Marina (bmbenn @t telus.net) of  British Columbia, Canada, writes: I have found that my Great-Grandmother Dora Potten was from Watford, Christened at St. Andrews Nov 9, 1890.  We never knew she came from such a large family, she was the youngest of 10 or 11 children. Her parents were Thomas and Ellen Potten.  In the 1881 Census their address was 4 Sutton Road, in Watford.  I am wondering if this location is still residential.  I sent a letter to the address hoping for information but it was returned ' incomplete address '. Would love a photo of the area for my history book.

Also her oldest brother was Rev. Henry Thomas Potten b. 1868 (sometimes called Harry) and he was the author of 2 or 3 books about religious freedom approx. 1905. Any information about him would be great.

I include details from the 1881 census for reference purposes

The map shows the area from the 1877 large scale Ordnance Survey map - which may be obtained online from oldmaps. The red X shows the approximate position in Sutton Road, which was part of a housing development between Watford High Street and the railway line, built by Thomas Henry Sutton Sotheron Estcourt (1801-1876) circa 1870 (Street and Place Names in Watford).

In 1964 a plan was drawn up to produce a ring road to keep traffic out of the High Street and there is now a modern dual carriage way passing the now blocked off southern end of Sutton Road. Without visiting the site I cannot be certain - but I suspect that several of the lower number houses - almost certainly including the Potten's house, were demolished then. Information on the developments (which does not mention Sutton Road) is available at www.watford-history.co.uk.

The 1881 census shows that the family had previously lived at the nearby village of Aldenham, and the older members are listed in the 1871 census:

The order of properties listed are:

• Fishery Inn - Henry Hicks - Carpenter & Publican
• Berkley Cottage - Maria White (servant) - Cook [presumably the owner was away)
• Garden Room - Thomas Potten - Gardener
• Caldecot House - Walter Drummond - Independent Income

The 1882 Kelly's Directory lists Charles Palmer Phillips as the occupier of Berkeley Cottage. It is not clear whether the "Garden Room" was associated with Berkeley Cottage or Caldecot House. If you get Dora's birth certificate it should provide the family address in 1890 - which should help find them in the 1891 census.

I couldn't spot Henry Thomas Potten in England in the 1901 census (could he have been working overseas as a missionary?). Two different books are listed under his full name in the British Library catalogue and the title of one, The Strife for Religious Liberty as illustrated in the history of Congregationalism, suggests he was a minister of the Congregational Church. I can only really help further if you have evidence he was still in Hertfordshire.

March 2011

Following a further brief query from Marina I checked the 1911 census, which had not been available when I first looked at this family. Henry Thomas Potten was a 43 year old Congregational Minister, born Bushey Heath,  living in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, with his wife and two children born circa 1895 and 1899 at Whiteabbey, Belfast, Co. Antrim, which suggests that he may have been in Ireland at the time of the 1901 census. Marina comments that he later moved to Brighton.