Cuthbert Potter’s father, also Cuthbert, is noted in the recusancy accounts of 1604 for Worsale, where the squire was John Saire (Sawyer), another recusant. John Sayer, of Worsall, Esq., m. Margery da. and heir of William Conyers, of Thormanby, Esq. The son and heir was William Sayer, who m. Margaret, da. of Sir Thomas Fairfax, of Gilling, Knt., and died within twelve months after his father. John, the eldest son of William, succeeded to the estate; his son, John, m. a da. of Sir George Conyers of Sockburne, desc., (1625, Harl. MS. 805, fol. 131d. ), whose sister, Eleanor Conyers, m. Lancelot Strother, parents of William, father of William, who m. Dorothy Savage, in Gloucester Co., VA.
(As an interesting aside, it was the recusancy tax imposed by James I. that ignited the passions of a Yorkshire kinship circle of Catholics to perpetrate the Gunpowder Plot of the 5th of November, 1605; its aim being to “blow the king back to the Scottish mountains”, as said by Fawkes).
Cuthbert m. Mary Ward. “Marie Ward maryed together as they confesse but when, where or by whome they know not”. This accounts for Henry Ward’s Will in Virginia: “Know all men that I Henry Ward make my loveing friend Cuthbert Potter of Rappa my true and lawful attorney to ask and demand all such sums of porke and tobaccoes as are due me by specialtys from severall persons so indebted & co act to all intents in as full manner as I my self might do if present hereby confirming the same. In witness I have sett my hand & scale this 20th of May 1663, imn the presence of us Giles Cales, Henry Ward, Richard Robinson. Rappa. D.B 7, pp. 36-8: I Cuthbert Potter of the Parrish of Christ Church in the County of Middlesex grant unto my heirs the full moyety of one halfe part of a tract of land contaying five thousand two hundred seaventy five acres in the whole taken up and pattented by Thomas Chetwood and John Prosser ye Sixth and twentieth day of July 1667 the said land being scituate and being in the Freshes of the Rappahannock River on the north side thereof and known by the name of Nanzemund Indian towne in the County of Rappa. Now Know ye that I the said Cuthbert Potter for divers valluable causes have sold unto Ralph Wormley Esqr. two thousand acres of land part of the said moyety adjoyning to the lands of Mr. Anthony Savage, William Strother & Symon Miller. This fifteenth day of March 1682.
Fellow recusants of “Gyrsbie parishe” – “George Conyers of Sockburne Esquier, Hodgson widowe late wife of Thomas Hodgson; Recusantes a yeare & a halfe. Leonard Hoggard, a man of small wealth in Girsby, Agnes wife of John Conyers; Recusantes since 25 Marcii 1603 & not before. Agnes wife of the said John Conyers; Noncommunicant at Easter last. Note, in Virginia, Denis Conyers: To “my loving friend Mr Cuthbert Potter” 100 acres of land formerly sold to Peter Godson. “To my cousin Dennys Conyers now servant to Coll Matthews’land”.
Those connected:
Robinson v Conyers. Plaintiffs: John Robinson clerk and Henry Robinson. Defendants: George Conyers. Subject: money matters, Yorkshire. (C 6/15/157, 1647). Robinson v Alsopp. Plaintiffs: Henry Robinson. Defendants: James Alsop and John Elam. Subject: property in Wath, Yorkshire. (C 6/197/62, 1671). Indentures, lease and release. 1. Thomas Strangeways and son and heir Thomas. 2. Thomas Potter of Leeds, merchant, and wife Jane and her sister Elizabeth Strangeways. Under will of Thomas Strangeways (He m. Jane Robinson, da. of Luke Robinson (son of Arthur, undoubtedly related to the Cleasby Robinsons interm. with Potter) and Frances Hodson – M.S) snr. his daughter Jane was to have half his property, Palay Crofts, York; by agreement that 2 is to have all Paley’s croft and Dovecote, 1 to 2, the above property. (Nottingham University Library, Hn D 5/21/25/1-2, 12-13 March 1678). Robinson v Potter. Plaintiffs: Luke Robinson. Defendants: Thomas Potter and another. Place or subject: property in York, Yorkshire. (C 7/289/19, 1689). Letter from Thomas Potter (Mayor) at Leeds to Henry Squire regarding necessity for levying a fine for conveyance from Robinson. (Nottingham University Library, Hn D 5/21/33. Signature of Thomas Potter, 4 Apr. 1690). Bond: Henry and Robert Squire of York bound in £2,000 to Thomas Potter of Leeds. Conditions: to pay to Thomas Potter £1,000 with interest. Signatures of Henry and Robert Squires. (Nottingham University Library, Hn D 5/21/31, 28 March 1690).
The Alsops were most likely related to this family: Alsop v Handley. Plaintiffs: Thomas Allsopp gent, of Beale, Yorkshire. Defendants: Richard Handley, Sarah Handley, John Fox, John Turner, John Wigfall and Barbara Wigfall. Subject: Debts owed to the testator, the plaintiff’s late brother Durant Allsopp esq, of Sheffield, Yorkshire, deceased: Shertliffe Hall, Sheffield, Yorkshire. C 6/366/2. 1694-1695. Assignment: Durant Alsop of the Inner Temple, with the consent of John Wigfall of Renishaw (co. Derby), esquire, to John Lee of Hasleborrow, gentleman, and Thomas Bagshawe of Tidswall. Messuage or farm called the Oakes in Norton, with houses, buildings, lands, woods, etc. belonging; for the sum of £500. The property was originally mortgaged to Alsop for a sum of £1500 and a rent of £90, the £500 being to enable Wigfall to raise the arrears of payment. (Sheffield City Archives, OD/1. 20 Oct 1668). Alsop, Durant. Matric. pens. from Trinity, Easter, 1627. S. and h. of Robert, barrister, who married the heiress of Durant, of Durant Hall, Chesterfield, Derbs. Adm. at the Inner Temple, 1625. Will dated 18 Nov. 1671. Robert Cooke, of Sheffield. Will 14 April 1682; makes uncle Ric. Handley & Sara his wife Ex.; 1/3 of Shiercliffe Hall; names uncle Durant Alsop.
“Thomas Potter & Janeta Kirkbie“, 23 October 1630, Elland, Leeds, St Mary the Virgin
King George Co. “John Alsop & Elizabeth Conway“, 30 December 1739. She m. (2) William Jones.
John Alsop d. 9 Feb. 1749, in St. Paul’s Parish, Stafford Co. Elizabeth Conway was the da. of Christopher Conway, b. 3 May 1684, in Northumberland Co.; son of Dennis Conway ( d. 15 June 1709, Northumberland Co., aged 67), and Ann Eyres, da. of Denis Eyres:
1671, land purchase with Joshua Atkins, 370 ac. – Knoe all men by these presents: I, Dennis (sic) Eyes of ye County of Northumberland in ye Colony of Virga. for diverse good causes & valuable consideracons have sold unto Charles Fallon & Joshua Atkins both of ye County and Colony aforesd., vizt., one parcell of land by estimacon three hundred and seaventy acres being in ye County of Northumberland on ye South side of ye Maine Branch of Great Wickokomikcoe River beginning at a marked white Oak nigh sd. Branch wch. Divides this & a parcell of land in ye possession of James Gaylard & extending then South 140 poles to a marked Gum dividing this & ye land of David Jennings, thense Southeast by East 160 poles to a marked red Oake standing in a line of trees dividing this & ye land of James Pope, thence East along yt. line to a marked Hicory in a Swampe called Pope’s Swamp, thence North by East 187 poles to marked red Oake standing on a point where Pope’s Swamp & ye Maine Branch of Wickokomikcoe meet, thence West up ye sd Branch to ye first stand. wch. sd. Land I ye sd Dennis Eyes doe make sale of from mee my heires to ye sd, Charles and Joshua to them their heirs, excepting Ten acres of ye Land beforemenconed sch by agreemt. I reserve for my owne use & for ye use of my heires, the sd. Quantity of Ten acres bounding upon my Land yt I am now seated on & is some certeyne Islands & places adjacent made soe by ye inclosure of ye sd. Swampe or Branches of ye sd Maine Branch of ye River abovesd.. And I ye sd Denis doe further engage that ye sd. Charles and Joshua shall have quiet possession of 360 acres of land part of ye dividend of land abovesd joyntly or severally from ye molestacon of mee my heires or any clayme from any of them. As Wittness my hand & seale this 26th of Octobr 1671. Sealed & Delivered in ye presence of Thomas Daniell. Thomas Aldwell.
Northumberland Co. Court, 16th of April 1701: Mary Eyes Widdow & Relict of Dennis Eyes petic’or husbands Estate he dying Intestate & Dennis Conway & withal moveing this Court for a Caveatt to p’vent Admon, to Stop the said Adm’c’on till next Court the said Conway. Upon the moc’on of David Conway, John Conway & Dennis Conway Jr. Exec’s a probate is granted them of the Last Will and Testament of Dennis Eyes dec’ed the Will being proved by the Oaths of Richard Rice, Dennis Conway Jr. & Patrick Connor who made Oath in Court that they did heare the said Dennis eyes Owne the same to be his last Will and Testament and the same is admitted to Record.
C&P 5, p. 493: Dennis Eyes and Dennis Conway, 400 acs. N’umberland Co., 11 Mar. 1662, p. 306, (281). Nwd. side of the main br. of great Wiccocomoco Riv. Trans. of 8 pers: Tho. Fuell, James Duke, Tho. Carter, Math. Wood, Jane Marsh, Tho. Tally.
John Conway, son of Dennis: “Motion of Dennis Conway, John Conway and Dennis Conway, Junior. A probate to them of the last will of Dennis Eyre, dec’d approved by Richard Rice, Dennis Conway, Jun. and Patrick Connor”. April 16, 1701. He m. Susanna Rout, da. of Thomas Rout. Their son, Thomas Conway, m. Elizabeth Mauzy, the widow of John Markham, and da. of John Mauzy and Mary Crosby. The said John Markham was the son of William Markham, d. 1734. (Holly G. Wright and F. Edward Wright, Colonial Families of the Northern Neck of Virginia, pp. 143-145), son of Lewis Markham; d. 24 June 1713, in Washington Parish, Westmoreland Co., aged 44.
Westm. Co. D&W, B. 8, p. 260: In Obedience to an Order of Westmorland County Court bearing date the 29th a day of May last past made in a suit there depending between John Price, Plt. … We find a Patent bearing date the fifteenth day of September 1651 by which two hundred acres of Land are granted unto Thomas Blagg. We find that Richard Brown and Thomas Tyrwhitt were afterwards, to wit, the eighth day of March 1668, seised in fee of the said premises. … We find a Deed bearing date the ninth day of February 1697 by which one hundred acres of land, part of the said two hundred acres of Land are granted unto Lewis Markham as escheated from the said Thomas Tyrwhitt, that the said Lewis Markham entered into the said Land & was thereof seised in fee died so seised, that after the death of the said Lewis Markham, William Markham as Son & heir of the said Lewis entered into the said One hundred acres of Land & was thereof seised and being so seised by Deeds of Lease and Release bearing date the nineteenth and twentieth days of April 1732 granted & conveyed the said one hundred acres of land unto John Price, the Pit., at the request of the Plt.
This is pure “Yorkshire Mixture”.
copyright m stanhope 2017
Walter FitzGilbert de Hamilton 