Potter Family of Rhode Island
Nathaniel Potter [a] b 1616, Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, England, d 1644, Portsmouth, Newport, RI. He md Dorothy 1636, prob England. She was b 1617, England, d 19 Feb 1695/96, prob RI.
Children of Nathaniel Potter and Dorothy were:
  • Nathaniel Potter b Sep 1637.
  • Ichabod Potter b 1640, Portsmouth, RI, d 1676, Portsmouth, RI; md Martha Hazard.

Nathaniel Potter b Sep 1637, Portsmouth, Newport, RI, d 20 Oct 1704, Dartmouth, Bristol, MA. He md Elizabeth Stokes bef 1665. She was b 28 Oct 1638, Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, England, d bef 1704, Dartmouth, Bristol, MA.
Identified children of Nathaniel Potter and Elizabeth Stokes were:

  • Mary Potter b abt 1666, md Samuel Wilbore of Little Compton, Newport, RI.
  • John Potter b abt 1668.
  • Rebecca Potter b abt 1677, md Robert Kirby of Dartmouth, Bristol, MA, abt 1699.
John Potter b abt 1668, Portsmouth, Newport, RI. He md Mary Tripp abt 1692, daughter of John Tripp and Susanna Anthony.
Child of John Potter and Mary Tripp was:

Nathaniel Potter b abt 1706, of Dartmouth, Bristol, MA, d 1754. He md Mary Carr 20 Oct 1736, Little Compton, Newport, RI, daughter of Ezek Carr and Mary Brownell.
Children of Nathaniel Potter and Mary Carr were:

  • Restcome Potter b 14 Dec 1737.
  • Job Potter b 7 Oct 1739, Dartmouth, Bristol, MA, d bef 18 Apr 1780, NY; md Desire Irish 3 Feb 1760, Dartmouth, Bristol, MA.
  • Ruth Potter b abt 1740; md Gideon Tabor.
  • Eunice Potter b abt 1742, d 1841.
  • Judith Potter b 1743; md Thomas Shaw.
  • Lois Potter b 1746.
  • Ezek Potter b 1748; md Rachel Simmons.
  • Mary Potter b 1750; md John Anthony.
Restcome Potter b 14 Dec 1737, Dartmouth Bristol, MA. The identity of his wife is undetermined.
Child of Restcome Potter is:

Restcome Potter b abt 1760, d 18 Oct 1823, Newport, RI. He md Deborah Doubleday abt 1792, daughter of Benjamin Doubleday and Mary Ladd.
Children (thus far identified) of Restcome Potter and Deborah Doubleday were:

  • Mary Potter b 9 Sep 1793.
  • Lydia Potter b 1799, d 13 May 1872; md Capt. Barzillai S. Adams 7 Apr 1821.
  • Deborah Potter b 1799, d Sep 1819.
  • Capt. Oliver Potter b 14 Sep 1805, d 8 Jul 1887; md Catherine Weaver 11 Mar 1841.
  • Mehitable R. Potter b 20 Apr 1809, d 24 Feb 1889; md Capt. Seth W. Macy 5 Jun 1831, Newport, Newport, RI.
Mary Potter b 9 Sep 1793, Newport, RI, d 3 Sep 1847, prob Newport, Newport, RI. She md Peleg Chapman 22 Nov 1813, son of Brenton Chapman and Rebecca Kaighn.

NOTES:
This line is still under investigation..
According to sourced and thoroughly conducted research by a family relative, it is stated that Henry Dwight Scott bought the grocery store of his wife's uncle, Capt. Oliver Potter. Henry Dwight Scott's wife, Lydia Ann Chapman was the daughter of Peleg Chapman and Mary Potter. Based upon records found relating to Capt. Oliver Potter, which are shown below, it appears almost certain that Mary Potter was the daughter of Restcome Potter and Deborah Doubleday. Voluminous records from the Rhode Island Genealogical Register fail to identify anything of his origins. This author has been in contact with Donna Faye Potter, a longtime Potter researcher, and she believes that Restcome may be the son of another Restcome Potter, about whom nothing more is known than his date of birth and parentage. Interestingly, there is another Restcome Potter, born in Rhode Island, and who died in Saratoga, Albany, NY. He is found on the 1790 New York census alongside an Oliver Potter; this Restcome is the son of Job Potter, brother to the Restcome Potter shown above as possible/probable father of Restcome Potter who married Deborah Doubleday; thus there would be precedence for these given names in a familial connection as first cousins.

"POTTER, Oliver, of Rescom & Deborah (Doubleday) Potter, b 14 Sep 1805, d 8 Jul 1887."

"Oliver Potter b 16 Dec 18__stone broken, under dirt, d 8 Jul 1887.

Catherine, wife of Oliver Potter & dau of Joseph & Elizabeth Wea__stone broken, under dirt, b 6 Oct 1817, d 22 July 1878 (Note: Wea__ is prob Weaver; see J. N. Arnold, Vit Rec R.I. Vol 4 Newport, pg 56: Capt. Oliver Potter & Catherine Weaver were married in 1841.)

Rescome Potter d 18 Oct 1823, age 63y.

Deborah Potter widow of Rescome Potter & dau of Benjamin and Mary Doubleday d 19 Jun 1839, age 69y."

a. Nathaniel Potter was one of at least three early immigrants to Rhode Island (the others being George and Robert Potter). He is stated to have been admitted an inhabitant of the Island of Aquidneck, RI in 1639. Current researchers believe that Nathaniel may have been the son of Robert Potter of Newport Pagnell in Buckinghamshire, who married Elizabeth Marshall 4 Nov 1591, and who mentions a son by this name in his will. While many online genealogies show Nathaniel's father as George Potter, this appears to be a fabrication; George Potter was of London, England, and the only Nathaniel which appears in the baptismal records (1622) was far too young to have been the RI immigrant Nathaniel Potter. It should also be noted that Susannah Potter, wife of John Anthony, was likely a sister to Nathaniel Potter; she was christened 18 Apr 1619, at Newport Pagnell, her father shown as Robert Potter.
SOURCES:
GL: Rhode Island Vital Records, New Series, Volume 13, Newport County, R.I. Births 1751-1860 from Death and Marriage Records, p 153; Rhode Island Genealogical Register, Volume 7, No. 2, Inscriptions from Island Cemetery, Newport, p 74; Descendants of Nathaniel Potter; SG.
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