Mertz Genealogy - Person Sheet
Mertz Genealogy - Person Sheet
Name8G GM Mary Carraway 
1474
1474Father9G GF John Carraway (-<1674)
Spouses
Marriagebefore 1673
Marr Memo(date will of John Carraway written)
Parent-Proof notes for 8G GM Mary Carraway
Her husband was named in her father’s will, presumably documenting the marriage.
My Comments notes for 8G GM Mary Carraway
The Maryland Calendar of Wills on Ancestry.com has an abstract of the will of 9G GF John Carraway written 30 Jun 1673 proved 8 May 1674. His heirs were: "Francis Peteet, Eliza: Boulin and the son of John Boulin." The punctuation here is a big problem, it is not clear if Eliza is part of the reference to Francis Peteet or part of the reference to John Boulin.
Robert Barnes says the will named Francis Peteet, Eliza Boulin, John Boulin who was named Executor and his son also named John Boulin.
Some Internet family trees show two daughters for John Carraway -- one named Mary Elizabeth and the other named Eliza. That seems very strange. I think it results from one group of researchers who have interpreted the punctuation above to conclude that Eliza was part of the name of Francis Potee's wife and have combined that with the knowledge from Francis’ will that his wife was Mary while a different group of researchers have interpreted the abstract to mean that John had a daughter Eliza who was the wife of John Boulin. In the world of cut and paste genealogy, eventually it became two daughters of about the same name.
I have gone and found a copy of the registrar’s actual transcribed will. I do not even see the name Eliza anywhere in it. Elizabeth is mentioned but no one named Eliza. John lived on the North side of the Patapsco River in Baltimore County. He gave livestock to three people for sure: Francis Poteet, Elizabeth Doulan (Boulin?) and John Doulan. It is possible that some of the livestock was being given to John Doulan's son -- though it is very hard to read that part.
I’m not sure of the relationship of any of these people to John Carraway -- daughter, son-in-law, grandchild? Francis Poteet might have been a son-in-law but could also have been a grandson. Elizabeth might have been a daughter or granddaughter. (If Elizabeth was his daughter, wife of John Boulin, why was she specifically named and not Mary?) Clearly, because John Doulan was named Executor, John Carraway did have a son-in-law of that name. And clearly, whether Francis was a son-in-law or a grandson, it still establishes that the woman we know as Mary wife of Francis Poteet and mother of Francis, was the daughter of John Carraway.
In any event, this is the basis for the belief that John Carraway was the father-in-law of Francis Potee. And while a lot of people name her Mary Elizabeth Carraway, I will, for now, call her simply Mary. And as an aside, if all of the named persons were grandchildren, then we can also probably conclude from all of the above that Peter had not yet been born at the time of his grandfather's will.
Robert Barnes says the will named Francis Peteet, Eliza Boulin, John Boulin who was named Executor and his son also named John Boulin.
Some Internet family trees show two daughters for John Carraway -- one named Mary Elizabeth and the other named Eliza. That seems very strange. I think it results from one group of researchers who have interpreted the punctuation above to conclude that Eliza was part of the name of Francis Potee's wife and have combined that with the knowledge from Francis’ will that his wife was Mary while a different group of researchers have interpreted the abstract to mean that John had a daughter Eliza who was the wife of John Boulin. In the world of cut and paste genealogy, eventually it became two daughters of about the same name.
I have gone and found a copy of the registrar’s actual transcribed will. I do not even see the name Eliza anywhere in it. Elizabeth is mentioned but no one named Eliza. John lived on the North side of the Patapsco River in Baltimore County. He gave livestock to three people for sure: Francis Poteet, Elizabeth Doulan (Boulin?) and John Doulan. It is possible that some of the livestock was being given to John Doulan's son -- though it is very hard to read that part.
I’m not sure of the relationship of any of these people to John Carraway -- daughter, son-in-law, grandchild? Francis Poteet might have been a son-in-law but could also have been a grandson. Elizabeth might have been a daughter or granddaughter. (If Elizabeth was his daughter, wife of John Boulin, why was she specifically named and not Mary?) Clearly, because John Doulan was named Executor, John Carraway did have a son-in-law of that name. And clearly, whether Francis was a son-in-law or a grandson, it still establishes that the woman we know as Mary wife of Francis Poteet and mother of Francis, was the daughter of John Carraway.
In any event, this is the basis for the belief that John Carraway was the father-in-law of Francis Potee. And while a lot of people name her Mary Elizabeth Carraway, I will, for now, call her simply Mary. And as an aside, if all of the named persons were grandchildren, then we can also probably conclude from all of the above that Peter had not yet been born at the time of his grandfather's will.
Relocated notes for Francis (Spouse 1)
IMMIGRANT. But was he English, French or Italian?
Bobbi Potee Gress believes, based on family tradition, that Potee is a French name. I have no argument with that and I don’t know it to be otherwise -- but there are some conflicting opinions and in her search to prove them French, even Bobbi has found some surprising things.
Curiously, if you go on the Internet, on find-a-grave actually and elsewhere, you can find mention of Francis Giovanni Poteet and the biography given of that man matches what we know about our ancestor Francis Poteet including that his wife was Mary, possibly Carraway. It says he was named Giovanni, was Italian, was the immigrant ancestor of the Poteet family of Maryland and later went by the name Francis. But I know of nothing to establish any basis for the idea that there ever was anyone, anywhere, named Giovanni Poteet.
Other people on the Internet agree with the idea that there really was a Giovanni Poteet but say he was the man later known as John Poteet. John and Giovanni are, of course, the same name. The John they refer to was probably the son or grandson of Francis. But was he ever Giovanni?
The basis of this assertion seems to be that in 1745, John Poteet, Itallian (sic), sold a tract of land. Why did he call himself John, Itallian? Are we just not reading the word correctly? In a deed, typically a person might have stated his name, place of residence and occupation. But he says, John Poteet, Itallian, of Baltimore County, planter.
So searching for some proof of the origins of the family name, Bobbi has found a number of things on the Internet -- in early English records.
Francis Isaac Poteet and Lewis Poteet were mentioned in the Journals of the House of Lords from long ago. They had been called to testify in some trial and it appears as if they must have been sailors in Her Majesty’s Royal Navy in 1702. But weren’t they already in America, in Maryland? Bobbi believes it was extended family of similar names to the Poteets already in America, but not the same people.
Lewis Petit, Isaac Petit and James Petit were all mentioned in the History of the Corps of Royal Engineers; and Lewis in particular, mentioned many times and evidently was an important military engineer in the early 1700’s.
A biography of Rev. John Louis Petit, a British architectural historian and watercolor painter said “The family was descended from Lewis Petit, also known as Lewis Petit des Etans (1665?-1720), a Huguenot refugee and military engineer.” The reference was to the family of Petit des Etans who lived in Caen, Normandy, noted to be an "ancient" family.
And perhaps tying it all together is her finding that after the Edict of Nantes in 1629, there was a flow of Frenchmen to England and apparently the French military were immediately accepted into the British military when they immigrated if they had needed skills. The French military engineers were especially known for their skill/expertise.
So let’s go with French origins for this family leaving the question of why John called himself “Itallian” unanswered. Also unanswered is exactly how Francis, our immigrant ancestor, relates to Lewis Petit des Etans, but the fact that the names Francis, Isaac and Lewis appear frequently in the American family is probably more than coincidence.
Bobbi Potee Gress believes, based on family tradition, that Potee is a French name. I have no argument with that and I don’t know it to be otherwise -- but there are some conflicting opinions and in her search to prove them French, even Bobbi has found some surprising things.
Curiously, if you go on the Internet, on find-a-grave actually and elsewhere, you can find mention of Francis Giovanni Poteet and the biography given of that man matches what we know about our ancestor Francis Poteet including that his wife was Mary, possibly Carraway. It says he was named Giovanni, was Italian, was the immigrant ancestor of the Poteet family of Maryland and later went by the name Francis. But I know of nothing to establish any basis for the idea that there ever was anyone, anywhere, named Giovanni Poteet.
Other people on the Internet agree with the idea that there really was a Giovanni Poteet but say he was the man later known as John Poteet. John and Giovanni are, of course, the same name. The John they refer to was probably the son or grandson of Francis. But was he ever Giovanni?
The basis of this assertion seems to be that in 1745, John Poteet, Itallian (sic), sold a tract of land. Why did he call himself John, Itallian? Are we just not reading the word correctly? In a deed, typically a person might have stated his name, place of residence and occupation. But he says, John Poteet, Itallian, of Baltimore County, planter.
So searching for some proof of the origins of the family name, Bobbi has found a number of things on the Internet -- in early English records.
Francis Isaac Poteet and Lewis Poteet were mentioned in the Journals of the House of Lords from long ago. They had been called to testify in some trial and it appears as if they must have been sailors in Her Majesty’s Royal Navy in 1702. But weren’t they already in America, in Maryland? Bobbi believes it was extended family of similar names to the Poteets already in America, but not the same people.
Lewis Petit, Isaac Petit and James Petit were all mentioned in the History of the Corps of Royal Engineers; and Lewis in particular, mentioned many times and evidently was an important military engineer in the early 1700’s.
A biography of Rev. John Louis Petit, a British architectural historian and watercolor painter said “The family was descended from Lewis Petit, also known as Lewis Petit des Etans (1665?-1720), a Huguenot refugee and military engineer.” The reference was to the family of Petit des Etans who lived in Caen, Normandy, noted to be an "ancient" family.
And perhaps tying it all together is her finding that after the Edict of Nantes in 1629, there was a flow of Frenchmen to England and apparently the French military were immediately accepted into the British military when they immigrated if they had needed skills. The French military engineers were especially known for their skill/expertise.
So let’s go with French origins for this family leaving the question of why John called himself “Itallian” unanswered. Also unanswered is exactly how Francis, our immigrant ancestor, relates to Lewis Petit des Etans, but the fact that the names Francis, Isaac and Lewis appear frequently in the American family is probably more than coincidence.
Research notes for Francis (Spouse 1)
There is a deed dated 3 Jan 1667, hard to read because the page was torn in the key part, which appears to be Richard Ball deeding over 80 acres on the north side of Patapsco to Francis Poteet. He was apparently about to patent this land. The deed index says this was Buck Neck, but I am unable to see that name in the deed and that name never comes up again in the land records associated with the Potee family.
Barnes makes mention of the Rent Roll which says in one place Francis died with no heirs and in another place that he died leaving a daughter. Nonetheless, Barnes thinks Francis may have been the father of Francis, Lewis, John and Peter. He does not mention the dates of these Rent Rolls which makes me wonder whether possibly the reference was to Francis, son of Francis, who did apparently die with just one daughter.
Two early Poteet marriages were Lewis who married Catherine Greer 12 Jan 1722 and William who married Jane Stewart 12 Jun 1733.
Barnes makes mention of the Rent Roll which says in one place Francis died with no heirs and in another place that he died leaving a daughter. Nonetheless, Barnes thinks Francis may have been the father of Francis, Lewis, John and Peter. He does not mention the dates of these Rent Rolls which makes me wonder whether possibly the reference was to Francis, son of Francis, who did apparently die with just one daughter.
Two early Poteet marriages were Lewis who married Catherine Greer 12 Jan 1722 and William who married Jane Stewart 12 Jun 1733.
My Comments notes for Francis (Spouse 1)
Robert W Barnes calls Francis the progenitor of this family and says: “He was in Baltimore County by 1668 and died there by 1688. He married Mary who may have married second Michael Hastings before 1688. On 3 Jan 1668, he purchased 80 acres, probably ‘Gunworth’.”
The number of people named Puttee, Potee and/or Poteet grew steadily in Harford and Baltimore Counties through the 1700’s into the 1800’s, but it seems to be an orderly growth not at all inconsistent with the idea that there was one man of this name, he had a couple of sons, some of them had a couple of sons and so on. So I think it is true that Francis was the original immigrant and everyone else of that name in that time period in that place were his descendants.
The best, but by no means perfect, source of information for me on the earliest members of this family have been property deeds which occasionally, if one is lucky, will refer to the fact that a certain man came into possession of a tract of land by inheritance from his father. Or a man’s heirs might jointly have transferred a piece of land to one of the heirs or a non-related person.
So I have studied all the deeds involving the Potee family through the 1700’s. By the early 1700’s, the various persons of this name seem to have congregated near Bush River which was in Baltimore County up until 1773 and then became part of the newly established Harford County. By 1800, some members of this family apparently gave up farming and became tradesmen or artisans and migrated to the City of Baltimore. One was a plasterer, his son became a brick maker. It makes an interesting story.
By 1790, I also had Census data to help me sort out the possibilities. And along the way, there was an occasional will or two to help. Nonetheless, the whole family tree that I present here that starts with Francis and descends over five generations to our ancestor Sarah has certain unproven relationships. I believe the case can be made for every relationship I assert but certain things lack the kind of proof I normally like to find. I am still looking.
The number of people named Puttee, Potee and/or Poteet grew steadily in Harford and Baltimore Counties through the 1700’s into the 1800’s, but it seems to be an orderly growth not at all inconsistent with the idea that there was one man of this name, he had a couple of sons, some of them had a couple of sons and so on. So I think it is true that Francis was the original immigrant and everyone else of that name in that time period in that place were his descendants.
The best, but by no means perfect, source of information for me on the earliest members of this family have been property deeds which occasionally, if one is lucky, will refer to the fact that a certain man came into possession of a tract of land by inheritance from his father. Or a man’s heirs might jointly have transferred a piece of land to one of the heirs or a non-related person.
So I have studied all the deeds involving the Potee family through the 1700’s. By the early 1700’s, the various persons of this name seem to have congregated near Bush River which was in Baltimore County up until 1773 and then became part of the newly established Harford County. By 1800, some members of this family apparently gave up farming and became tradesmen or artisans and migrated to the City of Baltimore. One was a plasterer, his son became a brick maker. It makes an interesting story.
By 1790, I also had Census data to help me sort out the possibilities. And along the way, there was an occasional will or two to help. Nonetheless, the whole family tree that I present here that starts with Francis and descends over five generations to our ancestor Sarah has certain unproven relationships. I believe the case can be made for every relationship I assert but certain things lack the kind of proof I normally like to find. I am still looking.
Children Names notes for Francis (Spouse 1)
I am relying on the statement by Robert Barnes that Francis, Lewis, John and Peter were the sons of Francis. I have studied early Baltimore County land and marriage records and also see the names of William and James mentioned before 1734. They may be sons of Francis or possibly grandsons. In any event, the one son of interest to us was Peter.