Individual Details
John Potts
( - Abt 1721)
On 1 mo. 25, 1708 the Monthly Meeting records that John Potts was unhappy in his
employment with John Austin and he sought another job. Also that he had served out his
apprenticeship but his mistress would not discharge him. It was found that he was still under
apprentice to John Austin and must stay with him until he became of age. He probably attained
his majority soon thereafter because he married Rebecca about 1709/10.*
*NOTE: A system of "double dates" often found in old references, seems designed to confuse the
family researcher—but there is an explanation: They occur in the old records only in January,
February and March, and never in any other month and never after 1752. The system came about
because of a change in the calendar in 1582. Before then the Julian calendar, established by Julius
Caesar, was used throughout the Christian world. As measurement of the solar year became more
accurate it was found that the Julian system exceeded the solar year by eleven days, or twenty-four
hours each 131 years, and three days every 400 years. The excess amounted to about ten days
between AD 325 and AD 1582. Therefore the date of the vernal equinox had been thrown back by
that date, from 21 March to 11 March and played havoc with the calculation for Easter In 1582 Pope Gregory XIII ordered that ten days be dropped from the calendar. To
prevent the error from recurring he directed that in every four hundred years leap year's extra day
should be omitted three times. To do this in an orderly manner it was to be omitted in centennial
years of which the first two digits could not be divided by four without a remainder. So it was
omitted in AD 1700, 1800 and 1900 but not AD 2000. Also the decree changed the beginning of
the New Year from 25 March to 1 January.
All Christian countries but England adopted the new Gregorian calendar at once. England
didn't come around until 170 years later, in 1752, when the difference between the calendar and
the sun was slightly more than eleven days. Even though, in English speaking lands, the Julian
calendar was still official until 1752, many people began using the Gregorian system. Hence in
early records of the colonies may be found double dates, such as 7 February 1669/70, indicating
that, while it was officially still 1669, some people considered it to be 1670.
employment with John Austin and he sought another job. Also that he had served out his
apprenticeship but his mistress would not discharge him. It was found that he was still under
apprentice to John Austin and must stay with him until he became of age. He probably attained
his majority soon thereafter because he married Rebecca about 1709/10.*
*NOTE: A system of "double dates" often found in old references, seems designed to confuse the
family researcher—but there is an explanation: They occur in the old records only in January,
February and March, and never in any other month and never after 1752. The system came about
because of a change in the calendar in 1582. Before then the Julian calendar, established by Julius
Caesar, was used throughout the Christian world. As measurement of the solar year became more
accurate it was found that the Julian system exceeded the solar year by eleven days, or twenty-four
hours each 131 years, and three days every 400 years. The excess amounted to about ten days
between AD 325 and AD 1582. Therefore the date of the vernal equinox had been thrown back by
that date, from 21 March to 11 March and played havoc with the calculation for Easter In 1582 Pope Gregory XIII ordered that ten days be dropped from the calendar. To
prevent the error from recurring he directed that in every four hundred years leap year's extra day
should be omitted three times. To do this in an orderly manner it was to be omitted in centennial
years of which the first two digits could not be divided by four without a remainder. So it was
omitted in AD 1700, 1800 and 1900 but not AD 2000. Also the decree changed the beginning of
the New Year from 25 March to 1 January.
All Christian countries but England adopted the new Gregorian calendar at once. England
didn't come around until 170 years later, in 1752, when the difference between the calendar and
the sun was slightly more than eleven days. Even though, in English speaking lands, the Julian
calendar was still official until 1752, many people began using the Gregorian system. Hence in
early records of the colonies may be found double dates, such as 7 February 1669/70, indicating
that, while it was officially still 1669, some people considered it to be 1670.
Events
| Marriage | 1709 or 1710 | Rebecca | |||
| Death | Abt 1721 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | |||
| Birth | Radnor, Wales |
Families
| Spouse | Rebecca ( - ) |
| Child | Rebecka Potts ( - 1711) |
| Child | Rachel Potts ( - ) |
| Father | John Pott (1658 - 1692) |
| Mother | Elizabeth ( - ) |
| Sibling | Mary Potts (1688 - 1762) |