POTTER United Families

Frans’ historical work, with regard to the Flemish municipalities,
Courtrai, Furnes, Blankenberg, Roulers… also provided considerable
success and visibility to the new team.
On August 16, 1877, Frans was appointed deputy manager of the
Archives in Ghent.
Alphonse Siffer testifies how Frans, through this important change
in his life, decided to forgo the future journalism career, and devote
himself exclusively to history.
However, Frans' career in the State Archives was shortened. By Royal
Decree of November 3, 1878, due to some "incompetence", as
declared by the liberal minister cousin Rolin-Jacquemyns, Frans was
“made available” for another job. According to the Catholics, this
was a fallacy.
They were convinced that Frans paid cash for his sharp articles
against the liberal party, following the festival commemorating the
third centenary of the Pacification of Ghent, which had caused
violent polemics between liberals and Catholics.
The fact that the Royal Decree was never published in the Official
Gazette, the Catholics strengthened the conviction that Frans de
Potter was (yet another) "sacrificed" individual...
Prior to his appointment as "deputy archivist of the State", Frans was
indeed a fiery polemist.
With his articles in the Scholarship list and the “Funds Letter” he set
the tone in the anti-liberal press in Ghent.
It was a combative students society period, many authors writing in
the free press organs like the “Folks Power” and the “Liberal
Flanders”.
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