William Potter (1608-1662)

William Potter, Puritan and “husbandman,” came to America in 1635 from London, aboard the ship Abigail. She sailed with about 220 passengers aboard along with livestock and smallpox. At age 27, William was accompanied by his wife Frances, age 26, and a child Joseph, age twenty weeks. They are listed on passenger lists, having signed up on the first of July.

Note that William’s mother, Hannah Potter Beecher, and brother John Potter were not with them on this voyage; they presumably joined them in America, at a later date.

Landing in Boston on 8 October 1635, they first resided in either Roxbury or Watertown, Massachusetts. By 1639, however, they were among the original settlers who, with Davenport and Eaton, established New Haven Colony (also called Quinnipiac). William signed the Fundamental Agreement in general town meeting in June 1639 establishing “thatt church members onely shall be free burgesses and they onely shall chuse among themselves magistrates and officers.” William’s brother John also signed the document, shortly afterwards. Also in New Haven by that time was the widow Hannah, the mother of John and William Potter by her first marriage. William joined the First Church in New Haven, probably in 1641.

He received at least twelve acres in the first division of land in 1640, as a head of a household of four people.

William Potter appears several times in the early records of New Haven colony. He was enumerated in the tax list of 1643 and also that year, “Brother Potter” (presumably William, since John had died by then) was fined one shilling for coming late to “trayning.” After that, he was fined for carrying defective arms. He took the Oath of Allegiance in July of 1644. His name was recorded in the seatings of the meetinghouse in 1647, 1655, and 1661.

William was certainly a husbandman, or “one who breeds and raises livestock,” and may also have been a miller. In December of 1645, Brother Potter offered “to carry every man’s grist from their hawse to the mill & bring it back againe to their hawse for 2d pr. bushell.”

In 1647, William Potter acquired land along the Quinnipiac River and in 1651 he purchased the farm house of Robert Newman. Atwater, in his History of the Colony of New Haven, wrote: “William Potter removed from his town-lot, if he ever built a house on it, to his farm on the west side of the Quinnipiac River.” Apparently, his home was near the present Cedar Hill railroad station. He also owned 27 1/2 acres “in the east meadows between Mr. Crayne and Bro. Punderson” as well as 32 upland acres.

He appears to have been a good citizen, respected and an upstanding member of the First Church of Christ at New Haven. William and Frances Potter had six children, Joseph, Sarah, Mary, Hope, Rebecca and Nathaniel. William Potter witnessed the will of Richard Mansfield in 1654 and appraised Mr. Mansfield’s estate in 1655. William Potter served as executor of his mother Hannah Potter Beecher’s estate in 1657. On May 31, 1658, William Potter was a witness for the plaintiff in the court case of Thomas Wheaton vs John Meigs. On May 19, 1662, William Potter wrote his will leaving his estate to his youngest son, eighteen-year-old Nathaniel Potter. Frances Potter served as administratrix and was in charge Nathaniel’s inheritance until he reached age 21. The will stated when Nathaniel was of age he was to care for his mother for as long as she remained a widow. The oldest son Joseph was to receive 30 pounds to be paid within six years from the date of the will. Daughters Hope and Rebecca were to receive 20 pounds each.

In 1662, William Potter was called before the court to answer charges “that he hath committed ye sin of bestiality with sundrie creatures” brought by his own wife and son. After initially denying the charges, he confessed, was excommunicated from the church, and sentenced to death. William Potter was hanged on the 6th of June that year. Cotton Mather wrote a sermon about this incident, published in his Magnalia Christi Americanus, in 1702.

When William Potter was first examined by the magistrates the records indicate he answered with “distinction.” He appeared to be shocked by the accusation and denied it. The records show the magistrates Benjamin Fenn, Robert Treat and Jasper Crane said they were not able to charge him. However, they were not satisfied because his accusers were close family members. It was their decision to turn William Potter over to the church authorities and Deputy Governor Matthew Gilbert for further examination. They stated that “God would bring the truth to light.” The event that followed was an interrogation of William Potter as indicated by the record. The amount of time devoted to this examination was not revealed.

The end result was a lengthy, rambling confession, where William Potter said his sin began at age 11, he names numerous animals involved and that he “hath nothing but his sin left upon him and is discouraged, and his sins affright him from God”. An observation made by the court regarding his confession reads “much was said by him by the way of acknowledgement of his euill (evil) but in a confused way, as that sometimes he was filled with horror.” At the end of his confession, he portrays a confused man without hope who believes his sin was so great that God had forsaken him. Before sentencing, Governor William Leete read the law to William Potter and asked if he had anything to say as to why the court should not judge him according to the law. William Potter answered “No” and was sentenced to death by hanging on June 6, 1662.

Frances Potter, according the manifest of the ship Abigail Frances Potter, was born 1609. No reliable documentation has been presented to prove her maiden name. Frances was 53 years old in 1662 when she accused her husband William of bestiality. They had been married approximately 28 years. Frances most likely was aware of the penalty of the crime of bestially when she accused her husband. William Potter stated before the court that he had seen others “put to death for these acts.”

Reading between the lines of the New Haven Town Records, one can see apparent controversy over William Potter’s sentence, or the way in which his execution was carried out. Apparently, the court had difficulty finding someone willing to perform this distasteful task. The man they settled on was Thomas Wheadon, who was previously an indentured servant to Deputy Governor Matthew Gilbert [for more, see GILBERT, Matthew & Jane (Baker)].

Shortly after the execution, Mr. Wheadon charged William Bassett & his wife with slandering him. The Bassetts were neighbors of the Potters and came to New England on the ship Abigail at the same time as the Potters. The Bassetts began speaking to others, saying they believed Thomas Wheadon served as the executioner for gain. They also thought the selection of Wheadon was “impudent” because he had been a good friend and neighbor of the Potters. In fact, Wheadon had once lived in the Potters’ home. Ironically, William Potter had testified on Wheadon’s behalf  in the 1658 dispute between Wheadon and John Meigs over the terms of his indenture [for more, see GILBERT, Matthew & Jane (Baker)]. One Sunday on their way to church, Mrs. Bassett spoke her thoughts on Thomas Wheadon to Frances Potter and Mrs. Foote (this is likely William and Frances’ daughter Sarah who by then was married to Robert Foote). Apparently, Frances Potter objected to Mrs. Bassett’s comments and Mrs. Foote agreed. Mrs. Bassett told them “the truth was to be knowne on ye Sabbath day as well as at other times.” The Bassetts were summoned to court, reprimanded, and fined 40 shillings. They apologized. However, William Bassett indicated in his testimony that Joseph Mansfield also didn’t think the sentence against William Potter was just. Joseph Mansfield was married to Mary Potter, daughter of William and Frances Potter.

In his will, written May 19, 1662, William left the bulk of his estate to his younger son, Nathaniel, while also mentioning his older son Joseph and daughters Rebeckah and Hope. His other daughters, Mary and Sarah, were not named, but Sarah (by then with the married name Blakesley) is recorded in 1706 as acknowledging the receipt of her share of her father’s estate.

Widow Frances Potter appeared in court when William’s will was probated and stated she agreed with the terms of the will. However, she was either not truthful to the court or she later changed her mind afterwards by giving her daughters’ legacies to her son Joseph. This resulted in Frances Potter being summoned to the court of New Haven again where she was instructed to give her daughters their inheritance. The court records states Frances Potter “paid so much to her son Joseph Potter contrary to the Will whereby she was disenabled to pay just debts.”

Joseph Potter, the oldest son, was born 1635 in England. He was 27 years old when his father was executed. William Potter’s legacy to his son Joseph was 30 pounds to be distributed over a period of six years. Joseph appeared with his mother Frances on October 15, 1662 when the will was presented “to the New Haven court for ye proofing of it.” After the reading of the will, Frances Potter was asked by the court if anyone had anything to say against it. She answered “Yes” her son Joseph. The records show Frances and Joseph had conversation between the two of them. Then Joseph replied to the court that his mother and he had agreed and they were satisfied the will should stand.

It is telling that, in Joanne Walroth’s words:

“although each of the six Potter children would eventually marry and raise a large family, none of them named a child either William or Frances. In an age when it was customary for a couple to name children for both maternal and paternal grandparents, it is surely evidence of deep levels of stress within the family that not one of the Potter children used these names.”

Walroth, Joanne Ruth, “Beyond Legal Remedy: Divorce in Seventeenth-Century Woodbridge, New Jersey,” in New Jersey History, Vol. 105, Fall/Winter 1987.

Children of William & Frances POTTER

WILLIAM POTTER was born 1608 in England, and died 6 June 1662 in New Haven, CT.  He married FRANCES Bef. 1633 in England.  She was born Abt. 1609. The Children of WILLIAM POTTER and FRANCES are:

• JOSEPH POTTER, b. Abt. March 1634/35, England; d. 17 August 1669, New Haven, CT; m. PHEBE IVES, Bef. 1660; b. Bef. 2 October 1642; d. Abt. 1682, Branford, New Haven Co., CT.
• MARY POTTER, b. Abt. 1637; m. JOSEPH MANSFIELD, Abt. 1657.
• SARAH POTTER, b. Abt. 1639; d. Aft. 1706; m. (1) ROBERT FOOTE, 1659; m. (2) AARON BLAKESLEY, 1686.
• HOPE POTTER, b. Bef. 3 October 1641; m. DANIEL ROBINSON, 3 February 1662/63, New Haven, CT; b. Abt. 1640; d. 1714.
• REBECCA POTTER, b. Abt. 1643; m. (1) JOHN THORPE; m. (2) THOMAS ADAMS, 27 November 1667, New Haven, CT.
• NATHANIEL POTTER, b. Abt. 1644; m. ELIZABETH HOWE, 1 April 1675, New Haven, CT.

————————————————————————————–

SOURCES:

• Atwater, Edward E., History of the City of New Haven to the Present Time, (W.W. Munsell & Co., New York, 1887).
• Atwater, Edward E., History of the Colony of New Haven to Its Absorption into Connecticut, Vol. I, (The Journal Publishing Co., Meriden, Conn., 1902).
• Blue, Jon C., The Case of the Piglet’s Paternity, (Wesleyan University Press, Middletown, CT, 2015).
• Calder, Isabel MacBeath, The New Haven Colony, (Yale University Press, New Haven, 1934).
• Clark, Jr., Harman R., “William Potter and Some of His Descendants,” unpublished manuscript, 1996.
• Dexter, Franklin Bowditch, Historical Catalogue of the Members of the First Church of Christ in New Haven, Connecticut, 1639-1914, (New Haven, 1914).
• Ferris, Mary Walton, Dawes-Gates Ancestral Lines, vol, 2, 1931.
• Hartley, Rachel M., The History of Hamden, Connecticut, 1786-1936, (Hamden, Connecticut, 1943).
• Hoadly, Charles J.. Records of the Colony or Jurisdiction of New Haven, 1653 to the Union, (Case, Lockwood & Co., Hartford, 1858).
• Jacobus, Donald Lines, Families of Ancient New Haven,  (Genealogical Publishing Co.; Baltimore, MD, 1981).
• Mather, Cotton, Magnalia Christi Americanus, Book VI, Thaumaturgus, Appendix – Section III, 1702, (courtesy of the New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, MA).
• Potter, Charles Edward, Genealogies of the Potter Families & Their Descendants in America, (Alfred Mudge & Son, Boston, 1888).
• Roberts, Gary Boyd, “Genealogies of Connecticut Families” from the New England Historic Genealogical Register, (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1983).
• Shepard, James, “New Haven (Conn.) Potters, 1639,” (New England Historic Genealogical Society Register, January 1900), “Electronic.”
• Walroth, Joanne Ruth, “Beyond Legal Remedy: Divorce in Seventeenth-Century Woodbridge, New Jersey,” in New Jersey History, Vol. 105, Fall/Winter 1987.
• “William Potter and Some of His Descendants,” unpublished manuscript by Harman R. Clark, Jr., Dunellen, NJ, 1996