Potter Family papers

The Potter family papers begin with John Potter (1784-1833), who emigrated to the United States from England in his late teens. He moved to Philadephia to live with his mother and new stepfather (who worked for the U. S. government), taking up the trade of a merchant. Potter married Harriet Cardwell (1786-1863) on March 16, 1817. They had at least one son, Henry Cardwell Potter (1822-1902), who followed his father's trade, eventually importing primarily coffee from Central America. Henry C. Potter married Amanda (1827-1903), and they had two children, Henrietta and Alfred.Henry C. Potter was named Consul-General to Nicaragua [ca. 1850].

Henrietta Potter (b.1854) married Felipo Benicio Guerrero, a Nicaraguan planter, in 1873, and moved to his family home in Granada. They had two children, Mary Agnes and Lorenzo. Felipo Benicio Guerrero had been educated in Philadephia under the guidance of Henry C. Potter, and was a dentist as well as a plantation owner. Henrietta and Benicio were separated for many years, and later divorced [ca. 1891]. Henrietta Potter married Dr. Walter M. James in 1894. She served on the Board of Managers, Department of Archaeology and Palaeontology, University of Pennsylvania, 1892. She was appointed advisor to the Consul-General of Nicaragua, who was her son Lorenzo [ca. 1922]. She researched, but did not publish, a family genealogy. Lorenzo Guerrero (b.1874), son of Henrietta Potter and Felipo Benicio Guerrero, was appointed Consul-General of Nicaragua in January, 1911. Mary Agnes Guerrero (b. ca. 1876-), daughter of Henrietta Potter and Felipo Benicio Guerrero, married J. Carlisle Lord in 1906. She also researched a family genealogy.

Biographical information was taken from the collection and preliminary inventory notes.