John Potter

     John was born on Friday, 3 August 1810 in Bellville, Hastings County, Ontario, Canada. John married Elizabeth Jeffery, daughter of John Matthew Jeffery Jr. and Eunice Travis, circa 1839 in Ontario, Canada. John & Elizabeth had children: Mary Elizabeth [1841-2/10/1934] [m. 2/03/1859 Arthur Sanford Clarkson] & Jerusha [6/9/1842-12/23/1928] [m. 1867 Charles Horace Lusk].^1,2 John Potter was a long lived man who spent most of his life in Oakville, Ontario, Canada. He was a shipbuilder, building both sailing ships and steamers that plied the Great Lakes and Muskaka Lake District of Ontario. One time he backed a relative's business venture that failed. As a consequence, John paid back the loan by building Oakville's only Italianate home in the early 1860's. This home is a protected historical property known to this day as "Potter's Folly".³ 1851, John and his wife, Elizabeth, were listed on the Canadian Census at the village of Oakville, Trafalgar Township, Halton County, Ontario, Canada. Enumerated in this household were John Potter [42 Canada][former], Elizabeth [34 Nova Scotia], Mary E. [12 Canada], Jerusha [10 Canada], Jacob Jeffry [23 Canada][ship carpenter]. Everyone is Methodist.⁴ 1861, John and his wife, Elizabeth, were listed on the Canadian Census at Oakville. Enumerated in this household were John Potter [50 Nova Scotia], Elizabeth [40 Nova Scotia], Jerusha [19 Upper Canada], William M. Lu [40 Upper Canada] & Jacob Jeffery [30 Upper Canada]. They lived in a one and a half story frame house. John is a ship builder. William and Jacob are ship carpenters.⁵ 1871, John and his wife, Elizabeth, were listed on the Canadian Census at Oakville. Enumerated in this household were John Potter [59 Ontario] & Elizabeth [51 Nova Scotia]. John is a ship builder. Nest to them on the census is their daughter's family: Charles Lusk [35 Ontario], Jerusha [27 Ontario] & Charles P. [2 Ontario].⁶ In 1881, John and his wife, Elizabeth, were listed on the Canadian census residing in the home of their daughter at Oakville. Enumberated in the household were Charles Lusk [45 Ontario], Jerusha [38 Ontario], Charles P. [12 Ontario], Rob C. [9 Ontario], Egbert R. [4 Ontario], John Potter [70 Ontario], Elizabeth [60 Nova Scotia]. Charles is listed as school teacher and John is a carpenter.⁷ John's wife, Elizabeth, died on 26 September 1888 in Oakville leaving him a widower. In 1891, John was listed on the Canadian census in the home of his daughter at Oakville. Enumberated in the household were Charles Lusk [55 Ontario], Jerusha [48 Ontario], Charles P. [22 Ontario], Ross [19 Ontario], Egbert [14 Ontario], Lotta [9 Ontario] & John Potter [80 Ontario]. Charles is a teacher and John is a ship builder.⁸ 1901, John was listed on the Canadian Census. Enumerated in this household were Charles Lusk [65 Ontario], Jeruhusu [58 Ontario], Jeottice [19 Ontario] & father-in-law: John Potter [90 Ontario].⁹ John departed this life on Wednesday, 8 January 1908 in Oakville at age 97 years, 5 months and 5 days. John Potter was a long lived man who spent most of his life in Oakville, Ontario, Canada. He was a shipbuilder, building both sailing ships and steamers that plied the Great Lakes and Muskaka Lake District of Ontario. One time he backed a relative's business venture that failed. As a consequence, John paid back the loan by building Oakville's only Italianate home in the early 1860's. This home is a protected historical property known to this day as "Potter's Folly". He was buried there in St. Mary's Cemetery.¹⁰