JD Potts

Potts, John Dryden

Birth Name Potts, John Dryden
Gender male
Age at Death 68 years, 11 months, 10 days

Notes

Note: 1

1901 census, lived 41 Chirton West View. Today this is in North Shields but at that time it was part of Tynemouth Trinity, Preston parish. He was employed as a foreman compositor within a printers, possibly "Potts, the Printers".

Birth 10b 197 Tynemouth N'land

Note: 2

(Research):Probate: "of 4 Waterville Terrace, North Shields ... £389 2s 4d to Elizabeth Potts, widow"

Note: 3 (To Do)

John Dryden Potts - add in data from 1881 census, where he is living with his mother, step-father and step-siblings. Note the the census taker has been lazy!

Note: 4 (To Do)

John Dryden Potts: 1891 census records his occupation as "apprentice printer" - where did he do his apprenticeship? WJ Potts ??

Note: 5

From Alan Potts, his grandson, via e-mail 17th September 2022:

It is understandable that the current printing business would like to trace their beginnings back as far as possible but their version is not entirely what I remember being told many years ago.

My memory is that JD was apprenticed to WJ who I believe was not related. If the apprenticeship was as long as my Dad served it would have lasted 7 years. At some point afterwards he acquired a hand fed pedal operated printing press which he set up in his parents basement in Watervile terrace North Shields. This was known locally as the ha'penny hatch as it was a private road with a toll of one half penny. Presumably it was a short cut.
Why he became a printer I have no idea as I think his father was a seaman. If you look on Google you will see that the older houses remaining are quite substantial so the family must have been reasonable well off.
The business must have prospered and at some point moved to Little Bedford Street which is where I remember it in what was known as Flemming's Buildings. At that time it was owned by George Flemming who possibly inherited it from his father. On the ground floor was JD Potts and Son printers next door was an Italian ice cream maker and next door again was a boiler maker. Quite a collection! George Flemming used the entire top floor for his sail making business although I think by that time hatch covers would have been more in demand than sails.

Events

Event Date Place Description Sources
Birth 11 Aug 1872 17 Charlotte Street, Tynemouth, Northumberland Birth of John Dryden Potts 1a 2a
Census 3 Apr 1881 15 George Steet, Willington Quay, Howdon, Wallsend, Northumberland 1881 Census: John Dryden Potts, living with mother Dorothy Dryden, step-father and step-siblings 3a
Census 5 Apr 1891 22 Brunton Street, Chirton, North Shields, Northumberland 1891 Census: John Dryden Potts, apprentice printer, living with mother Dorothy Dryden and step-family 4a
Residence 6 Oct 1897 13 Brunton Street, Percy Main, North Shields, Northumberland John Dryden Potts, compositor, residence at time of marriage 5a
Census 31 Mar 1901 41 Chirton West View, Preston, North Shields, Northumberland 1901 Census: John Dryden Potts: printer, foreman, compositor ("worker") 6a
Census 2 Apr 1911 4 Waterville Terrace, North Shields, Northumberland 1911 Census: John Dryden Potts: Traveller within general printing ("worker") 7a
Census 24 Apr 1921 4 Waterville Terrace, North Shields, Northumberland 1921 Census: John Dryden Potts: letterpress printer, employer (5 Waterville Terrace) 8a
To Do

John Dryden Potts 1921: why is his place of work down as 5 waterville terrace?

Residence 29 Sep 1939 4 Waterville Terrace, North Shields, Northumberland Residence of John Dryden Potts and family: occupation "master printer" 1a
Residence Sep 1939 4 Waterville Terrace, North Shields, Northumberland 1939 Register: John Dryden Potts with wife Elizabeth and married daughter Dorothy 1a
Death 21 Jul 1941 Windsor Nursing Home, Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland Death of John Dryden Potts 9a
Note

John Dryden Potts left £389 2s 4d to Elizabeth Potts, widow (equivalent to £13,710.97 today)

Residence between Sep 1939 and Jul 1941 4 Waterville Terrace, North Shields, Northumberland Residence of John Dryden Potts until death 9a
Note

from Probate Record, 1943

Parents

Relation to main person Name Birth date Death date Relation within this family (if not by birth)
Father Potts, Thomasabout Jan 183023 Jan 1874
Mother Dryden, Dorothyabout Jul 18489 Dec 1901
         Potts, John Dryden 11 Aug 1872 21 Jul 1941
    Sister     Potts, Jane 14 Oct 1873 Sep 1877

Families

Family of Potts, John Dryden and Gray, Elizabeth Jane
Married Wife Gray, Elizabeth Jane ( * 20 Mar 1873 + about Jan 1952 )
 
Event Date Place Description Sources
Marriage 6 Oct 1897 Holy Trinity Parish Church, Western Town, Tynemouth, Northumberland Marriage of John Dryden Potts (Compositor) and Elizabeth Jane Gray 10a 5a
Birth 3 Apr 1900 Chirton, North Shields, Northumberland Birth of Thomas Potts (1900) 1b 11a 12a
Birth 21 Nov 1901 North Shields, Northumberland Birth of Dorothy Potts 1a
Birth 25 Mar 1909 North Shields, Northumberland Birth of George Gray Potts 12b 11b
Children
Name Birth Date Death Date
Potts, Thomas3 Apr 190027 Sep 1965
Potts, Dorothy21 Nov 190113 Oct 1985
Potts, George Gray25 Mar 190920 Aug 1974

Media

×
❮ ❯
1/2 - JD Potts
2/2 - Wandering Willie

Source References

  1. Crown copyright images reproduced by courtesy of TNA, London England. 1939 Register (Series RG101), The National Archives, Kew, London, England.: 1939 England and Wales Register
      • Date: 29 Sep 1939
      • Page: 1939 Register: John Dryden Potts: GB BM, Tynemouth, Registration District 559, sub-district 1
      • 1939 register JD POTTS and others
      • Date: 29 Sep 1939
      • Page: 1939 Register: Thomas Potts (1900) and family: South Shields Line 35 Schedule 105 Sub Schedule 1 District FCBY Reg District 556/1
      • 1939 Register Thomas Potts (1900) and family
  2. General Register Office: Birth Certificates (Certified Copies)
      • Date: 11 Aug 1872
      • Page: Birth of John Dryden Potts: Volume 10b, Page 197. Father - Thomas Potts, chainmaker; Mother - Dorothy Potts, formerly Dryden.
      • Citation:

        Birth of John Dryden Potts: birth registered 18 September 1872 by Dorothy. Worth noting that Thomas and Dorothy didn't marry until November 1872!

  3. Census Returns of England and Wales, 1881. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives of the UK (TNA): Public Record Office (PRO), 1881.: 1881 England Census
      • Date: 3 Apr 1881
      • Page: 1881 Census: John Dryden Potts: Tynemouth Class: RG11; Piece: 5073; Folio: 46; Page: 14; Line: ; GSU roll: 1342225.
      • 1881 census J D Potts D Reay
  4. Census Returns of England and Wales, 1891. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives of the UK (TNA): Public Record Office (PRO), 1891.: 1891 England Census
      • Date: 5 Apr 1891
      • Page: 1891 Census: John Dryden Potts: Tynemouth Class: RG12; Piece: 4225; Folio 56; Page 52; GSU roll: 6099335.
      • 1891 census J REAY, Dorothy and JD POTTS
  5. England and Wales. General Register Office.: Marriage certificates (certified copies)
      • Date: 6 Oct 1897
      • Page: Marriage of John Dryden Potts (compositor) and Elizabeth Jane Gray
      • Citation:

        Marriage of John Dryden Potts and Elizabeth Jane Gray: witnessed by the bride's brother, John James Gray, and sister, Ethel. Marriage conducted by J. Barnard Hall, B.A.. The fathers were Thomas Potts, chainmaker, and George Gray, sailor.

  6. Census Returns of England and Wales, 1901. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives, 1901: 1901 England Census
      • Date: 31 Mar 1901
      • Page: 1901 Census: John Dryden Potts: Tynemouth Class: RG13; Piece: 4801; Folio: 105; Page: 6
      • 1901 census jd potts, eliz and thomas
      • 1901 census jd potts, eliz and thomas
  7. Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives of the UK (TNA) Series RG14, 1911.: 1911 England Census
      • Date: 2 Apr 1911
      • Page: 1911 Census: John Dryden Potts: Tynemouth, 559, ED 28, piece 30760
      • 1911 Census POTTS John D. and family
  8. © Crown Copyright Images reproduced by courtesy of The National Archives, London, England.: 1921 England Census
      • Date: 19 Jun 1921
      • Page: 1921 Census: John Dryden Potts: 4 Waterville Terrace, North Shields, Registration District 559, Sub-district 2, ED 28, Schedule 5
      • J D Potts and family 1921 census
  9. Principal Probate Registry. Calendar of the Grants of Probate and Letters of Administration made in the Probate Registries of the High Court of Justice in England. London: England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations) 1861-1941
      • Date: 21 Jul 1941
      • Page: Death of John Dryden Potts: Jesmond Newcastle upon Tyne Probate 24 Feb 1943, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
      • Probate for John Dryden Potts
      • Citation:

        Death of John Dryden Potts: "of 4 Waterville Terrace, North Shields died 21 July 1941 at Windsor Nursing Home, Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne... to Elizabeth Potts widow. Effects £389 2s 4d" [£14,000 in October 2022]

  10. General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration Indexes. London, England: General Register Office. © Crown copyright): England & Wales, FreeBMD Marriage Index: 1837-1915
      • Date: Oct 1897
      • Page: Marriage of John Dryden Potts and Elizabeth Jane Gray: Tynemouth, Volume 10b Page 375
      • Marriage of John Dryden Potts and Elizabeth Jane Gray
  11. General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration Indexes. London, England: General Register Office. © Crown copyright.: England & Wales, Death Index: 1916-2007
      • Date: Jul 1965
      • Page: Death of Thomas Potts (1900): South Shields Volume 1a Page 740
      • Death of Thomas Potts (1900)
      • Date: Jul 1974
      • Page: Death of George Gray Potts: North Tyneside, Volume 2 Page 1018
      • Death of George Gray Potts
  12. General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration Indexes. London, England: General Register Office. © Crown copyright): England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915
      • Date: Apr 1900
      • Page: Birth of Thomas Potts: Tynemouth Volume 10b Page 238
      • Birth of Thomas Potts (1900)
      • Date: Apr 1900
      • Page: Birth of George Gray Potts: Tynemouth, Volumne 10b, Page 249
      • Birth of George Gray Potts