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LEMS. A clerk mistakenly entered the name
"Robert Pott" as the new parliamentary com-
missioner in 1655. The appointee was actually
John Pott.
POTTER, NATHANIEL (?-1780). BORN: in
Dorchester (later Caroline) County, of age by
1761; elder son. NATIVE: second generation. RE-
SIDED: at "Potter Hall" on the east bank of the
Choptank River five miles south of Denton in
Caroline County. FAMILY BACKGROUND. FATHER:
Capt. Zabdiel Potter (?-1761) of Dorchester
County. A mariner from Rhode Island, Zabdiel
came to Maryland by 1747, possibly as early as
1730. Potter's Landing, in front of his house on
the Choptank, became a commercial center. Capt.
Potter died at sea. MOTHER: Sarah (?-by 1780),
widow of William Fountain (?-1734) of Dor-
chester County. BROTHER: Zabdiel P otter (?-1793).
HALF BROTHERS: William Fountain (?-1780);
Nicholas Fountain (?-1773), who married Mary
Ann (last name unknown). HALF SISTER: (first
name unknown) Fountain, who married (first name
unknown) Collison. MARRIED on March 22, 1778,
Jane Douglass (1759-1786). She subsequently
married on June 11, 1781, John (1757-1810), son
of Thomas Hardcastle (ca. 1737- 1 808) . CHILDREN.
Probably died without progeny. PRIVATE CAREER.
EDUCATION: literate. SOCIAL STATUS AND ACTIV-
ITIES: Gent., by 1775; Esq., by 1777. OCCUPA-
TIONAL PROFILE: planter. PUBLIC CAREER. LEGIS-
LATIVE SERVICE: Conventions, Caroline County,
1st, 1774, 4th, 1775, 5th, 1775, 6th-8th, 1775-
1776, 9th, 1776; Lower House, Caroline County,
, 1778-1779 (elected to the 1st session to fill va-
cancy). LOCAL OFFICES: justice, Dorchester
County, commissioned 1773; justice, Caroline
County, 1774-1780; justice, Orphans' Court,
Caroline County, 1777-1780; commissioner of the
tax, Caroline County, commissioned 1777 and
1778; sheriff, Caroline County, February 24, 1778-
March 9, 1778; purchasing agent, Caroline County,
1778-1780; subscription officer, Continental Loan
Office, Caroline County, appointed 1779. MILI-
TARY SERVICE: captain, 14th Battalion, Caroline
County Militia, commissioned 1776; major, 14th
Battalion, Caroline County Militia, commmis-
sioned 1777; It. colonel, 14th Battalion, Caroline
County Militia, commissioned 1778. WEALTH DUR-
ING LIFETIME. LAND AT FIRST ELECTION: 405 acres
in Caroline County (inherited 300 acres; acquired
105 acres by resurvey and patent). A mill existed
on this acreage. SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN LAND
BETWEEN FIRST ELECTION AND DEATH: bought 310
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acres in Caroline County in 1775. WEALTH AT
DEATH. DIED: between November 25 and Decem-
ber 16, 1780, in Caroline County. PERSONAL
PROPERTY: TEV, £760.16.5 current money (in-
cluding 6 slaves and books); FB, £396.3.10. LAND:
715 acres in Caroline County. By 1780, Potter
also had control of 250 acres that belonged to the
heirs of William Fountain (?-1734).
POTTER, ZABDIEL (?-1793). BORN: in Dor-
chester (later Caroline) County; younger son. NA-
TIVE: second generation. RESIDED: at "Potter Hall"
on the east bank of the Choptank River five miles
south of Denton in Caroline County. FAMILY
BACKGROUND. FATHER: Capt. Zabdiel Potter (?-
1761) of Dorchester County. A mariner from
Rhode Island, Zabdiel came to Maryland by 1747,
possibly as early as 1730. Potter's Landing, in
front of his house on the Choptank, became a
commercial center. Capt. Potter died at sea.
MOTHER: Sarah (?-by 1780), widow of William
Fountain (?-1734) of Dorchester County.
BROTHER: Nathaniel Potter (?-1780). HALF
BROTHERS: William Fountain (?-1780); Nicholas
Fountain (?-1773), who married Mary Ann (last
name unknown). HALF SISTER: (first name un-
known) Fountain, who married (first name un-
known) Collison. MARRIED by 1770 Lucy. CHIL-
DREN. SONS: Nathaniel (1770-1843), a physician
who was born in Easton, Talbot County. In 1798
he married Catherine, daughter of Thomas Golds-
borough (ca. 1728-1793). Dr. Potter was one of
the founders of the College of Medicine of the
University of Maryland. He died in Baltimore.
William (ca. 1771-1847), who married Ann Webb
(ca. 1772-1836), daughter of William Richardson
(1735-1825). He was elected to the legislature
and served as a member of the Governor's Coun-
cil. During the War of 1812 he became a brigadier
general of the Maryland Militia. PRIVATE CAREER.
EDUCATION: literate. SOCIAL STATUS AND ACTIV-
ITIES: Esq., by 1782. OCCUPATIONAL PROFILE:
physician; planter. PUBLIC CAREER. LEGISLATIVE
SERVICE: Lower House, Caroline County, 1788
(elected, but did not attend; resigned on Novem-
ber 4, 1788). OTHER STATE OFFICE: HSSOCiatC JUS-
tice, 4th District Court, Caroline County, com-
missioned 1793. LOCAL OFFICES: coroner, Caroline
County, commissioned 1778 (did not qualify);
justice, Caroline County, ca. 1781-1793; justice,
Orphans' Court, Caroline County, 1783-1793.
MILITARY SERVICE: ensign, Capt. Joseph Rich-
ardson's Company, 14th Battalion, Caroline
County Militia, by May 1776; captain, 4th Mary-
657
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