Thomas Potter of Pennsylvania
Understanding the migration pattern of the Potter Family is critical to discovering the migration and lineage of the Wilkinson Family of Russell Co VA. Evidence connecting this family to Brannock Wilkinson comes from the Potter Family naming pattern. Son James named his children Rachel, Lizzy, Sarah, Thomas W., Nancy, Mary, and most significantly, Brannick. Granddaughter Nancy Potter had a son, Brannick Lovejoy, both named for the Brannock Family.
| Greene Co MO Marriages: Potter, Brannick Letterman, Highla Elmira 10/24/1852 by Thomas Potter, Eld. CC |
Thomas Potter was also the quintessential pioneer. Born reportedly in 1749 in Mifflin Co PA, Thomas is first found on record in 1774 as a member of the Virginia Militia at the Big Crab Orchard (Witten's Fort) in Washington Co VA. This fort had been established to guard against Indian attacks on the western frontier of Virginia during Dunmore's War. About 1775 he was married, probably in Washington Co VA, to Ann Potter b. c. 1755.
Before 1787 Thomas Potter and family became part of a larger migration to the newly opened lands of Greene Co NC (now TN). Several Potters were signatories to the 1787 petition requesting establishment of what has come to be known as the "Lost State of Franklin" in what is now eastern Tennessee. Did Thomas migrate to the vicinity of unknown brothers or cousins?
| 12/1787 Petition of the Inhabitants of the Western Country, December
1787: Alexr. Potter; Gordon Potter; Nuness Potter; Rows Potter; Thomas McKee; John Woolsey |
And again, the family migrated by 1804 to Knox Co KY, this time in the company of the Wilkinson and Mackey families.
By 1815 the Potters and Wilkinsons migrated to Jackson Co TN. Both families are next found in the 1830 Montgomery Co IL Census. And in 1833, the Potters and Wilkinsons are found on the Greene Co MO Tax List. Next, Thomas migrated in 1839 to Dallas Co MO. His eventful life of pioneering the west ended in 1840 when he is believed to have died in Dallas Co MO.
Born 1749 Mifflin Co PA
Migrated to Washington Co VA
6/10/1774 Washington Co VA Land Survey
| Washington County, VA Survey records abstracts 1781-1797 Part 3, p.
220: Richard Brindle, assignee of Elias McKey [Mackay], assignee of Thomas Potter, assignee of Elias McCay [Mackey]...200 ac...joining Arthur Bowens lines, 144 ac surveyed for Thomas Potter on June 10, 1774, includes improvements, actual settlement made in 1772...August 28, 1781 - Assigned to William Colley by purchase on October 25, 1782. Signed: Richard Brindle. |
8/1774 Revolutionary War Service
| Virginia Militia Roster, Big Crab Orchard (aka Maxwell's Mills) at
Wittens Fort VA First Listing - August to October, 1774: 21. Thomas Potter |
Married c. 1775 in Washington Co VA to an Ann Potter b. c. 1755 in Virginia
1782 Washington Co VA Tax List: Thomas Potter
1785 Washington Co VA Land Transaction
| Washington County, VA Survey records abstracts 1781-1797 Part 3, p.
288: James Watson, assignee of Thomas Potter, assignee of Mathias Wall, assignee of George Finley - 70 ac - Treasury Warrant - on Gross Creek [vic Loves Mill VA] running into the south fork - in a valley - warrant #12166 June 4, 1782 - August 19, 1785 |
1788 Washington Co VA Land Transaction
| Washington County, VA Survey records abstracts 1781-1797 Part 4, p.
372: Sibius Main, assignee of Thomas Potter - 196 ac - treasury warrant #12166 - on the south side of the south fork of Holstein River [near Alvarado VA] March 14, 1788 |
Migrated before 1787 to Greene Co NC (now TN)
1788 Greene Co NC (now TN) Land Grant
| Elias Mackey had a land grant in Green Co., NC (now TN) in
1788 along with William Wilson and Thomas Wilkinson. This land
is located on the south [north] side of the Nolachucky River at the junction
of Lick Creek (vic. Creek Store TN). Note: Potter Cr. flows into Lick Cr. at Thula TN. |
1790 Greene Co NC (now TN) Census: Lost
1791 Greene Co NC (now TN) Tax List: Thomas Potter
1796 Tennessee Statehood
1800 Greene Co TN Tax List: Thomas Potter
Migrated by 1802 to Knox Co KY
1802 Knox Co KY Tax List: Thomas Potter
1805 Knox Co KY Land Transaction
| Matthew McKey, Thomas Potter Sr., Thomas Wilkerson, who had land on Flat Creek [Permon, Knox Co KY]. |
1807 Knox Co KY Tax List: May 6 Potter, Thomas
1810 Knox Co KY Census
| Males | Born After |
# | Potter | Females | Born After |
# | Potter |
| 45+ | 1 | Thomas | 45+ | 1 | Ann | ||
| 25-44 | 1765 | 0 | 25-44 | 1765 | 0 | ||
| 18-25 | 1785 | 3 | James Zachariah Unknown |
18-25 | 1785 | 4 | Elizabeth Unknown Unknown Unknown |
| 10-15 | 1795 | 0 | 10-15 | 1795 | 1 | Unknown | |
| to-10 | 1800 | 2 | Gilbert Mackey Unknown |
to-10 | 1800 | 1 | Elizabeth Mackey |
Migrated by 1814 to Jackson Co TN
Ann died before 1820
1820 Jackson Co TN Census
| Males | Born After |
# |
Potter | Females | Born After | # | Potter |
| 45+ | 1 | Thomas | 45+ | 0 | |||
| 25-44 | 1775 | 0 | 25-44 | 1775 | 2 | Unknown Unknown |
|
| 18-25 | 1795 | 0 | 16-25 | 1795 | 1 | Unknown | |
| 16-18 | 1802 | 0 | |||||
| 10-15 | 1805 | 1 | Unknown | 10-15 | 1805 | 0 | |
| to 10 | 1810 | 1 | Gilbert Mackey | to 10 | 1810 | 0 |
1830 Montgomery Co IL Census
| Males | Born After | # | Potter | Females | Born After | # | Potter |
| 100+ | 100+ | ||||||
| to 100 | 1730 | to 100 | 1730 | ||||
| to 90 | 1740 | to 90 | 1740 | ||||
| to 80 | 1750 | 1 | Thomas | to 80 | 1750 | ||
| to 70 | 1760 | 0 | to 70 | 1760 | |||
| to 60 | 1770 | 0 | to 60 | 1770 | 1 | Unknown | |
| to 50 | 1780 | 0 | to 50 | 1780 | 0 | ||
| to 40 | 1790 | 0 | to 40 | 1790 | 0 | ||
| to 30 | 1800 | 0 | to 30 | 1800 | 0 | ||
| to 20 | 1810 | 0 | to 20 | 1810 | 0 | ||
| to 15 | 1815 | 0 | to 15 | 1815 | 0 | ||
| to 10 | 1820 | 0 | to 10 | 1820 | 0 | ||
| to 5 | 1825 | 0 | to 5 | 1825 | 0 |
| . . .Range 20 West. . .includes the northern half of Township 31 and
the southern half of Township 32. Starting from the south and going
north some of the earliest landowners on record were: John Ramey 1844, Benjamin
Potter, 1844; William Cranford, 1846; Daniel Wilson, 1846; Wm. R.
Martin, 1850; Hugh Wilkerson, 1845; John Richardson, 1847; John
Marshall, 1844; John Donnell, 1844; Thomas Potter and William Potter,
1839; George Mallard, 1840; John Alsup Sr., 1839; James Cayle, 1838;
Benjamin Cobb, 1839; Joshua Davis, 1840; David Long, 1838 and James T
Mallard, 1847. These were all south of Redtop in the small area that
juts out south from the rest of the county. Potters and Donnells
owned land in Dallas, Polk and Greene counties all.
Linda Crawford, "History: Southwestern Dallas County, MO," Dallas County, Missouri, GenWeb Site, 28 December 2004 <http://www.rootsweb.com/~modallas/SWDCM.html> 23 April 2005. |
1840 Greene Co MO Census
| Males | Born After |
# |
Potter |
Females | Born After | # | Potter |
| 100+ | 0 | 100+ | 0 | ||||
| to 100 | 1740 | 0 | to 100 | 1740 | 0 | ||
| to 90 | 1750 | 1 | Thomas | to 90 | 1750 | 0 | |
| to 80 | 1760 | 0 | to 80 | 1760 | 0 | ||
| to 70 | 1770 | 0 | to 70 | 1770 | 0 | ||
| to 60 | 1780 | 0 | to 60 | 1780 | 0 | ||
| to 50 | 1790 | 0 | to 50 | 1790 | 0 | ||
| to 40 | 1800 | 1 | Unknown | to 40 | 1800 | 1 | Unknown |
| to 30 | 1810 | 0 | to 30 | 1810 | 0 | ||
| to 20 | 1820 | 0 | to 20 | 1820 | 0 | ||
| to 15 | 1825 | 1 | Unknown | to 15 | 1825 | 0 | |
| to 10 | 1830 | 2 | Unknown Unknown |
to 10 | 1830 | 0 | |
| to 5 | 1835 | 1 | Unknown | to 5 | 1835 | 1 | Unknown |
Died after 1840 Greene Co MO
Migrated before 1787 with family to Greene Co NC (now TN)
1796 Tennessee Statehood
Migrated c. 1814 to Overton Co TN
Migrated before 1787 with family to Greene Co NC (now TN)
1796 Tennessee Statehood
Migrated by 1802 with family to Knox Co KY
Migrated c. 1814 to Jackson Co TN
1850 Federal Census: Missouri, Dallas County LN HN FN Last First AGE SEX Occup. POB ============================================================= 6 192 194 Potter William S. 66 M farmer Virginia 7 192 194 Potter Ruth 63 F Virginia |
Migrated before 1787 with family to Greene Co NC (now TN)
1796 Tennessee Statehood
Migrated by 1802 with family to Knox Co KY
| Knox Co KY Marriages: McKee, Matthias Wall and Betty Potter May 14, 1807 E Foley |
1810 Knox Co KY Census: Mathias W. McKey (16-25)
Migrated 1814 with family to Jackson Co TN
Migrated c. 1847 to Harrison, Boone Co AR
Thomas died 5/28/1849 Izard Co AR
1850 Federal Census: Greene County, Missouri LN DW FN LAST FIRST AGE Sex Occup. BIRTH ============================================================ 28 1343 1343 Wilkerson Elizabeth 65 F TN 29 Carrol 28 M Farmer TN 30 Margarette 18 F VA |
Migrated before 1787 with family to Greene Co NC (now TN)
1796 Tennessee Statehood
Migrated by 1802 with family to Knox Co KY
Migrated by 1814 to Jackson Co TN
c. 1814 Reportedly served in the War of 1812 and received bounty land in Montgomery Co IL
| 1832- Jan. 21, Thomas Potter Jr. received a land patent to 72 acres in Montgomery Co. Illinois. W 1/2 NW of Sect 31, Twp. 9, Range 4. |
1844, Sept 10- Thomas Potter, Senior files a land claim in
Springfield, MO for land in Greene Co:
|
1860 Federal Census: Missouri, Greene County
HN FN Last First AGE SEX Occup. POB
=============================================================
2042 2042 Potter Thomas 55 M Farmer Tenn
Elizabeth 52 F "
John 28 M "
Bouretta 22 F "
Elijah 20 M "
Elisha 25 M "
|
1860 Federal Census: Missouri, Greene County LN HN FN Last First AGE SEX Occup. POB ============================================================= 9 403 435 Potter Thomas 65 M Farmer Tenn 10 Elizabeth 65 F N. Carolina 11 John 35 M Tenn |
1796 Tennessee Statehood
Migrated by 1802 with family to Knox Co KY
Migrated by 1814 to Jackson Co TN
| Served in War of 1812 under Captain A Dudney's Company in the TN Militia. He was drafted on 20 Sep 1814 in Overton TN and discharged 10 April 1815 in Fayetteville, TN |
Married in 1815 in Jackson Co TN to Rachael Wilkinson b: 1795 Green Co NC (now TN)
1850 Dallas Co MO Census
1850 Federal Census: Missouri, Dallas County LN HN FN Last First AGE SEX Occup. POB ============================================================= 5 186 188 Potter James W. 57 M farmer Tennessee 6 186 188 Potter Rachiel 55 F Virginia 7 186 188 Potter Brannic 19 M farmer Illinois 8 186 188 Potter Rachiel J. 10 F Missouri 9 186 188 Popejoy Mary 29 F Tennessee 10 186 188 Popejoy Luiza 4 F Missouri 11 186 188 Popejoy Wesley 2 M Missouri |
1860 Federal Census: Missouri, Webster County LN HN FN Last First AGE SEX Occup. POB ======================================================== 28 611 607 Potter James 66 M Farmer Tenn 29 611 607 Potter Rachel 63 F VA 30 611 607 Popejoy Wesley 12 M MO 31 611 607 Gordon Susan A. 6 F MO 32 611 607 Deroybing Thomas 25 M Laborer Tenn 33 611 607 Deroybing Rachel J 21 F MO 34 611 607 Deroybing Robert B 11/12 M MO |
Migrated by 1814 w/ family to Jackson Co TN
1850 Federal Census: Tennessee, Greene County
LN HN FN Last First AGE SEX Occup. POB
=============================================================
654 Potter Zachaus 53 M Va.
Mary A. 50 F ''
John P. 24 M Tenn.
Washington 21 M ''
Stephen 20 M ''
Archebald 18 M ''
Mary M. 11 F ''
Eliza 11 F ''
|