POTTER United Families

2. “Pottier” ancestors in Frasnes, province of Hainaut, were
found around 1100 near Renaix where the above branch
originated. They lived close to the family ”Pottes”, of the
Lords of Pottes, found as early as 970 in the cities of Pottes
(BE), Potte (FR) and Potelle (BE/FR), with several related
sub-groups: Pottiez, Pott(i)er, Potter, Potèlle, Potèrre.
They were also active in the booming clay, iron and textured
molding, occupying over ten mayorates during several
hundred years, in the cities of Tournai, Renaix and Frasnes.
All connected to nearby cities of Pottes and Potelle and, not
far, the city of Potte in France.
- An iron-craft sub-branch “Potter” moved to Brussels,
providing elected members in South Brabant Province
like Macaire in 1257 and in the Brussels City Council.
o The key-figure in Brussels was Jan, writing
famous Brussels chronicles under the byname
“Pottre” whose statute is on the façade of the
Brussels City Hal, near the one of Vesalius.
o With Jan’s father, Thomas, this branch originated
a whole Brussel Ommegang lineage of senior
“silversmith Nation” and ciseled chaldrons
craftsmen between 1300 and 1600, exposed today
in the Castle of Laarne (Ghent);
- A leading textile sub-branch “Potter” (ancient: Pottere),
the one of the book’s author, moved around 1500 to
Ghent providing elected members (Joseph, Henri...);
- Other textile craftsmen “De Poortere” on the Northern
France frontier also originated in the region of Renaix or
Roubaix but were not yet analyzed;
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