|
Son of Charity Potts Lenoir & Wayne County, NC 
Susan Marinda Lewis
Our oral family history states Newman Potts, son of Charity Potts and Walter Dunn Jr., was bound out to a family when he was a boy and when he was old enough to make his way, he ran away from his family and by his own efforts and admirable determination, overcame the handicap of earlier life. Y-DNA proves the Dunn/Potts connection. "When only eight years of age Newman went to live with foster parents, as apprentice, it might have been termed, but he was bound to them until of age. They were very unkind to him and worked him very hard. The man he lived with carried the mail on horse back and sometimes grandfather made the route. On one occasion, just as he reached home a terrible storm broke. He tied the horse and ran into the house. They made him go back out in the down-pour, unharness the horse and put it in the stable. By that time the storm was over and both he and the horse were soaked to the skin. He was a thrifty, hard working, honest, and a straight forward man in every respect, but was of a melancholy disposition, which I attribute to his unhappy childhood." Sophronia Jones Bywater daughter of Matthew and Susan Potts Jones. In 1847 at the age of 28, Newman bought his first property "on Sleepy Creek" in Wayne County containing 276 acres and an adjacent 25 acres in 1855. In 1860 he bought a 420 1/2 acre farm which he lived on at the time his death. - Deeds - The Potts Cemetery is still there.
Newman married Susan Marinda Lewis ca. 1845, daughter of Urban and Susan Casey Lewis, daughter of Micajah Casey. Susan was born 15 Jul 1828 and died 29 Dec 1883 and her husband Newman was born 1 Mar 1819 and died 13 Apr 1884.
 Susan holding son Robert Henry Potts
Newman and Susan Potts Family in the Census
Newman and Susan's children were:
Charity (1847-1847)
"On one real hot day there was an old Negro man came to our home to see our mother. He had been one of Grandpa Potts' slaves and when he was a boy he ran away and when Grandpa got him back he whipped him. At the time mother was a small girl and she cried and begged Grandpa to not whip him. This old slave never forgot her, he thought she was a real friend."Julia Jones King, daughter of Matthew and Susan Potts Jones. Potts, Jones, Fields and Stafford Reunion
Dunn & Potts by Sarah Virginia (Jennie) Jones
Hannah Potts Laroque Letter to Newman Potts, 1865
August 13, 1877 - Goldsboro Messenger
John Potts 1865-1883 - buried in Potts Cemetery
October 21, 1880 - Goldsboro Messenger
At the time of their deaths in December 1883 and April 1884, Susan was age 55 and Newman age 65. They left two minor children. Their granddaughter Jennie Jones stated they died from pneumonia. Newman made his will on April 4th, 1884 and on April 6th his son William testified in the Superior Court that his father had died and became the Administrator.
Last Will & Testament To view all of Newman's Estate Records posted on FamilySearch.org Click Here
Newman and Susan are buried in Potts Cemetery located off Potts Road on Willard Drive. "Looking north from our back porch we could see the Potts family burying ground, just across our garden lot. On bright moon light nights, the gleaming white stones seemed to sway ever so slightly like eerie ghosts, and if I was ever outside alone at night, I was careful not to look in that direction". Jennie Jones
 Newman and Susan Potts Tombstone |
