The Pottengers claim descent from Walter Le Potager of England, b. circa 1270. This family has been seated in Berkshire since the Norman Conquest, and several of the name have served in Parliament and occupied high judicial positions in Great Britain, notably Rt. Hon. Lt.-Gen. Sir Henry Pottinger, who was created a baronet for his long service as political resident and for some time regent in Cutch and Sinde, envoy to China and superintendent of the British trade there, privy councillor, etc. The name is found in Scotland and Ireland as well as in England long before it appears in America. The connection between the Pottengers of Great Britain and those of the United States has not been established, but the first of the name in this country is John Pottenger, who emigrated to the province of Maryland in Aug. 1665. The immigrant was a large landholder; owned numerous slaves; a man of prominence and influence, and a staunch Presbyterian. His home place was called "Major's Lot," which was on Collington branch of the Patuxent, five [p.591] miles above Upper Marlborough, Md. John Pottenger, b. circa 1642, d. in Prince George's Co., Md., in 1735, is described as "of Mt. Calvert Hundred, gentleman and planter"; m. Mary,of whom nothing further is known except that she is named, in the Queen Anne Parish records, as the mother of all of his children47642

Early Families of Southern MD47643 Pg 50 John Pottinger’s will written 2 Aug 1734 leaves 100 ac Newbury on n. side of Watts Branch to John Purnell s/o his dau Rachel & 100 ac The Remainder to Richard Purnell, bro of “sd. John” (MCW VII.128-MD Calendar of Wills, Jane Baldwin Cotton vols 1-8; & F. Edward Wright (vol 9-16)

Vol II Pg a59118958 Sarah Pottenger, the ward of her grandfather Pottenger until he d: 1735

Jacob Clarke of Abbeville SC Pg 8747644 John Pottenger became a large landholder, owned numerous slaves, was a man of prominence and influence and a stanch Presbyterian.

Vol 21-22 Image169of823 Pg326-327 John Pottenger, Prince George’s Co, MD Will dtd 2 Aug 1734 Probated 7 Apr 173510139 Book 21 Pg 32617765
To my sons Samuel and Robert Pottenger
To my son Samuel Pottenger 20 ac land 180 ac given him some time ago by Deed of Gift
To my grandsons Samuel and Robert Pottenger the sons of my son Samuel Pottenger, 31 pounds 10 shillings sterling each of them
To my grandson Robert Pottenger the son of my son Robert Pottenger, my now dwelling plantation with 126 ac of land
To my grandson William Pottenger the son of my son William Pottenger, deceased, the plantation whereon his father lived on, with 123 ac of land
To land before given to my grandson William Pottenger lie kept in the possession of my administrators until he arrives at 16 yrs of age, if he should die, land left him to be equally divided between my sons Samuel & Robert Pottenger & their heirs
To my grandson John Purnell the son of my daughter Rachel 100 ac North side of Watts Branch
To my grandson Richard Purnell the brother of John Purnell, 100 ac land called Remainder of 500 ac which I bought of Nathaniel Wickham Jr.
To my daughter Verlinda Wade, 200 ac land called as good as we could get on the Muddy Branch
My administrators pay to the Reverend John Orme my subscription for one year after my death
To my granddaughter Sarah Pottenger the daughter of my son John Pottenger, deceased the sum of eight pounds
Being due to my granddaughter Sarah Pottenger 133 pounds 16 shillings and 11 pence that the same be kept in my administrators hands to pay her when she lawfully demands it
Remainder of my personal estate be divided equally in seven parts and that my sons Samuel & Robert Pottenger, my daughters Sarah Isaac, Rachel Purnell and Virlinder Wade have five of the aforesaid seven parts equally divided amongst them. The two other parts to be kept in my administrators hands and one part of the two paid to my son William Pottengers children in money according to inventory when they come of age 16 yrs and the other part of the seven be kept in my administrators hand and paid to my daughter Mary Holmes children in money according to inventory when they arrive at the age of 16 yrs.
Witnesses: John Lamar, Francis Hall, Thomas Mullikin

Pg1081Thomas Sprigg&EleanorNuthall had issue:Elizabeth2 Sprigg m. Robert Wade (d.1714), son of Zachary Wade, & had: Zaphaniah3 Wade m. Verlinda Pottenger, dau of John Pottenger & Elizabeth Magruder (W.H.Wootten of Plainfield,NJ at 843CarltonAve)47337 (Verlinda’s mother Elizabeth Magruder or Mary Beall?)

Ninian Beall by Fredric Z. Saunders20284 (Married to Mary Mullikan not Mary Beall?)
Recent research of Brice Clagett (Nov. 2001) concluded that John POTTINGER married Mary MULLIKAN and Samuel MAGRUDER married Sarah POTTINGER, sister to John. This was based on relationships derived from John DEMALL in his 1725 calling Robert POTTENGER, son of John and Mary his "cousin."18 (Brice Clagett, 27 Nov. 2001 post and 29 Nov. 2001 post to Rootsweb Gen-MEDIEVAL list) Research of mine in Feb. 2002 concluded that he overlooked that Robert POTTENGER's wife Ann EVANS was niece to DEMALL's wife, Mary EVANS. While CLAGETT's research could still be valid, and Mary a MULLIKIN and Sarah a POTTENGER, it cannot be considered as proved.27 (Fredric Z. Saunders, 1 Mar. 2002 post to Rootsweb BEALL list)

MD Trails Posted by Fredric Z. Saunders47645 (Not son of Henry Pottenger & Sarah Stanton? Wife not Mary Beall?)
The whole thing of John Pottinger/Pottenger being the son of a Henry Pottinger and Sarah Stanton of "Middlethorp" [which does not exist in Berkshire where it supposedly is located] is from a fraud created by an English genealogist for an American client. See Neil D. Thompson and Paul C. Reed, "Falsehood and Truth, The Ancestry of John Pottenger, Immigrant to Maryland in 1684," *The American Genealogist* (July 1993) 68:138-145 for details on the fraud and the correct ancestry.
John Pottenger of MD was baptized 29 Nov. 1661 at Lambourne, Berkshire, son of Robert (bap. 1634) and wife Sarah. From there the ancestry is Robert (bap. 1606), Henry born about 1565, Walter born say 1540. All of Berkshire which is probably your only interest.
There is no evidence that John Pottinger/Pottenger's wife Mary was a Beall. That was an assumption made a century ago by persons who assumed that because they had a son named Ninian. Mary was more likely a daughter of William Mills and wife Tabitha.

Pg 131 Collins, George, Calvert Co, 20 Dec 1683; 21 Jan 1683-4 (4. 39)46839
Test: Thos. Holliday, Ninian Beall, John Pottenger, Arch. Burnett (Relationship?)

Folio 251 John Pottenger Probate 4/7/1735:47646 (No wife listed! Assume deceased or divorced)

Index to MD Wills 1698-1978 PG6274 (Him?)
Pg 232 Pg 251of326 Date Blank Pottenger John Jr, Admin No: Blank, Gen Registration No: Blank; Will Record Bk 1 Folio 109

Pg 188 On 23 Nov 1719 Samuel Magruder of PG Co names his bro. John Pottenger (MWB 13:210)47647 (Relationship?)

Vol 68 Pg 144 Robert Pottenger (Robert, Henry, Walter) ch:47648 (Father Robert not Henry John?)
Sarah Pottenger bp 28 Apr 1659 Marr: Edmund Allard
John Pottenger bp 29 Nov 1661
Robert Pottenger bp 22 Feb 1663
Thomas Pottenger bp 27 Jan 1666/7 bur: 26 Feb 1666/7
Cecilia Pottenger bp 26 Jul 1668 bur: 14 Sep 1671

Pg 591 John Pottenger47649 (John Pottenger, the immigrant, this John’s father, is listed with 3 wives in this source, not this John Pottenger Jr) (He would have been 3 years old in Aug 1665 when this source said they immigrated?)

Baltimore Sun (Baltimore MD) 10 Mar 1907 Pg17: Pottenger Family: John Pottenger - It is asserted by some of the Bealls that his first wife was a daughter of Col Ninian Beall. He owned the greater portion of Major’s Lot containing 800 ac which was surveyed for Col Beall in 1686 and they were members of the same church, one of the very early Presbyterian congregations at or near Upper Marlboro610. (Wife’s surname? See notes above)

Baltimore Sun (Baltimore MD) 10 Mar 1907 Pg17: Pottenger Family: John Pottenger Will dated 2 Aug 1734 Witness: John Lamar, Francis Hall, Thomas Mullikin610. (1st Wife’s brother?)