Jonas Potts, Sr.

Owned a farm in Gilberts Manor, which adjoined Pottsgrove. Moved to Germantown, PA. Jonas held the office of Ranger for the county of Philadelphia; his term expired in 1702. He was a man of determination & impetuous temperment. He held office of Court sheriff for Germantown, PA. He was a planter, by trade. he farmed in Montgomery Co., PA. He did quite well until his wife, Mary, fell ill & they became relatively poor.

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Family

Historical Collections Relating to the Potts Family in Great Britain and .…. Page 226, GoogleBooks

It is believed that Jonas Potts was twice married, and that he had children by both marriages.* Both wives were named Mary, but no record of marriage nor an authenticated list of his children has been found. The names of his children as given below is believed to be correct so far as has been ascertained at this writing. There may have been other children not therein named. No record of death nor decedent's account of Jonas Potts has been found, and as some of his children settled in Virginia, he may have followed them there.

CHILDREN OF JONAS AND MARY ( -) Ports.

• 2. David Potts, b. ; d. 1768; m. ist, Elizabeth Jane — m 2d, Ann R.
• 3. Rachel Potts, m. Joseph Burson, 1719.
• 4. Elizabeth Potts, m. William Heald, 1719.
• 5. Hannah Potts, (?).

CHILDREN OF JONAS AND MARY (-) Potts

• 6 Deborah Potts, b. -; d. 7 mo, 24, 1718.
• 7 Jonathan Potts, b. 1714. (?).
• 8 Jonas Potts, m. Mary Heckathorn.

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Founded Pottstown in Pennsylvania.

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Society of Friends (Quaker). He owned a farm in Gilberts Manor, which adjoined Pottsgrove. Moved to Germantown, PA.; Film 25270-1033605, Item 2. 'The Potts Family in American', Chapter 8, Pg. 220. One lady who wrote to my mother about the Potts Family was Serilda (Rilla) Cunningham, 386 Cuprite, Globe, Ariz. 85501. Jonas held the office Ranger for the county of Philadelphia; his term expired in 1702. He was a man of determination & impetuous temperament. He held office of Court Sheriff for Germantown, PA. He was a planter by trade. He farmed in Montgomery Co., PA. He did quite well until his wife, Mary, fell ill & they became relatively poor.

Sources:

1. The book, 'The Potts Family in America', chapter 8, pg. 220
2. Pennsylvania Records - Witness to the marriage of his sister, Jane, to John Austin on Sept. 11, 1686.

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Owned a farm in Gilberts Manor, which adjoined Pottsgrove. Moved to Germantown, PA. Jonas held the office of Ranger for the county of Philadelphia; his term expired in 1702. He was a man of determination & impetuous temperament. He held office of Court sheriff for Germantown, PA. He was a planter, by trade. he farmed in Montgomery Co., PA. He did quite well until his wife, Mary, fell ill & they became relatively poor.

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In December 1701 he was appointed Sheriff of Philadelphia County and also held the Office of Ranger until his term expired in 1702. At one time he held the office of Court Sheriff for the village of Germantown. "He seems to have been a man of determination and perhaps an impetuous temperment as upon one occasion in making an arrest, it is said that he handled a man so roughly as to have almost killed him.

Curator Note

There is a GENi project centered on the Providence Preparative Meeting that grew out of a community of Quakers in the Gilbert's Manor area. Click here

The document I am working from includes a collection of short genealogies some being individuals whom the authors contend were Quakers.

On page 34 it implies that Jonas and Mary Potts , the parents of 7 children were "of Providence", that is, Quaker. Then on page 19 there is a "List of recorded marriages occurring at the houses of members" One element of the list reads: "At the house of Jonas Potts of Perqueoman (sic) Creek, his daughter Elizabeth Potts and William Heald, on 8/15/1719; his dau. Rachel & Joseph Burson, on 8/15/1719." ~• I understand this to mean that these were Quaker ceremonies.

Elsewhere in the text: On 6/29/1733 Rachel Burson (Potts), Jonas' daughter took a leadership position in said Meeting, becoming an 'overseer' of Quaker women. Mary Rachel Burson If you go to the profile you will see the screen shot of the document I drew from the document of 1929.