Alfred Potter

  General Notes:

Alfred Potter was the Rector of Keyworth from 1859 until his death in 1878. He was clearly a man of some substance as he was self-appointed, having first bought the advowson for several thousand pounds. An advowson was seen as a good investment, giving access to a position that promised a steady, comfortable income and status and they were bought and sold for that purpose. Potter, however, appears to have strong convictions and worked tirelessly to promote the spiritual welfare of his parishioners, as he saw it. He was the first resident rector for over a hundred years having built himself a new rectory soon after his arrival, using money which his predecessor had put by for the purpose.

When the energetic Potter arrived in Keyworth, he found active Congregational, Methodist and Baptist chapels there and well over half the village worshipped in these chapels rather than in church - or not at all. He set about rectifying the situation and saw the number of baptisms increased almost three-fold in the next decade. Church attendances rose and he increased the frequency of Holy Communion, eventually to once a week. In 1862 he opened Keyworth's first purpose-built school, providing increased space and improved facilities from that previously provided in the base of the church tower. By doing so, Potter strengthened the virtual monopoly enjoyed by the church in the education of the village children - just at a time when campaigning for non-denominational schools was widespread - and there was resulting resentment amongst dissenters in the village. When the 1870 Education Act permitted schools to be built and supported from the rates, a bitter dispute developed between those who wished to provide such a Board School and Potter who wished to retain his monopoly. When the Board School was built, Potter showed his anger by banning all dissenters from using the Rectory field - whereupon, the whole cricket club, both church and chapel men, moved to another venue ! The education dispute in the village was to continue for several decades, despite attempts by Potter's successors to heal the rift between church and chapel.

In the middle of the 19th century, the church, together with its churchyard, had been described as "one of the most picturesque we have ever seen. The main portion of the church is covered with one brilliant-looking mass of ivy....:while the whole is embosomed and surrounded by groups of splendid trees, and the avenue to the south porch is a Gothic aisle in itself." However, it was soon apparent that the covering of ivy was hiding a structure which was in a dangerous state - particularly, apparent when, in 1870, a piece of masonry from the east window fell to the ground during a service being conducted by Potter. Comprehensive restoration was found to be necessary and this was carried out at a cost of £1,350. Years later, the Rector's son, Sidney Pell Potter - himself a local clegyman - recalled the changes and the transformation he had witnessed as a 12 year old - "from a state of darkness and decay to one of brightness and structural soundness." He recalled that, "Walls were stripped (of ivy) and strengthened, the whole church was re-roofed; the chancel and east window were rebuilt, the windows restored and reglazed throughout, the floors relaid. The detestable lumbering gallery......was swept away with the horse-box pews and double-deck pulpit, and the church was seated with chairs." As so often happened during this era, the old and picturesque had been replaced by the then fashionable.

From 1876 until his death, he was also Rector of Stanton-on-the-Wolds, Nottinghamshire; as this parish adjoined Keyworth, it was near enough for him to serve both parishes without neglecting either. ⁸

  Research Notes:

http://southwellchurches.nottingham.ac.uk/k02/hchyard.shtmll :

It seems that the southerly bulge of the churchyard's perimeter was increased during the rebuilding of the boundary wall in the 1820s. A more substantial extension, to the north of the church, was made in 1861, when the rector, Alfred Potter, ceded part of his rectory garden to the churchyard in exchange for land he had taken out of the rectory field two years earlier, to build his new rectory. He was buried there himself in 1878, near the gravestone of his 14 year-old son, Claud.

Photo of MI : http://southwellchurches.nottingham.ac.uk/k02/pgrvpott.jpg

http://southwellchurches.nottingham.ac.uk/k02/hhistory.shtmll :

The two succeeding rectors, Alfred Potter (1859-1878) and Henry Ling (1878-1927), were self-appointed, having first bought the advowson for several thousand pounds. They were clearly men with a substantial inheritance. An advowson must have been seen as a good investment, enabling them to appoint themselves to a position promising a steady, comfortable income and status. They could later appoint a son or other favoured successor to the living, or sell the advowson, probably for at least as much as they paid for it. Not that they looked upon their livings exclusively in such calculating terms; both were men of strong conviction who, once in post, worked tirelessly to promote the spiritual welfare of their parishioners, as they saw it.

When Potter came to Keyworth, he determined to live in the parish. He built himself a new rectory with money which Hall, his predecessor, had put by for the purpose. He was the first resident rector since the death of Moises over a hundred years before. But pluralism, though diminished, was not dead. Both Potter and Ling also acquired the living at Stanton, though this was near enough for them to serve both parishes without neglecting either, particularly after Ling became one of Keyworth's first car-owners in the 1920s.

and :

By mid-century, well over half the village worshipped in chapel rather than in church or not at all. The 1851 Ecclesiastical Census registered a total of 481 chapel attendances, exclusive of Sunday School scholars, on the Sunday of the census (297 Congregational, formerly Independent; 160 Methodist; 24 Baptist - a small Baptist chapel had recently been opened). All three had two services on a Sunday. It is possible, however, that the number of people attending might be only half the number of attendances, in the unlikely event that they all attended both services. Even so, that meant a minimum of 240 adult chapelgoers. The population of Keyworth in 1851 was 667, of whom perhaps two-thirds, 440, were old enough to attend adult services, so clearly the chapelgoers were in a majority. Meanwhile, the parish church did not give a figure for number of attendances, but stated, haltingly and with apparent embarrassment, "Somewhat short of half the families in the village do attend Church - some few in past - and at times - or would if they had decent clothes to come in."

When the energetic Alfred Potter became rector in 1859, he set about rectifying the situation. The number of baptisms increased from 58 in the 1850s to 165 in the 1860s, including 19 on Christmas Day 1867. Church attendances rose. He increased the frequency of Holy Communion, first to once a month and then to once a week. And in 1862 he opened Keyworth's first purpose-built school, providing increased space and improved facilities compared with the base of the church tower, which had previously served as school for several decades. Potter thereby strengthened the virtual monopoly enjoyed by the church in the education of the village children. This caused some resentment among dissenters, so when, following the 1870 Education Act, parishes could open non-denominational schools financed out of a general rate, where it could be shown that the current provision was inadequate, there was pressure for such a school to be built in Keyworth. This led to a protracted and ever more bitter dispute between the rector, who wanted to retain his monopoly, and leading dissenters, who wanted to break it. Eventually, the dissenters won. A Board School was built with better facilities than those offered by the church school, and attendance at the latter began to decline. In his anger, Potter banned all dissenters from using the Rectory field, which had long been the parish recreation ground. The whole cricket club - church and chapel men - moved to another venue. After Potter's death, the new rector, Henry Ling, tried to heal the rift between church and chapel - he closed the church school, joined the Management of the Board School, and was instrumental in the appointment of a church member, Henry Neate, as Headmaster in 1890. Indeed, some complained that it was a take-over, and it was many decades before the mutual suspicion and antagonism between church and chapel abated.

and

One of the most important developments during the 19th century was the restoration of the fabric of the church, and its refurnishing. In mid-century, the church, together with its churchyard, were described as "one of the most picturesque we have ever seen. The main portion of the church is covered with one brilliant-looking mass of ivy....:while the whole is embosomed and surrounded by groups of splendid trees, and the avenue to the south porch is a Gothic aisle in itself." But beneath the ivy, all was not well, and a critical moment came in 1870 when, during a service conducted by Alfred Potter, a piece of masonry from the east window fell to the ground. This led to a survey which revealed the building to be in a dangerous condition and in need of comprehensive restoration. Potter's son Sidney, who was 12 years old in 1870, recalled many years later, "Walls were stripped (of ivy) and strengthened, the whole church was re-roofed; the chancel and east window were rebuilt, the windows restored and reglazed throughout, the floors relaid. The detestable lumbering gallery......was swept away with the horse-box pews and double-deck pulpit, and the church was seated with chairs." The whole undertaking cost £1350 - over £100,000 in today's money.

..... S P Potter, recalling the restoration he had witnessed as a boy living in the rectory, wrote of the church being transformed "from a state of darkness and decay to one of brightness and structural soundness."

  Noted events in his life were:

• Education: at St John's College, Cambridge. ⁹ He was Admitted pens. at St John's on May 22, 1846 and Matriculated at Michaelmas 1846; he graduated as Batchelor of Arts in 1850. He played cricket there, possibly a Blue, in 1849.

• Occupation: Church of England clergyman. ² He was Ordained deacon at Lincoln in 1850 and priest in 1851. He was Curate of Mablethorpe, Lincs from 1852 to 1855, Skirbeck from 1855 to 1888 and of Ropsley, Lincs from 1859 to 1860. In 1860 he became Rector of Keyworth, Notts where he remained until his death in 1878. From 1876 until his death, he was also Rector of Stanton-on-the-Wolds, Nottinghamshire.

• Occupation: curate of Scopwick, Lincolnshire, in March 1851, at the time of the census. ¹⁰ He was then single and living at the Vicarage House in Scopwick and employed a housekeeper.

• Occupation: Rector of Keyworth, Notts, by the time of the census in April 1861. ¹¹ He was then living with his wife and three children at the Rectory in Keyworth.

• Residence: the Rectory in Keyworth, Notts, at the time of the census in April 1871. ¹²

Alfred married Catherine Streets, daughter of John Streets and Ann Oldershaw, on 12 Apr 1852 in Shardlow Registration District.^{1 2} (Catherine Streets was born circa 1831 in Stapleford, Notts ^{13 14 15 16} and was baptised on 17 Aug 1831 in Stapleford, Notts ¹⁷.)