Rev. John Potts

John Potts was born 1746 in Walton, Cumberland, England and died about 1833 in Virginia, USA. Married Mary Nixon on Aug 1771 in Walton, Cumberland, England. Mary Nixon was born 1741 in Lanercost, Cumberland, England and died in Virginia, USA . John arrived in Alexandria, VA, USA around 1781 and was a Methodist minister serving in Virginia and Maryland, USA .

https://www.ancestry.com/boards/thread.aspx?mv=flat&m=1572&p=surnam...

http://searches2.rootsweb.com/th/read/POTTS/1998-04/0893269634

Methodist preacher

John Potts probably had some association with the Methodist movement in England, and that is likely why he came to America either in 1785 (Beatty Potts record) or 1791. By 1795, John was serving the Methodist movement by accepting money for the "Preacher's Fund", and in 1796 he began serving churches under the appointment of the Church. He served congregations in Maryland, including the Federal District, now D.C., and churches in Virginia. He retired from preaching under the appointment of the Methodist Church in 1809 in Petersburg, Virginia. He was mentioned by Bishop Francis Asbury in his journals, and Asbury gave John high marks as a preacher. John was still in Petersburg in 1810 (Census) but apparently moved from there. His death was noted in some Methodist publications in 1833 but no location was given. He did not die in Kentucky so far as I know, but more likely was living either with his son Nathaniel Potts in what is now Clarksburg, West Virginia, or with another son whose name may have been John, who moved to Ohio soon after arriving in America. My best bet would be that he was with Nathaniel and his family in Clarksburg as that family has maintained excellent records, including the names of John's father and grandfather. How John Potts got the money to emigrate to America is unknown. Although he was literate, at the time of his marriage in 1771, John was a "husbandman" taking care of livestock on another man's land. His father William lived on until 1806, in England, but Mary Nixon Potts' father Jeffrey Nixon had died in 1780 and as was the custom of the day must have given Mary her marriage portion or dowry upon her marriage. Jeffrey Nixon gave money in his will to his unmarried daughters, keeping with the custom, but failed to mention Mary Nixon Potts, who was clearly his daughter as is noted in Walton Parish christening records in 1741.

https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/vitals/G3LC-FZL

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Potts-4360

https://books.google.com/books?id=SCQRAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA421&lpg=PA421&d...

https://books.google.com/books?id=vj4mAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA167&lpg=PA167&d...