Potts, John Dryden
| Birth Name | Potts, John Dryden |
| Gender | male |
| Age at Death | 68 years, 11 months, 10 days |
Events
| Event | Date | Place | Description | Sources |
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| Birth | 11 Aug 1872 | 17 Charlotte Street, North Shields, Northumberland | Birth of John Dryden Potts | |
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| 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 | |
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| 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 | |
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| Residence | 6 Oct 1897 | 13 Brunton Street, Percy Main, North Shields, Northumberland | John Dryden Potts, compositor, residence at time of marriage | |
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| Census | 31 Mar 1901 | 41 Chirton West View, Preston, North Shields, Northumberland | 1901 Census: John Dryden Potts: printer, foreman, compositor ("worker") | |
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| Census | 2 Apr 1911 | 4 Waterville Terrace, North Shields, Northumberland | 1911 Census: John Dryden Potts: Traveller within general printing ("worker") | |
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| Census | 24 Apr 1921 | 4 Waterville Terrace, North Shields, Northumberland | 1921 Census: John Dryden Potts: letterpress printer, employer (5 Waterville Terrace) | |
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To Do
John Dryden Potts 1921: why is his place of work down as 5 waterville terrace? |
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| Residence | between Sep 1939 and Jul 1941 | 4 Waterville Terrace, North Shields, Northumberland | Residence of John Dryden Potts until death | |
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Note
from Probate Record, 1943 |
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| Residence | 29 Sep 1939 | 4 Waterville Terrace, North Shields, Northumberland | Residence of John Dryden Potts and family: occupation "master printer" | |
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| Residence | Sep 1939 | 4 Waterville Terrace, North Shields, Northumberland | 1939 Register: John Dryden Potts with wife Elizabeth and married daughter Dorothy | |
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| Death | 21 Jul 1941 | Windsor Nursing Home, Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland | Death of John Dryden Potts | |
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Note
John Dryden Potts left £389 2s 4d to Elizabeth Potts, widow (equivalent to £13,710.97 today) |
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Parents
| Relation to main person | Name | Birth date | Death date | Relation within this family (if not by birth) |
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| Father | Potts, Thomas | about Jan 1830 | 23 Jan 1874 | |
| Mother | Dryden, Dorothy | about Jul 1848 | 9 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 |
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| Married | Wife | Gray, Elizabeth Jane ( * 20 Mar 1873 + about Jan 1952 ) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Children | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Name | Birth Date | Death Date |
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| Potts, Thomas | 3 Apr 1900 | 27 Sep 1965 |
| Potts, Dorothy | 21 Nov 1901 | 13 Oct 1985 |
| Potts, George Gray | 25 Mar 1909 | 20 Aug 1974 |
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.