Thread: Christopher Pottinger and Elizabeth Clark

I hope that someone will be able to help me trace the birth my great, great, great grandparents, Christopher Pottinger and Elizabeth Clark

They were married on 27 Dec 1813 at St Andrew's Church, Holborn, London and I have a copy of their marriage record. One of the witnesses is Jane Clark and I wondered if this could be Elizabeth's mother or sister.

There is nothing on the marriage record about their parents.

I am trying desperately to find a birth for Christopher and Elizabeth and their parents. Please can anyone point me in the right direction.

Many thanks and fingers crossed.

Thank you for coming back to me. Unfortunately I don't know their ages.

The marriages record just says married with consent. But there is a line drawn through that, so I wondered if this means they didn't need consent as they were both over 21.

There is no information to say whether they were single or widowed. So do I assume from this that they were both single?

There is also no address for either of them. It just says, 'of this Parish'. I know that means they were living at St Andrew's Holborn at the time of their marriage, but it doesn't necessarily mean that either of them were born there.

I have also found a Baptism of an Elizabeth Clark on 8 Sep 1793. Parents John and Elizabeth Clark. This was in City of London in the Parish of St Bartholomew the Great. But I don't know if it's the right Elizabeth.

I can't find anything on Christopher.
But I do know he was a butcher. I got this information from the Baptism records of his children. (I also know from family members that there were a number of butchers in the Pottinger family)

I tried to gauge Elizabeth's age from the births of her children. (A bit hit and miss, but I'm clutching at straws)
I have found ten children, although there may be some I haven't discovered yet.

The first was Alfred born 1814
The last was Frederick born 1833.

I have assumed that Elizabeth was about 21 years old when she married and therefore when Frederick was born she would have been about 41. That sort of makes sense taking into account her child-baring years.

I hope some of this information will be able to help

Thanks Jean

Thanks for trying. Back to the drawing board now.

Hi Jean V,

I have just been reading through your posts. Have you found Christopher or Elizabeth on any census returns, if so please will you post details? If not, have you found their children on censuses?

I did find the marriage of Sarah Pottinger to William Coomber, St Marylebone 1838, father Christopher Nicholls Pottinger, Butcher (deceased). Have you found a burial record for Christopher?

I'll give you the information I have found so far.

Christopher and Elizabeth were married in 1813.

I have found 10 children born to Christopher and Elizabeth
Alfred born 1814
Robert born 1817
Walter born 1819
Mary Ann born 1820
Peter born 1821
Jane born 1823
Thomas born 1824
Charles born 1826
Emma born 1828
Frederick born 1833

I know there may be others, but these are the only ones I have found baptism records for. The baptism records all give date of birth and baptism and parent's names, Christopher and Elizabeth Pottinger.

I believe that Elizabeth may have died in 1834. About the same time as her youngest child, Frederick.

I know that Christopher died before 1846. On his son Peter's marriage certificate it states father's name and occupation and says deceased.
On all the records for his children that I have found he is Christopher, not Christopher Nicholls.

There is a death for Christopher Nicholls Pottinger in 1837. But it gives his approximate date of birth as 1766. This would make him 47 years old when he married Elizabeth. Not unheard of, but a bit unusual. She was obviously much younger than him because of the number of children she produced.

I believe that Sarah Pottinger who married William Coomber is related in some way, but I cannot find any birth or baptism record for her.
This seemed a bit odd as all the other children were baptised. (Sometimes they left it for a while and two or three were baptised together)

There is also another 'child' Elizabeth. Again I can find no birth or baptism record for her. But she is related because it was her who registered Peter's death in 1852. (She was then Elizabeth Sheppard)

I did wonder if Sarah and Elizabeth were daughters of Christopher Pottinger from a previous marriage. I've no proof whatsoever and I cannot find a previous marriage.

I have found the children in various census records but not the parents, Christopher or Elizabeth Pottinger.

I hope this information helps you.

Thanks
Jean