William Speakman Potts, according to census records and a family tree, was born on May 5, 1838 in Isabella Furnace, Chester County, Pennsylvania.   William’s family owned and operated a number of textile mills in Pennsylvania and owned large tracts of land near Valley Gorge. His family established the town of Pottstown, Pennsylvania and constructed its first dwellings.

Pottstown is in Montgomery County, while Pottsville, yet another town, is in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania.   His family established Pottstown.  Potts‘VILLE’  is in Schuylkill County and was also founded by a Potts family member; Benjamin Potts.  

There is a bio on a John Potts Hobart from Potts‘VILLE’, who was born in Potts‘TOWN’.

His mother was a member of the Potts family after whom Pottstown was named and curiously enough, married a Joanna Potts of Virginia, who belonged to the family which founded Pottstown. The site of Pottsville was originally located in Chester County, Pennsylvania, subsequently becoming a part of Lancaster County, later Berks County and ultimately Schuylkill County in 1811. The borough of Pottsville became Schuylkill County's seat in 1851.

The 1850 census records for West Nantmeal, Chester County, Pennsylvania, Roll 765, records William as being 12 years old, his father David Potts Jr. at 50 or 57 and working as an Iron Master, Rebecca Potts is recorded as being age 39 and Joseph Potts, at age 12 working as a clerk. Also listed in the household were Emiline Woodward age 22 and Margaret Emery age 18. In the 1860 census William was recorded as being age 22 and working as a civil engineer.

The Fourth volunteer Pennsylvania Regiment, into which William enrolled, was originated in the First regiment, 2d Brigade, 2d Division, of the State militia, organized under the militia act of 1858 at Camp Curtin in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on November 7, 1861. It was recruited from the counties of Chester, Montgomery, Blair, Huntingdon, Northumberland, Juniata and Westmoreland and consisted of six companies, with a full regimental organization; the officers holding State commissions. In response to the call of the President, a public meeting was held at Norristown, Montgomery county, on the 16th of April, at which time the feeling of patriotic devotion to the cause of the Government was emphatically displayed and resolutions were passed pledging assistance to the families of those that volunteered. On the following day, the services of the militia regiment were tendered to the Governor for a term of three months, and were accepted, on the condition that the command would report in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania within four days.   When the call was sent out that Lincoln needed men to launch a war against the south, constitutionally illegal as it was, inhabitants of Norristown, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania quickly pledged their assistance. Self appointed officers quickly began a furious recruitment of men and by the time allotted, had raised 600 able bodied men ready to move.

Company C was recruited at Pottstown and twenty-three year old William S. Potts as a private mustered into service on April 20, 1861 in unit number 2297. That done, the regiment moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania  on April 21^st and the  occupation of Perryville, Maryland on April 22^nd. The  Right Wing then moved by boat to Annapolis, Maryland on April 23^rd while the rest of the  Regiment moved to Washington, D. C.; on  May 8^th and camped near Bladensburg. They then moved to Shutter's Hill, near Alexandria on June 24^th; where Co. "E" participated in a Picket attack on Shutter's Hill on July 1^st.

On Saturday, July 20, 1861 the men of Company C found themselves facing the Army of the Confederacy in the vicinity of Centerville, Virginia and though they were facing an imminent battle; their three months of military service had expired.

Under such consequences, the 4^th. Pennsylvania picked up their weapons and marched away from Virginia, returning to Harrisburg to be mustered out of service. They now realized this was going to be no “gentleman’s week-end war”, won in a few weeks and the foe they faced was not to be underestimated. Regimental histories reveal General McDowell placed a good deal of blame for his defeat at Manassas on the regiment, for refusing to reenlist prior to the battle. By that time they perhaps felt discretion was the better part of valour. Potts was Mustered Out on July 27, 1861 at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Captain John R. Brooke of Company C, who had commanded Potts, at the conclusion of the 4^th’ Pennsylvania Regiment’s three month service period was commissioned Colonel of the 53^rd Pennsylvania, and on August 17, 1861 Potts followed his Captain and reenlisted into Company B of the 4^th. Pennsylvania, unit number 2306; being promoted, to a full Captain himself, on August 17, 1861.  The 53^rd then moved out for Washington, camping north of the Capitol, then crossed the Potomac where they were assigned to a Brigade of General William H. French. Subsequently the regiment saw action at Alexandria, participated in the advance of the Army of the Potomac in March 1862 and arrived at Manassas Junction which had already been abandoned by the Confederate Army. After conducting reconnaissance, they marched back to Alexandria, Virginia. The 53^rd was eventually transferred to McClellan’s Army of the Peninsula, on April 3, 1862, to form part of the reserve division during the Siege of Yorktown, Virginia; and William was among those participating.

Company Muster Rolls reveal from August 19^th through October 31, 1861 Potts was recorded as being “absent on leave” and again reported absent due to being bed ridden with typhoid fever, from March 25, 1862 until his resignation on April 26, 1862; witnessed in a report of the 53^rd Surgeon, John H. Fromberger.

When, why or how Potts arrived in Australia remains unknown, but records reveal he married a 36 year old woman named Matilda Elizabeth Pembroke at Albury, New South Wales on November 19, 1873, at age 20; and was employed as a book-keeper/accountant. Matilda Elizabeth Pembroke, his wife, was born on February 13, 1858 in Little Hartley, New South Wales, Australia. William and Matilda had five children; William born on  December 14, 1874 in Albury, New South Wales, Lucy McKim born on March 31, 1876 in Albury, Cuthbert born on January 6, 1878 in Grenfell, Pembroke born December 10, 1879 in Orange and Mary Siebert born on August 5, 1881.

William Speakman Potts died at the small town of Pembroke Terrace, Blayney, New South Wales of “general prostration and debility” on August 4, 1881; and was buried in the local Blayney cemetery. William was survived by his wife, two son and two daughters.

“Army Register of the United States for One Hundred Years 1779-1879”, Thomas H. S. Hamersly

 Betty Burdan, Pennsylvania, USA

 "Historical Collections relating to the Potts Family in Great Britain and America", Thomas Maxwell Potts, 1901,  Canonsburg, Pa.

 “History of Pennsylvania Volunteers”, Samuel P. Bates

 Military Service Records, National Archives Microfilm Collection

National Archives, Regimental Histories, Microfilm M554, roll 97

 “Official Army Register for 1861”, Adj. Gen. Off., Washington, 1861

 Pamela Whiting, World Family Tree

 Paul R. Potts, Pennsylvania, USA