William Potchett was born on April 8th
1775, the son of the Revd J Potchett, perpetual curate of
Easington in Holderness. He attended Louth Grammar School for two
years before going to St John's College, Cambridge, where he became
Fellow of his College after gaining his BA., and was awarded a M.A.
degree in 1801.
After a spell as a tutor he was
appointed Domestic Chaplain to the Bishop of London, who presented
him to the Rectory of Felsted in Essex. In 1817 Revd Potchett was
presented to the Vicarage of Grantham on the death of Thomas
Easton. In 1825 he succeeded the Revd Joseph Smith as Prebendary of
Grantham North in Salisbury Cathedral. In 1826 he presented himself
to the Rectory of Great Ponton and Denton, though he later resigned
these to give to his sons.
William Potchett resigned in 1856,
after 39 years as Vicar of Grantham, and went into retirement. He
presented the Vicarage to the Revd George Maddison, the son of an
old College friend.
During Revd Potchett's time as Vicar,
the parishes of Spittlegate, Great Gonerby and Manthorpe,
Londonthorpe and Braceby were removed from the Benefice of Grantham
and constituted separate ecclestiastical districts.
William Potchett and his wife Margaret
(nee Bowles) had at least nine children. The six eldest were
baptised at Felsted, Essex and the three youngest (Mary Sophia,
Charles and Elizabeth Louisa) were baptised at St Wulfram's,
Grantham. One daughter, Charlotte Catherine died aged 13 years and
is buried in St Wulfram's churchyard in the family vault. William's
wife, Margaret, who died on 1st November 1848, is also buried at St
Wulfram's, as was William Potchett himself who died on 13th
November 1859. At his funeral in St Wulfram's Church, the pulpit
and reading desk was hung with black drpaeries and a dumb peal was
rung at the conclusion of the service. There is a memorial to the
Potchetts on the wall to the left of the West Door of St Wulfram's
(looking west), as well as the memorial in the churchyard.
Three of William Potchett's sons were
clergymen at the time of their father's death: Brownlow (Rector of
Great Ponton); George (Rector of Denton); and Charles (Vicar of
Ryhall and Essendine).
According to his obituary, William
Potchett was a man of decided opinions who was not afraid to speak
his mind. His political creed was described as 'that of the old
staunch Tory kind, and of the most unflinching description.' His
theological principles 'were tinctured with an abhorrence of tenets
of the Church of Rome.' Although people may not have agreed with
his views, William Potchett was widely acknowledged as a man of
great intellectual ability, in the pulpit and as a magistrate and
political leader, and he always acted with integrity and was a
generous contributor to the charities of the parish.
