Abraham Potter b abt 1802/04 NC; s/o Abraham Potter and Lydia Stewart. Abraham Potter m. 10 Feb 1827 Clay Co KY to Martha Patsy Hollingsworth b abt 1815 KY; d/o Beasley Hollingsworth and Mary Polly Unknown. Children of Abraham Potter and Martha Patsy Hollingsworth;

1. Female Potter b 1828 d 1828

2. Lydia Jane Jenny Potter b abt 1828 KY d 1880 WV; m. 11 Oct 1846 Pike Co KY to Owen S Ode Mullins b abt 1823 KY; s/o William B H Mullins Jr and Ruth Foster. Owen S Ode Mullins m. 24 May 1841 KY to Lydia Hall b 1824 KY d abt 1846; d/o David Hall and Anna Johnson. Owen S Ode Mullins m. abt 1896 to (3) Nancy Whitaker b abt 1869.

3. Richard Potter b abt 1832 KY; m. 11 Mar 1849 Letcher Co KY to Nancy Stewart b abt 1831 Floyd Co KY d 1915; d/o Caleb Stewart.

Source: Dan Mohn - Dan Mohn Highland Homepage Website.

1880 Clay Co KY Census Bull Skin
317 331 Potter Richard M W 46 Head Farming KY NC KY
317 331 Potter Nancy F W 46 Wife Keeping House KY NC NC
317 331 Potter Colbert M W 20 Son S Farm Labor KY KY KY
317 331 Potter Romain F W 14 Daughter S unemployed KY KY KY
317 331 Potter Nancy Jane F W 12 Daughter S unemployed KY KY KY
317 331 Potter Jules M W 11 Step Son S Farm Labor KY KY KY
317 331 Potter Allen M W 10 Son S KY KY KY
317 331 Potter Henry M W 7 Son S KY KY KY
317 331 Potter Silvany F W 5 Daughter S KY KY KY
317 331 Parker William M W 8 S Servant KY KY KY
317 331 Lunsford Mary F W 22 S Servant KY KY KY
317 331 Lunsford Silvany F W 6/12 Bastard S KY KY KY
317 331 Briant Marion M W 13 S Servant KY KY KY

317 332 Potter Abraham M W Head 78 Farming NC
317 332 Potter Patsy F W 68 Wife Keeping House KY

“A Tale of Two Jane’s”
RE: Jane Jenny Potter 1793
and Lydia Jane Jenny Potter 1828
From Gary Mullins - Facebook - 4 Apr 2018

In many genealogies it is often recorded that Jane Potter, daughter of Abraham Potter Sr., b. abt. 1815, was married 1st to Thomas Stewart, and second to Owen “Ode” Mullins. In actuality, there were 2 Jane’s of that time and it is easy to see the confusion. Hopefully, this will help set the record straight.

Jane 1, was the daughter of Abraham Potter SR. and born about 1815, although I think perhaps earlier. In 1829, Pike County, Ky. Court Records (Book 211a) report that a Jane Potter and Thomas Stewart were summoned to the Court to “show cause as to why their children should not bound out”. This was a political move by the County in an effort to “clean up the County of folks who were living out of wedlock and producing offspring”. Book 211a has lots of folks we will find familiar to us, who were caught up in this cleansing of the County. Jane1 would have been abt. 14 at the time of this case. Because the Court said children (Plural) I think perhaps Jane was older. When Thomas and Jane’s case came before the Court, they were “no shows” and it was reported by the Sheriff that they were no longer in the County. The case was dropped at that point. One year later, in 1830, Thomas Stewart and a Jane Potter1 were married in Perry County, Ky. They lived in Clay County, Ky. for a while and eventually returned to Pike County.

Thomas Stewart is likely the brother of Lydia Stewart who married our own Abraham Potter SR. Thomas was born abt. 1766 in N.C. Wherever Abraham and Lydia are found, Thomas is close by. Abraham Potter Sr’s Revolutionary Service was based in part on 18 months he served in place of David Stewart. It is likely David Stewart was Lydia’s father. Thomas claimed he served as a soldier during the Revolutionary War and his name appears on the D.A.R plaque on the Courthouse grounds of Pike County along with our “Abe”. After Thomas’ death, Jane 1 submitted for his Revolutionary War Pension. It was denied. The reasoning was based upon the Government being unable to reconcile his birth date. A second plea was filed with an included letter from Thomas May, Clerk of Pike County, KY. stating the events of Thomas’ service was true as he knew them and that Jane was old and indigent and without any support. The application was again denied.

Jane 2 (1793 also listed as b 1815)

Jane 2 (1793 also listed as b 1815) is the daughter of Abraham Potter Jr and Martha Hollingsworth. They had 2 known children: A son Richard and a daughter, Jane. In Runyon’s Pike County Marriages, a line by line replication of the Marriage Records of Pike County, Jane Potter and Owen Mullins were married on October 11 of 1846. Surety’s for the marriage bond include Abraham and Richard Potter. Request for marriage by William B.H. Mullins, father of Owen. Jane is listed in her early 20’s on the record. Abraham’s presence on the bond, is clearly not Abraham Potter Senior, who passed in 1837. Backdating Jane’s age: places her birth about 1824 and provides proof this is not the Jane Potter who was summoned to court in 1829. Jane 2 would have been about 5 years of age.

Last but not least, Owen Mullins and wife Jane Potter are listed on the 1850 Pike County Census. They left Pike County about 1853 and appear on the 1860 Kanawha County, WV (then Va.), as evidenced by several children’s births recorded in Kanawha County after 1853, my Great Grandfather McClelland being one of them. At the time of Jane 1’s filing for Thomas Stewart’s: pension in Pike County, KY, Jane 2 was living in Kanawha County, WV. Jane Potter Mullins passed sometime prior to 1896. A marriage record for Owen Mullins, age listed as 65 (clearly he was older) and Nancy Whittaker, age 27 was filed in 1896. They had 2 children. How bout them Mullins men?

The above events could not have come to light without the help of Tara Wallace and Carol Anderson, both, very fine researchers in their own right. My sincere thanks.