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land Battalion, Flying Camp, commissioned July
1776. Potter was unable to raise a company and
resigned. He was appointed surgeon's mate to
Col. William Richardson's Battalion of the Flying
Camp in August 1776. WEALTH DURING LIFETIME.
PERSONAL PROPERTY: assessed value £359.0.0, in-
cluding 7 slaves and 33 oz. plate, 1783. LAND AT
FIRST ELECTION: 1,088 acres in Caroline County
(inherited 1,055 acres, bought 33 acres). A mill
and mill site were part of this acreage. By 1780
he also held 250 acres for the heirs of William
Fountain (?-1734). SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN LAND
BETWEEN FIRST ELECTION AND DEATH: bought 120
acres in Caroline County, 1790. WEALTH AT DEATH.
DIED: between March 6 and May 13, 1793, in
Caroline County. PERSONAL PROPERTY: TEV,
£1,409.4.5 current money (including 14 slaves,
medicine, and shop furniture); FB, £1,311-8.10.
LAND: 1,208 acres in Caroline County.
POTTS, RICHARD (1753-1808). BORN: on July
19, 1753, in Upper Marlborough, Prince George's
County. NATIVE, second generation. RESIDED: in
Annapolis, Anne Arundel County, until 1775;
Frederick Town, Frederick County, 1775 until
death. FAMILY BACKGROUND. FATHER: William
Potts (1718-1761), who emigrated from Barba-
does to Maryland ca. 1740; returned to Barba-
does in 1757 where he lived for the last few years
of his life. MOTHER: Sarah, daughter of Philip Lee
(ca. 1681-1744) and either his first wife Sarah
Brooke Dent or his second wife Elizabeth Law-
son Sewall. UNCLES: Richard Lee (ca. 1707-1787);
Arthur Lee (?-1760); Francis Lee (?-1749); Cor-
bin Lee (?-1744); George Lee (1736-1807); and
possibly Thomas Brooke (1683-1744). AUNTS.
possibly Priscilla Brooke, who married Thomas
Gantt (?-1765); Hannah Lee, who married Jo-
seph Sprigg (1736-1800); Lattice Lee (?-1776),
who married third, Joseph Sim (?-1793); and pos-
sibly Jane Brooke (?-1779), who married Alex-
ander Contee(ca. 1691-1740). BROTHER: William
(?-by 1817), a merchant. SISTERS: Rebecca (?-by
1810). who married Benjamin Mackall IV (1745-
by 1810); Sarah Eleanor (?-before 1810), who
married by 1782 Thomas Gantt, Jr. (?-1808). FIRST
COUSINS Philip Thomas Lee (1738-1778); Thomas
Sim Lee (1745-1819); Alice Lee (?-1789), who
married John Weems (1737-1813); Sarah Lee,
who married Philip Richard Fendall (?-?); Han-
nah Lee, who married George Plater (1735-1792);
Thomas Gantt (ca. 1710-1785); Fielder Gantt (?-
1807); Edward Gantt (?-by 1783); probably Ann
Gantt, who married John Broome (1703-1748);
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Sarah Fendall (1732-1793), who married Thomas
Contee (ca. 1729-1811); Philip Richard Fendall
(?-?); Richard Brooke (1716-1783); and Eleanor
Brooke, who married Samuel Beall (ca. 1713-ca.
1778). OTHER KINSHIP: possible grandfather,
Thomas Brooke (ca. 1659-1730/31). MARRIED first,
on April 15, 1779, Elizabeth (?-1793), daughter
of Barnabus Hughes (?-1780) of Hagerstown and
wife Elizabeth Waters. Her brothers were Samuel
Hughes (ca. 1741-?); Capt. James Hughes. MAR-
RIED second, on December 19, 1799, Eleanor,
daughter of George Murdock (1742-1805) and wife
Eleanor Charlton. Her brother was George Wil-
liam Murdock (?-before 1822), who married Jac-
queline Haines. Her sisters were Ann, who mar-
ried Richard Potts (1786-1865); Harriet (?-by
1822), who married Dr. William Bradley Tyler
of Frederick County; and Mary (?-1820). CHIL.
DREN. SONS: William, a Baltimore City business-
man; John Lee; Philip Thomas; George Mur-
dock; Samuel Hughes; and Richard (1786-1865),
who married Ann Murdock. DAUGHTERS: Eliz-
abeth; Anne (ca. 1792-1809); Mary Jane; Harriet
Murdock; Eleanor Murdock; and Rebecca (?-
1804). PRIVATE CAREER. EDUCATION: read law in
Annapolis until ca. 1775 with Judge Samuel Chase
(1741-1811); received an honorary LL.D. degree
from the College of New Jersey in appreciation
of his professional abilities, 1805. RELIGIOUS AF-
FILIATION: Anglican, All Saints' Parish, Freder-
ick County. SOCIAL STATUS AND ACTIVITES: Gent.,
by 1778; Esq., by 1780. OCCUPATIONAL PROFILE:
planter; lawyer; land speculator, involved in real
estate ventures with friends including John Han-
son, Jr. (1721-1783) and Philip Thomas (1747-
1815). PUBLIC CAREER. LEGISLATIVE SERVICE:
Lower House, Frederick County, 1780 (resigned
during the 1st session of the 1780-1781 Assem-
bly; Grievances 1; Laws to Expire 1), 1787-1788,
1788 (Elections); Senate, Western Shore, Term
of 1786-1791: 1787 (elected on December 3, 1787,
to fill vacancy in the 1787-1788 Assembly; de-
clined to serve). OTHER STATE OFFICES: clerk of
the Senate, elected April 2, 1777, resigned June
17, 1777; state's attorney for the district encom-
passing Frederick, Washington, and Montgomery
counties, appointed 1784; Constitution Ratifica-
tion Convention, Frederick County, 1788; com-
missioned U.S. district attorney for Maryland by
President Washington in 1789 and held office un-
til 1791 when he was appointed chief justice of
the Fifth Judicial District (Frederick, Washing-
ton, and Montgomery counties), January 17, 1791,
resigned December 7, 1792; reappointed chief
658
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