Thomas Potter (1740–1801) was a British lawyer and politician who sat in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...

from 1776 to 1780. Potter was the only son of Thomas Potter and his first wife Anne Manningham, daughter of Rev. Thomas Manningham, rector of

Slinfold Slinfold is a village and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Horsham (district), Horsham District of West Sussex, England. Geography The village is almost west of Horsham, just off the A29 road. The parish covers . The 2001 Census ...

, Sussex. He was educated at

Eton College Eton College ( ) is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school providing boarding school, boarding education for boys aged 13–18, in the small town of Eton, Berkshire, Eton, in Berkshire, in the United Kingdom. It has educated Prime Mini ...

from 1753 to 1754 and was admitted at

Emmanuel College, Cambridge Emmanuel College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college was founded in 1584 by Sir Walter Mildmay, Chancellor of the Exchequer to Elizabeth I. The site on which the college sits was once a priory for Dominican mo ...

on 14 October 1756. He was admitted at

Lincoln's Inn The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn, commonly known as Lincoln's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court (professional associations for Barrister, barristers and judges) in London. To be called to the bar in order to practise as a barrister ...

on 13 May 1767 and called to the bar on 2 July 1772. He married Miss Grove, of Ridgmont, Bedfordshire on 6 May 1761. Potter was returned unopposed as Member of Parliament for

Lostwithiel Lostwithiel (; ) is a civil parish and small town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom at the head of the estuary of the River Fowey. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 2,739, increasing to 2,899 at the 2011 census. The Lostwi ...

as an Administration candidate on Lord Edgcumbe's interest at a by-election on 28 November 1776. In 1778 he was appointed Second justice of Anglesey, a post he held until his death. He does not appear to have spoken in Parliament. He did not stand again at the 1780 general election. Potter became a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries and

Fellow of the Royal Society Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS, ForMemRS and HonFRS) is an award granted by the Fellows of the Royal Society of London to individuals who have made a "substantial contribution to the improvement of natural science, natural knowledge, incl ...

in 1784. He died in Harley Street on 14 November 1801.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Potter, Thomas 1740 births 1801 deaths People from Sussex People educated at Eton College Alumni of Emmanuel College, Cambridge Members of Lincoln's Inn British MPs 1774–1780 Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for constituencies in Cornwall Fellows of the Royal Society Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of London