Person:William Potter (101)

William Potter was baptised on 25th November 1787 at Shenley in Hertfordshire. He was the son of James and Ann (or Hannah) Potter. He appears to have been from the hamlet of London Colney, which at that time straddled the three parishes of St Albans St Peter, Shenley, and Ridge.

In December 1810, aged 23, William married Sarah Clark at Shenley. Three months earlier, there had been a Susannah Potter baptised at Shenley in September 1810, described as daughter of "William Potter, Labourer of Colney by Sarah his wife", who may be their child, as no other William and Sarah Potter couple having children in the area has been found. William and Sarah went on to have a son called James in 1812, who died as a baby the following year. They then had a daughter called Sarah in 1814.

William's wife Sarah died in giving birth to their daughter Sarah. The mother was buried on 8th August 1814, whilst the baby was baptised six days later, described as daughter of William Potter, widower.

In January 1817, William married again. His second wife was Abigail Hornet, who had been married twice before and was about seventeen years older than him. Six months later, William's daughter Sarah died, aged 3.

The 1841 census finds William and Abigail living at Mimmswood Lane in the parish of North Mymms, a mile or two east of London Colney. William was described as an agricultural labourer. They also had a Joshua Potter living with them, whose relation to William is unclear - no baptism for a Joshua Potter in the area has been found.

Some time between 1841 and 1850 William and Abigail left the London Colney area altogether and moved about ten miles south-west to the parish of Harefield in Middlesex. Abigail died there in 1850, aged 79.

The census of 1851 finds William living at Park House in Harefield, working as a house servant for Thomas Wakley, who was the founder and editor of the Lancet magazine and a Member of Parliament.

In 1854, aged about 67, William married for a third time. His third wife was Mary Bowles from Rickmansworth, the town immediately north of Harefield. They married in the St Albans area, and the 1861 census finds them living back at London Colney, where they lived on Bell Lane, in the part of the village which was in the parish of Shenley.

Mary died in 1866, aged 78. William outlived her by just under two years. He was buried at London Colney on 16th May 1868, aged 80.

1. ↑ Church of England. Parish Church of Shenley (Hertfordshire). Parish registers, 1622-1939. (Hertford: Hertfordshire Archives & Local Studies).

   1787 / Nov[ember] 25 Bapt[ised] William son of James & Ann Potter

   There was another William Potter baptised at Shenley on 12th June 1785, son of John and Sarah Potter. The 1787 baptism has been identified as being the right person on the basis that when the adult William's daughter Sarah died in 1817 her burial record notes that she was the niece of another Sarah Potter who had died aged 24 earlier that year. There was a Sarah daughter of James and Hannah baptised at Shenley in 1793. We therefore conclude that William's parents were James and Hannah / Ann rather than John and Sarah, and therefore the 1787 baptism is the correct person.

2. ↑ England. 1841 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class HO107; Piece 442; Book 1; Folio 4; Page 3, 6 Jun 1841.

   Address: Mimswood Lane, North Mimms, Hertfordshire
   William Potter, male, 55 [1785/6], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], born in county
   Abigail Potter, female, 65 [1775/6], born in county
   Joshua Potter, male, 20 [1816-21], born in county

3. ↑ England. 1851 Census Returns for England and Wales. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class HO107; Piece 1697; Folio 350; Page 20, 30 Mar 1851.

   Address: Park House, Harefield, Middlesex
   Thomas Wakley, head, married, male, 55 [1795/6], MP Coroner for Midd[lese]x and Editor of the Lancet, b. Membury, Devon
   Elizabeth Wakley, wife, female, 52 [1798/9], b. Southwark, Surrey
   Thmoas Know, servant, unmarried, male, 27 [1823/4], House Servant, b. Highgate, Middlesex
   Mary Ann Honeybar[?], servant, widow, female, 51 [1799/1800], House Servant, b. Harefield, Middlesex
   Joseph Alto[?], servant, unmarried, male, 27 [1823/4], House Servant, b. Southall, Middlesex
   William Potter, servant, widower, male, 65 [1785/6], House Servant, b. Colney Hatch, Middlesex
   Jesse Weedon, servant, male, 14 [1836/7], House Servant, b. Harefield, Middlesex

4. ↑ England. 1861 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG9; Piece 787; Folio 28; Page 25, 7 Apr 1861.

   Address: Bell Lane, London Colney, Shenley, Hertfordshire
   William Potter, head, married, male, 75 [1785/6], Lab[ourer], b. Shenley, Hertfordshire
   Mary Potter, wife, married, female, 72 [1788/9], b. Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire

5. ↑ Deaths index, in General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration. (London: General Register Office).

   d. William POTTER, June Quarter 1868, Barnet Registration District, Volume 3a, page 74, aged 81 [1786/7]

   As William's death was registered in the Barnet district (which included the parish of Shenley) rather than St Albans district, it seems likely that he died in that part of London Colney which was in Shenley parish. However, he was buried at London Colney's chapel of St Peter, which was at that time still in the civil parish of St Albans St Peter.

6. ↑ London Colney, Hertfordshire, England. Parish Registers.

   BURIALS in the Chapelry of St Peter Colney in the County of Herts in the Year 1868
   No. 323
   Name: William Potter
   Abode: Bell Lane n[ea]r Colney
   When buried: May 16
   Age: 81 years [1786/7]
   By whom the Ceremony was performed: Markland Barnard MA, Incumbent