Following yesterday’s post about Edwin Potter’s bus, we were asked if Edwin Potter was in any way related to Hannah Potter, born 1861 in Market Lavington. We did not know, but a few minutes spent looking things up produced the following facts which, with a little guess work, suggests that these two Potters are, indeed related.
Hannah was the daughter of John and Martha. John was born in Market Lavington in about 1819. (source – 1851 census)
John was the son of Thomas and Ann. He was baptised in Market Lavington on 11 4 1819 (source – IGI)
Thomas Potter married Ann Leonard at Little Cheverell on 25 12 1809 (source – IGI)
Edwin was the son of Thomas and Jane. Thomas was born at West Lavington in about 1784 (source – 1851 census)
Thomas Potter married Jane Wheeler at Market Lavington on 19 3 1831 (source – IGI) Jane was 20 years his junior.
I believe that there is only the one Thomas Potter although as yet I can’t prove this. Circumstantial evidence is that both Thomas and John were butchers. Also, Hannah spent time at the old Angel Inn which was run by other members of Edwin’s family.
I think this makes Hannah the half niece of Edwin.
Hannah became Mrs George Crassweller in 1886. You could click here to see the wonderful bedspread she made at the time of her marriage.
Edwin and Hannah were both buried in the Market Lavington churchyard.
Edwin Potter’s grave in Market Lavington churchyard
The grave of Hannah Crassweller (née Potter) is also in the Market Lavington graveyard
Tags: genealogy, Market Lavington, Museum, Potter
Market Lavington Museum 
May 23, 2012 at 8:25 am |
Thank you so much for all this information, I shall add this to my family tree as Hannah Crassweller (nee Potter) was the wife of a first Great Grand Uncle of mine.
Kind regards
Jan Clare
May 23, 2012 at 8:44 am |
Thanks to you too. Your question led me to some interesting information.
Cheers
Rog (curator)
By the way, we have a photo of George Crassweller, Hannah’s husband, at the museum. Also several of their daughter, Eleanor and her husband Fred Phillips.
May 24, 2012 at 8:30 pm |
yes there appears to have been only one Thomas Potter around that time as I have a copy of a letter that the museum holds from Eleanor Phillips about the Volunteer Arms. Inn this letter she says that Thomas Potter took over the running of the Volunteer Arms who sold it to his Step-Mother Jane Potter in 1864. Haven’t yet found the death record of Thomas’s first wife Ann.
Lots of hunting to do…as there were many Potter’s in the Wiltshire area…
Cheers Jan Clare
May 24, 2012 at 8:57 pm |
Yes, we do have a copy of that letter. I need to look it up again.
Rog
May 24, 2012 at 8:50 pm |
Think Ann Potter died in 1924, so perhaps Thomas and Ann were divorced?
May 24, 2012 at 9:04 pm |
Surely a different Ann Potter?
May 24, 2012 at 9:13 pm |
Gosh yes Rog…that would have made her 139!!!
May 24, 2012 at 9:22 pm |
I was too polite to point that out!