Johannes Wilhelm Balzar Pott, Jr

Family 1 Gertrude Mey, b. 24 Apr 1623

Married 30 Dec 1727 Germany

Children

• 1. William BOTT, b. Oct 1728 Wald Solingen, Rhineland
• 2. Catherina Gertrude BOTT, b. July 1731, Wald Solingen, Rhineland
• 3. John BOTT, b. April 1733, Wald Solingen, Rhineland

Grave (date confusion) https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/151072792/william-pott

William Pott

• BIRTH 1705, Germany
• DEATH 1781 (aged 75–76), Lobachsville, Berks County, Pennsylvania, USA
• BURIAL Pott Family Cemetery, Lobachsville, Berks County, Pennsylvania, USA
• PLOT UNMARKED - no gravestone
• MEMORIAL ID 151072792 · View Source

Name variation: Wilhelm Pott/Bott

From "Grave Happenings," A Publication of the Berks County Association for Graveyard Preservation, Vol I, June 2006 http://www.bcagp.org/epi/grave_happenings.pdf

POTTS CEMETERY, LOBACHSVILLE, BERKS COUNTY, submitted by James A, McClean, Jr.-- When Nancy and I purchased the old Pott Mansion in Lobachsville in March 2000, we began a journey of restoration of the derelict house and property that continues to this day. We also began to research the Pott family and [are] in the process discovered the Pott family graveyard on our farm. The following is a brief overview of the Pott family with an emphasis on the graveyard. If anyone is interested in further reading, an excellent chapter of George Meiser IX in "The Passing Scene," Volume III, and an article by Richard Orth in the Historical Review of Berks County, Volume 70, Number 1 (Winter, 2004-2005), consider the Pott family and the development of Lobachsville.

Wilhelm Pott, his wife Gertrude (the widow Lobach), his brother Deganhart, his children, and Peter Lobach arrived in Philadelphia on the Schwenkfelder ship "St. Andrew" in September 1734. Mr. Pott was a successful businessman who had heard about the iron making opportunities in Oley and he moved here in 1736. The Pott family formed marriage alliances with other prominent farmers of the day, including the Hochs, Kreims, and Leshers.

William was a very religious man and active in the Oley Moravian movement and the Brethren of Falkner's Swamp.

Wilhelm Pott was an iron master with several forges. He also owned a large plantation (our present farm), grist mills, saw mills and fulling mills.

Upon William's death in 1781, his son John Pott Sr took over the family business and continued, until his death in 1805, as a prosperous "man of affairs" in Oley. He sent his son John Pott Jr to run a forge in Schuylkill County circa 1795. John Pott Jr is credited with founding Pottsville and Centerport.

Upon John Pott's death in 1805, the family scattered throughout Pennsylvania, and the Pott name disappears from the Oley Valley shortly thereafter. When the Pott family moved here circa 1736, there was already a settler's log cabin, built by an unknown hand on the farm. Its stone remains may be seen to this day.

Sometime later they built a large (for the time) mansion. It has a date stone placed to the right of the front door that is marked "William Pott, 1755, John Pott." 1755 is the year John Pott Sr married Magdalena Hoch, whose twin sister married Jacob Keim of the neighboring Keim farmstead a year or two earlier. Based on architectural evidence, it is believe that the Pott mansion was built earlier, circa 1740, and raised a full story in 1755 to accommodate the newlyweds.

As mentioned, when we moved onto the farm in March 2000, it was largely derelict and overgrown with no ornamental plants, etc. However, approximately 50 feet west of the house was an area containing the largest tree on the farm, a great ash tree and ancient lilac bushes. As spring came, old style flowers came up, including lily of the valley and an heirloom tulip often found around old Pennsylvania German farms. We were aware of the Berks County tradition of early family graveyards and, when some landscaping was done, we ordered the workmen to report unusual things they might find.

One morning, a man digging with a backhoe approached and said he had uncovered what appeared to be a remnant of a stone wall around the ash tree. A gentleman working on the inside of the house that day was a dowser and familiar with old graveyards. He borrowed some wire hangers and proceeded to "dowse" the graveyard, identifying a small plot surrounded by a wall and a "graveyard" pattern, indicating the gravesites. At that point, we called in the BCAGP and Keith Schaeffer came to the farm to re-dowse the graveyard (we had not marked it after the initial dowsing). He identified the same walls and gravesites, including a child's grave. (We later learned that John Pott Sr's first-born daughter Esther died in infancy.) He also marked the perimeters of the graveyard with flags.

Several weeks later, we had the pleasure of a visit from Arthur Conrad, now deceased, who had grown up on our farm in the 1930s. He was able to identify many artifacts on the farm, the various outbuildings, etc. Upon observation of the flagged graveyard, Arthur noted that, when he was a boy, it had been surrounded by a picket fence and he was forbidden to go in, but his parents would never tell him what it was!

One day on business in Pottsville, PA, I visited the Schuylkill County Historical Society and was given a manuscript to review. It was the original of the inaugural address delivered to the Historical Society in 1900, entitled "History of the Pott Family". (It's interesting to note, the document was folded to fit in a vest pocket!) It was noted that living members of the Pott family were interviewed during his research and they spoke of the family's roots in Oley. It was also related that the original settlers, Wilhelm and Gertrude Pott, were "buried on the homestead" -- our farm!

This is the only written reference to the graveyard known to me, thus far. [This inaugural address was published as D. G. Lubold, "The Pott Family," Publications of the Historical Society of Schuylkill County, Vol I, No. 1 (1907), pp. 31-40, online at http://books.google.com/books?id=uSYUAAAAYAAJ] There is no surface evidence but probing indicates bricks laid several inches under the ground.

Finally, the ancient barn on the farm has a sandstone marker carefully laid in a prominent place by the door. It is engraved "John Pott" but was reduced to fit the wall, cutting off approximately one third of the name. In all probability, a gravestone.

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From Berks County Will Abstracts 1781-1785 - accessed online in 2014 http://berks.pa-roots.com/wills/Abstracts1781-1785.html

POTT, WILLIAM, Rockland.

October 18, 1781 - December 17, 1781. B-22.

Mentions that eldest son William had rec'd. his portion.

And gives to his children £125 to be divided among them when 21.

To dau. Catharina wife of Casper SHELL, £25, having had considerable sums. To her dau. Anna Mary £25 for the faithful services done to me.

To son John, one acre and 48 per of land whereon my sawmill was fixed, adjoining other land I have given him by Deed.

Exrs: son John and friend Daniel LEVAN of Oley.

Wit: Jacob KEIM and Peter BLAESER

Spouse

• Gertrude Mey Pott, 1700–1764

Children

• Anna Catharine Gertrude Bott/Pott Schell, 1730–1800

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/151072792/william-pott