Thomas Potts (1778–1842) was an English lawyer and writer, known as a compiler of reference works.

Life

He was son of Edward Potts (1721–1819) of Glanton near

Alnwick Alnwick ( ) is a market town in Northumberland, England, of which it is the traditional county town. The population at the 2011 Census was 8,116. The town is on the south bank of the River Aln, south of Berwick-upon-Tweed and the Scottish bor ...

Northumberland Northumberland () is a county in Northern England, one of two counties in England which border with Scotland. Notable landmarks in the county include Alnwick Castle, Bamburgh Castle, Hadrian's Wall and Hexham Abbey. It is bordered by land on ...

. He was a solicitor, and at one time was connected with Skinners' Hall. In 1803 Potts was residing in

Camden Town Camden Town (), often shortened to Camden, is a district of northwest London, England, north of Charing Cross. Historically in Middlesex, it is the administrative centre of the London Borough of Camden, and identified in the London Plan as o ...

. Subsequently, he seems to have lived at

Chiswick Chiswick ( ) is a district of west London, England. It contains Hogarth's House, the former residence of the 18th-century English artist William Hogarth; Chiswick House, a neo-Palladian villa regarded as one of the finest in England; and Full ...

and other places, and to have had chambers in

Serjeants' Inn Serjeant's Inn (formerly Serjeants' Inn) was the legal inn of the Serjeants-at-Law in London. Originally there were two separate societies of Serjeants-at-law: the Fleet Street inn dated from 1443 and the Chancery Lane inn dated from 1416. In 17 ...

. He died at

Upper Clapton Clapton is a district of East London, England, in the London Borough of Hackney. Clapton is divided into Upper Clapton, in the north, and Lower Clapton to the south. Clapton railway station lies north-east of Charing Cross. Geography and origi ...

on 8 November 1842.

Works

Potts published: * ''A Compendious Law Dictionary, containing both an explanation of the terms and the law itself, intended for the use of country gentlemen, the merchant, and the professional man'', 1803, dedicated to Lord Ellenborough; it was reissued in 1814. In 1815 a new edition was enlarged by Thomas Hartwell Horne. * ''The British Farmers' Cyclopædia, or Complete Agricultural Dictionary, including every Science or Subject dependent on or connected with improved modern Husbandry'', 1806, with 42 engravings, dedicated to the Duke of Bedford. John Donaldson said it was an advance on preceding works. * ''A Gazetteer of England and Wales, containing the Statistics, Agriculture, and Mineralogy of the Counties, the History, Antiquities, Curiosities, Trade, &c. of the Cities, Towns, and Boroughs, with Maps'', 1810,. An historical introduction of twenty pages with statistics included mitred abbeys.

Notes

Attribution 1778 births 1842 deaths English solicitors English writers Writers from Northumberland {{England-nonfiction-writer-stub