volunteers was "40-year-old" (ahem!) William Potter, who had to lie about his age to get in (he was two years too old).
The regiment was mustered out on 12 Jun 1865, and discharged at Chicago, Illinois, on 15 Jun 1865, and saw a lot of fighting in between. The injuries and sickness that William endured at that time would haunt him for the rest of his life. They had suffered 7 officers and 73 enlisted men who were killed in action or who died of their wounds and 134 enlisted men who died of disease, for a total of 214 fatalities.¹ William survived and was discharged on 3 Mar 1865.
William wasn't done fighting, however. He joined the Illinois 51st Infantry Regiment² on 23 Mar 1865, and was finally discharged on 25 Sep 1865. After the war he returned to farming with his wife and children:
CHILDREN OF WILLIAM POTTER AND MARY ANN MUNYON |
| CORDELIA A. POTTER was born on 01 Jan 1849. She died on 20 Nov 1863. |
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SUSAN PEORIA POTTER was born on 19 Jun 1850 near Lockport, Will Co., Illinois. She married WILLIAM CHAMBERS (1844-1918) of Linconshire, England, on 02 Mar 1873. They had three children: Myrtle J (1876-1940), Ettie May (1878-1885), and Guy Hugh Chambers (1880-1934; Guy hung himself in the granary at their farm on a Sunday afternoon). Susan died on 24 Oct 1906, and is buried with William and their daughter Etta at the Five Mile Cemetery in Saunemin, Livingston County, Illinois.
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ALTA CELIA POTTER was born on 18 Feb 1852 in Lockport, Will, Illinois. On 21 May 1896 she married JOSIAH (JOSEPH) SNYDER (1852-1928) on 21 May 1896 in Pontiac, Illinois, and they had a son, Harry Josie Snyder (1883-1967); the family moved to Birch Tree, Missouri for twenty years. Alta returned to Saunemin after Joseph died and passed away on 31 Aug 1936 in Saunemin township, Illinois, at the Chambers household.
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JANE POTTER was born on 25 Dec 1854 in Lockport, Will, Illinois. On 29 Apr 1879 she married JOHN FRANK ELLIS (1860-1916) in Livingston County. They had the following children: Mae Alma (1880-1979), Charles (b. 1881), Clara (1881-1963), Frank E (1883-1963), Arvil Fay (1887-1926), Forrest (1891-1974), and Vera Margaret Ellis (1896-1976). Jane died on 23 Feb 1932 in Iowa, and is buried at the Galva Township Cemetery East in Galva, Ida County, Iowa.
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EDITH LOUISA POTTER was born on 29 Dec 1856 in Lockport, Will, Illinois. On 16 Oct 1883 she married ABRAHAM CANE WINTERS (1829-1893) in Saunemin, Livingston County, Illinois. It was his third marriage and there was a 25-year age gap between the newlyweds! They had the following children: Nelle Ellen (1885-1974) and Earle Amasy Winters (1887-1888). After Earle died in childhood, she committed suicide, with a dose of "London Purple." insecticide.
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ETHEL POTTER was born on 23 Dec 1858. She married a miner named JOSEPH DONLEY and they lived in Ohio. By 1910 she was living as a widow in Belmont, Ohio, and was still living there in 1924. She died on 14 Jan 1929 in Belmont County, Ohio, and is buried at the Weeks Cemetery in Bridgeport, Belmont County, Ohio.
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HENRY COMSTOCK POTTER was born on 07 Jun 1861. He married ALICE MARY PAVITT (1880-1962) from Tilbury, England, on 24 Feb 1901 in Saunemin. They had seven children: Geo William Potter (1901-1953), Gertrude Potter (1903-1986), Henry Paul Potter (1905-1981), Iola Pearl Potter (1907-1986), Lois Susan Potter (b. 1909), Annabel Potter (1911-1980), Franklin Jackson Potter (1919-1960). Henry died on 29 Aug 1928 in Audrain Co., MO.Click here to see his wedding photo.
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LYDIA MARIE POTTER was born on 28 Mar 1863, and married a man named ALBERT LINCOLN COOPER (1860-1926) and had the following children: Eva Pearl Cooper (1887-1950), Flossie Cooper (b. 1890), James W Cooper (b. 1893), Frank W Cooper (1896-1987), Russel H Cooper (b. 1899), Albert A Cooper (b. 1901). Lydia died on 2 Mar 1926 in Benton, Oregon.Click on the photo at right for a family portrait of the Coopers.
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| Newspaper |
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"Suicided." |
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Fairbury Blade |
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Fairbury, Illinois |
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Sat. 5 Dec 1891 |
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1 |
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SOURCE INFORMATION: The Fairbury Blade was published in Fairbury, Illinois and includes 35,633 searchable pages from 1871-1970..
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William died on September 9, 1894, at his home in Saunemin township, Livingston county, Illinois. His daughter, EDITH LOUISA POTTER, married a prosperous older farmer and stock raiser named ABRAHAM CANE WINTERS on 16 Oct 1883 in Saunemin township, Livingston County, Illinois.
A. C. Winters was seventeen years older than Edith, and had already been married twice, with nine kids, one just three years younger than his new bride. The stress of raising 9 kids who may have seemed more like siblings, adding two of her own, and then the death of her youngest child proved too much for her. She died from a dose of an arsenical insecticide called "London Purple," taken with suicidal intent, on 28 Nov 1891. Her body was laid to rest in the Five Mile Cemetery, Saunamin township, Illinois. Fortunately, she lived long enough to have two children, including my Great Grandmother, NELLE WINTERS.
CHILDREN OF ABRAHAM WINTERS AND EDITH LOUISA POTTER |
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NELLE ELLEN WINTERS was born on 24 Feb 1885 in Saunemin township, Illinois. She married WILLIAM PRITCHARD on 17 Feb 1909 in Saunemin, Illinois, and they moved to Chelsea, Michigan and farmed on the land that is now used as the Chrysler Proving Grounds (there's even a Pritchard Road there). They had two daughters, Dorothy (15 Apr 1918 - 3 Sep 2010) and Helen (6 May 1919 - 1 Aug 2001 ). Nelle lived a long, happy life and died on 15 Dec 1974 at the Cedar Knoll Rest Home, Grass Lake, Michigan.
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EARLE AMASY WINTERS was born on 21 Dec 1887. He died before his second birthday, on 16 Nov 1889. He shares a headstone with his mother in Five Mile Cemetery, Saunemin, Livingston County, Illinois. Thanks to Katelyn Swartz for the only known photo of Nelle and Earle.³
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NOTES ON THIS PAGE:
¹—Illinois 100th Military Service: Pursuit of Bragg into Kentucky October 1-18. Battle of Perryville, Ky., October 8 (Reserve). Nelson's Cross Roads October 18. March to Nashville, Tenn., October 18-November 26, and duty there till December 26. Advance on Murfreesboro December 26-30. Lavergne December 26-27. Battle of Stone's River December 30-31, 1862, and January 1-3, 1863. At Murfreesboro till June. Middle Tennessee or Tullahoma Campaign June 24-July 7. Occupation of Middle Tennessee till August 16. Passage of Cumberland Mountains and Tennessee River and Chickamauga (Ga.) Campaign August 16-September 22. Expedition from Tracy City to Tennessee River August 22-24. Near Lee and Gordon's Mills September 17-18. Battle of Chickamauga, Ga., September 19-20. Siege of Chattanooga, Tenn., September 24-November 23. Chattanooga-Ringgold Campaign November 23-27. Battles of Orchard Knob November 23-24; Mission Ridge November 25. March to relief of Knoxville and operations in East Tennessee December 28-February 1, 1864. At Athens, Tenn., February to April. Atlanta (Ga.) Campaign May 1-September 8. Demonstration on Rocky Faced Ridge May 8-11. Buzzard's Roost Gap May 8-9. Demonstrations on Dalton May 9-13. Battle of Resaca May 14-15. Adairsville May 17. Near Kingston May 18-19. Near Cassville May 19. Advance on Dallas May 22-25. Operations on line of Pumpkin Vine Creek and battles about Dallas, New Hope Church and Allatoona Hills May 25-June 5. Operations about Marietta and against Kenesaw Mountain June 10-July 2. Pine Mountain June 11-14. Lost Mountain June 15-17. Assault on Kenesaw June 27. Ruff's Station, Smyrna Camp Ground, July 4. Chattahoochie River July 5-17. Buckhead, Nancy's Creek, July 18. Peach Tree Creek July 19-20. Siege of Atlanta July 22-August 25. Flank movement on Jonesboro August 25-30. Battle of Jonesboro August 31-September 1. Lovejoy Station September 2-6. Operations against Hood in North Georgia and North Alabama September 28-November 3. Nashville (Tenn.) Campaign November-December. Columbia, Duck River, November 24-27. Spring Hill November 29. Battle of Franklin November 30. Battle of Nashville December 15-16. Pursuit of Hood to the Tennessee River December 17-28. Moved to Huntsville, Ala., and duty there till March, 1865. Expedition to Bull's Gap and operations in East Tennessee March 20-April 22. Moved to Nashville, Tenn., and duty there till June. Mustered out at Nashville, Tenn., June 12, and discharged at Chicago, Ill., June 15, 1865.
²—The Illinois 51st Infantry Regiment was organized at Chicago, Illinois. The regiment suffered 9 officers and 106 enlisted men who were killed in action or mortally wounded and 1 officer and 134 enlisted men who died of disease, for a total of 250 fatalities. The regiment mustered out September 25, 1865, at Camp Irwin, Texas, and arrived at Camp Butler, Illinois, October 15, 1865, for final payment and discharge.
³—Winters descendant KATELYN SWARTZ (her great-great-great grandfather is Abraham Cane Winters, and her great-great grandfather is his son, Ira Winters, who was Nelle Winters' half-brother) has created a web page showing the wives and children of Abraham that were found in a family album, and is looking to identify the people in the photos posted there. If your'e also a descendant, take a look!
POTTER LITERATURE:
Descendants of Deacon Samuel Potter (1671-1756)
Connecticut Farms (now Union) N.J. by Helen Potter Alleman
Descendants of Nicholas Potter of Lynn, Massachusetts by Frank Elwood Potter.
POTTER FAMIY PHOTO ALBUM, CIRCA 1895 (NELLE WINTERS PRITCHARD) |
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 Nelle and Earle Winters |
Nelle and Earl Winters |
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