John Pott

John Pott

John Potts (or Pott) was a physician and Colonial Governor of Virginia at the Jamestown settlement in the Virginia Colony in the early 17th century.

Biography

John Potts is said to have taken his degree of A. M., at Oxford University in 1605. He was recommended as physician to the Virginia Company of London by the eminent Dr. Theodore Gulston, the founder of the Gulstonian Lectureship of the London College of Physicians. In the minutes of the Virginia Company of July 16, 1621, is the following entry:

"For so much as the Phisicons place to the Company was now become voyde by reason of the untimely death of Dr. Bohune, slaine in the fight with two Spanish Shipps of Warr the 19th of March last, Dr. Gulstone did now take occasion to recommend unto the Company for the said place one Mr. Potts, a Master of Arts, well practised in Chirurgerie and Physique, and expert also in distillinge of waters."

Dr. Potts and his wife Elizabeth sailed from London aboard the "George" in March of 1619. The "George" was a 150 ton sailing vessel with William Ewen as the master. After a two month passage the vessel arrived in Jamestown, Virginia, in May of 1619.

In 1623, Dr. Potts gained notoriety as the individual who prepared the poison served the Native Americans during a "peace ceremony" at Jamestown, killing 200 of them in retaliation for the Indian Massacre of 1622 which killed nearly a third of the colonists the preceding year. In 1625, he was commissioned a member of the Governor's Council, in which office he continued a number of years. In 1628 he was chosen Governor, and held the position from 1629 until the early part of 1630, when, being accused of stealing cattle, he was superseded by Sir John Harvey. Pott(s) was convicted for cattle theft by the Council on July 9, 1630 ["Hening's Statutes at Large", p. 145] .

Dr. Potts had a plantation which he called "Harrop," and which he may have so named in honor of his ancestral home. Harrop in Cheshire, England was the place of residence of some of the Potts at that period. This plantation, patented in 1631, may be related to the Harrop Parish of the Church of England established in James City County in 1644, which years later became part of Bruton Parish.

On July 12, 1632, Dr. Potts obtained a patent for convert|1200|acre|km2 at the head of Archer's Hope Creek. Part of this land was to become a fortified palisade across the peninsula. In February, 1633, it was enacted by the General Assembly that a fortieth part of the men in "the compasse of the forest" east of Archer's Hope and Queen's Creek to Chesapeake Bay (essentially all of the lower peninsula) should be present "before the first day of March next" at Dr. John Potts' plantation, "newlie built," to erect houses and secure the land in that quarter.

With this labor, palisades, six miles (10 km) in length, were run from creek to creek, and, on the ridge between, a settlement to be called Middle Plantation was made. The doctor would have certainly recognized the sanitary advantages of the country around Middle Plantation. As the ridge between the creeks was remarkably well drained, there were few mosquitoes. The deep ravines penetrating from the north and south made the place of much strategic value. Also, the only practical road down the Peninsula was over this ridge, and this road was easily defended. At Middle Plantation, some years later, this road was later to be called Duke of Gloucester Street. The town of Middle Plantation was renamed Williamsburg in 1699.

Dr. Potts is believed to have had no children, and apparently died prior to 1645.

References

* [http://www.heritagepursuit.com/Potts/PottsII.htm Potts family history]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • John Pott (British Army officer) — John Pott Born 14 July 1919(1919 07 14) Khartoum, Anglo Egyptian Sudan Died 23 April 2005(2005 04 23) (aged 85) Alle …   Wikipedia

  • Pott (surname) — Pott is a surname.People called Pott include: * Francis Pott (1957), British composer, pianist, senior academic and university administrator * Joel Pott (1979), English lead vocalist and guitarist of indie band Athlete * John Pott (or Potts),… …   Wikipedia

  • John Potts — may refer to several people:*John Potts (Pennsylvanian), founder of Pottstown and Pottsville in Pennsylvania *John Potts (UK politician)See also: *John Pott, a Colonial Governor of Virginia at the Jamestown settlement …   Wikipedia

  • John Abernethy (surgeon) — John Abernethy (1764–1831). Engraving by John Cochran after a portrait by Thomas Lawrence. John Abernethy FRS (3 April 1764 – 20 April 1831) was an English surgeon, grandson of the Reverend John Abernethy.[1] He was …   Wikipedia

  • John Grierson — (26 de abril de 1898 19 de febrero de 1972) fue uno de los primeros y más influyentes documentalistas de la historia del cine. Nació en Deanstown, Escocia, Grierson fue a la Universidad de Glasgow donde estudió comunicación antes de decidirse por …   Wikipedia Español

  • John Grierson — (* 26. April 1898 in Deanston bei Doune, Schottland; † 19. Februar 1972 in Bath, England) war ein britischer Dokumentarfilmregisseur und produzent. Er gilt als „Vater des britischen und kanadischen Dokumentarfilms“ und ihm wird die Einführung des …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • John Barrett Kerfoot — (March 1, 1816 mdash;July 10, 1881) was the first bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA and a president of Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut.He died in Meyersdale, Pennsylvania and is buried in Homewood Cemetery… …   Wikipedia

  • John Hunter (Chirurg) — Der Chirurg und Anatom John Hunter (1728–1793). Gemälde John Jacksons nach Joshua Reynolds. John Hunter (* 13. oder 14. Februar[1] 1728 in Long Calderwood bei East Kilbride, Lanarkshire, Schottland; † …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Pott's disease — An old term for tuberculosis of the spine that caused softening and collapse of the vertebrae, often resulting in kyphosis, a hunchback deformity, which was called Pott s curvature. Named for the English surgeon Sir John Percivall Pott (1714… …   Medical dictionary

  • John Freke — Infobox Person name= John Freke image size=80px birth date= 1688 birth place= England dead=dead death date= 1756 death place=England occupation= SurgeonJohn Freke (1688 1756) was an English surgeon. Together with Percival Pott he was instrumental …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”