Western Pennsylvania Genealogy
Compiled by Douglas H. Lusher


Family Group Record



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Capt. John Potter and Martha [Unk]




Husband Capt. John Potter 1 2 3 4 5 6

           Born: Abt 1705 - Tyrone, County Down, Ireland
     Christened: 
           Died: 1757 - Antrim Twp, Cumberland (later Franklin) Co, PA 6
         Buried: 


         Father: [Father] Potter (      -      ) 7
         Mother: 


       Marriage: 

   Other Spouse: Catharine Crozier (      -      ) 8 - 1727 8



• Residence: : Antrim Twp, Cumberland (later Franklin) Co, PA.




Wife Martha [Unk] 8

            AKA: Martha Bard,8 Martha Beard 8
           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 1780 - Snyder Co, PA 8
         Buried: 

   Other Spouse: Thomas Brown (      -1769) 9 - 1760 9


Children
1 M Maj.-Gen. James Potter 1 4 10 11 12 13

           Born: 1729 - County Tyrone, Ireland 2 4 12 13
     Christened: 
           Died: Nov 1789 - Antrim Twp, Franklin Co, PA 13
         Buried:  - Brown's Mill cemetery
         Spouse: Elizabeth Cathcart (      -      ) 4 14 15 16 17
         Spouse: Mary Patterson (      -1791/1792) 4 15 16 17


2 M Thomas Potter 1 2 8

           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: Apr 1758 - Adams Co, PA 1
         Buried: 



3 M Samuel Potter 1 2 18

           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 1811 - Westmoreland Co, PA 19
         Buried: 
         Spouse: Susanna Poe (      -      ) 1 18


4 F Margaret Potter 2 8

           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 
         Spouse: George Latimer (      -1793) 8


5 F Anne Potter 1

            AKA: Annas Potter 9
           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 
         Spouse: Alexander Young (      -1790) 9


6 F Catherine Potter 1 2 20 21

           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 
         Spouse: James Carothers (      -1801) 1 21 22


7 F Mary Potter 2

           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 
         Spouse: James Beard (      -      ) 9


8 F Hannah Potter 1 2 9

           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 
         Spouse: John McMillan (      -      ) 1 9
         Spouse: Thomas Robinson (      -      ) 1 9


9 F Isabella Potter 1 2 9 23

           Born: Abt 1742
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 
         Spouse: Benjamin Jordan (Abt 1740-      ) 24



General Notes: Husband - Capt. John Potter


. . . presumed to be a son of Thomas Potter, of Ballynant, County Fermanagh, Ireland.

The American ancestor of the Potter family, he was a native of Tyrone, Ireland, of Scotch parentage. He immigrated with his family to America in 1741, aboard the ship 'Dunnegal', landing at New Castle, Delaware, in September of that year. He removed west of the [Delaware?] river as early as 1746, and settled in Antrim township (now Franklin County, Pennsylvania), near Greencastle. In the early French war of 1747-48, he was in the service as a first lieutenant, and took an active part in the Indian war following Braddock's defeat. On the erection of Cumberland County, in 1750, he, on October 6th of that year, was commissioned its first sheriff, and again commissioned sheriff in 1753. On February 17, 1756, he was commissioned a captain in the Second Pennsylvania Battalion, and accompanied Col. Armstrong's expedition against Kittanning September 7, 1756.

He emigrated from County Tyrone, Ireland, landing at New Castle on the Delaware, September, 1741, accompanied by his wife and his sister Isabella and her husband John Hamilton. About 1746 he located near the present site of Greencastle, in Antrim township, Franklin County (then Lancaster County), and in 1750 included in the county of Cumberland, from which Franklin County was organized in 1784), Pennsylvania. He was the first sheriff of Cumberland County in 1750, and in September, 1756, was commissioned captain of a company in Lieutenant Colonel Armstrong's Battalion, which he accompanied in the expedition against the Indian town of Kittanning, when that town was destroyed and many white captives rescued from the natives. [CRFP, 857]

The home of the Potters had been on the banks of the river Foyle,
County Tyrone, Ireland. He and his wife came from North Ireland with John and Isabella Potter Hamilton (his sister and brother-in-law) in 1741 "aboard the good ship 'Donegal'" landing at New Castle, Delaware, on September 25, 1741. On the same day Mrs. Hamilton died, leaving a daughter, Catherine, and an infant son, John, who died a few weeks later. The Potters and Hamiltons are said to have gone to the home of Archibald Bard (Beard) in Mill Creek Hundred, New Castle County, Delaware, upon arrival, from which Mrs. Isabella Hamilton and her infant son were buried.
Archibald Bard and John Potter were brothers-in-law.

It is not certain that he was married twice; if he was, it is not clear which children were the offspring of which wife.


General Notes: Wife - Martha [Unk]


Her maiden name may have been Bard or Beard.

Her death occurred at Gen. James Potter's, on Middle Creek (Snyder County, Pennsylvania), some time after the runaway of 1778.

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Sources


1 John Blair Linn, History of Centre and Clinton Counties, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott & Co., 1883), Pg 402.

2 —, Commemorative Biographical Record of Central Pennsylvania, Including the Counties of Centre, Clearfield, Jefferson and Clarion. (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1898), Pg 109.

3 —, Biographical Annals of Franklin County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: The Genealogical Publishing Co., 1905), Pg 6.

4 —, Book of Biographies of Leading Citizens of Berks County, PA (Buffalo, NY: Biographical Publishing Company, 1898), Pg 12.

5 John W. Jordan, LL.D., Colonial and Revolutionary Families of Pennsylvania (New York, Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1911), Pg 856.

6 G. O. Seilhamer, Esq, The Bard Family (Chambersburg, PA: Kittochtinny Press, 1908), Pg 303.

7 Carl Ross McKenrick, My Family and Antecedents (Baltimore, MD: Self-published, 1949), Pg 25.

8 G. O. Seilhamer, Esq, The Bard Family (Chambersburg, PA: Kittochtinny Press, 1908), Pg 309.

9 G. O. Seilhamer, Esq, The Bard Family (Chambersburg, PA: Kittochtinny Press, 1908), Pg 310.

10 —, History of Franklin County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: Warner, Beers & Co., 1887), Pg 901.

11 —, Commemorative Biographical Record of Central Pennsylvania, Including the Counties of Centre, Clearfield, Jefferson and Clarion. (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1898), Pg 19.

12 John W. Jordan, LL.D., Colonial and Revolutionary Families of Pennsylvania (New York, Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1911), Pg 857.

13 G. O. Seilhamer, Esq, The Bard Family (Chambersburg, PA: Kittochtinny Press, 1908), Pg 312.

14 John Blair Linn, History of Centre and Clinton Counties, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott & Co., 1883), Pg 403.

15 —, Commemorative Biographical Record of Central Pennsylvania, Including the Counties of Centre, Clearfield, Jefferson and Clarion. (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1898), Pg 110.

16 John W. Jordan, LL.D., Colonial and Revolutionary Families of Pennsylvania (New York, Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1911), Pg 858.

17 G. O. Seilhamer, Esq, The Bard Family (Chambersburg, PA: Kittochtinny Press, 1908), Pg 314.

18 G. O. Seilhamer, Esq, The Bard Family (Chambersburg, PA: Kittochtinny Press, 1908), Pg 315, 374.

19 G. O. Seilhamer, Esq, The Bard Family (Chambersburg, PA: Kittochtinny Press, 1908), Pg 315.

20 Franklin Ellis, History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: L. H. Everts & Co., 1882), Pg 351.

21 G. O. Seilhamer, Esq, The Bard Family (Chambersburg, PA: Kittochtinny Press, 1908), Pg 310, 316.

22 George Dallas Albert, History of the County of Westmoreland, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: L. H. Everts & Co., 1882), Pg 667.

23 Carl Ross McKenrick, My Family and Antecedents (Baltimore, MD: Self-published, 1949), Pg 10.

24 Carl Ross McKenrick, My Family and Antecedents (Baltimore, MD: Self-published, 1949), Pg 9.


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