s/o Robert Pottinger and Elizabeth Willett.

Samuel Pottinger Sr. was born in Prince George County, Md., in 1754, immigrated to Kentucky about 1775 and settled on Pottinger's Creek, where he entered about 1400 acres of land (patent having been granted to him by Patrick Henry, Gov. of Virginia) and built a fort known as "Pottenger's Station".

He "served in Capt. Samuel Lapsley's Company, Col Nathaniel Gist's regiment of Continental troops in the Revolutionary War; also in Capt William Harrod's Company of the 'Pioneer Soldiers of Kentucky'; Captain in the 'Militia Muster' (Kentucky Militia); pioneer settler and founder of 'Pottinger's Station' (fort) in the spring of 1781." He eventually moved all his nine brothers and sisters who had been orphaned children from living with his sister Mary and her husband James in VA (present day Martinsburg, WV.) to the fort which was completed sometime in 1781.

The "captain" built a grist mill,companion distillery near the fort and erected the first brick home west of Alleghenies, in 1788. It was located east of the fort, by a large unending spring, and named "Walnut Hill" due to all the Black Walnut trees in the area that were used for most of it's construction. The old brick meat smoke house and the Pottenger Cemetery still remain on the site today. South of the limestone spring and his home, he set up another distillery (another of his first distilleries in Nelson county-1799). He participated in some of the Indian wars, reared a family of nine step-children, three sons and three daughters, and died in 1831 while on a visit to his daughter Elizabeth "Betsy" (Philips) who lived in the Cox's Creek area. He died at 77 years old.


He married (firstly) Jane (nee Gray) Withrow-Gilkey within the walls of Pottingers Fort on 12 Jun 1782.
They were the first couple to be married in Pottenger Fort. She was twice widowed and brought to the union (5) children by the two marriages ranging from 3 to 16 years.

Together they had 3 more children:

Elizabeth b 1783
Sam Jr. b 1785
John b 1789

He married (secondly) Jenny Logan Caldwell on 07 Jan 1799. She was once widowed, lived in Washington Co., Ky and brought to the union (4) children. He was once widowed and brought to the union previous step-children(5) with his own (3) children to live at the grand brick mansion Capt Sam built known as "Walnut Hill". (built 1788, torn down around 1940)

Together they had 3 more children:

Robert b 1801
Jane Gray b 1803
Anna b 1805

Capt. Sam & Jenny’s youngest son Robert died in 1820 at age 19, from pneumonia. 6 years later in 1827, Jenny died, and one year later their second youngest daughter Jane Grey died.

Both of his wives were buried at the North End of Pottinger Cemetery with space between them for Capt Sam, however, he was buried where he died.

Pottinger Family Notes-September 1964-The John Fitch Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution will place a Bronze marker at his grave in the Cox's Creek Cemetary, near the Baptist Church to show his Revolutionary status in the Revolutionary War. The grave slab is broken into three large pieces--which it is in great need of repair--possibly broken in the tornado some twenty years ago.

Pottinger Family Notes-October 2015- Capt. Sam will be honored by both the Cox's Station Chapter NSDAR, Daughters of the American Revolution, and the GovernorIsaac Shelby NSSAR, Sons of the American Revolution with a commemorative marking service at 2:00 pm. on Sat. Oct. 10, 2015, at the Pottinger Pioneer Cemetery at 4394 New Hope Road, New Haven, Ky.

POTTENGER/POTTINGER SPELLING -- The first recorded Pottinger that spelled his name with an "i" instead of an "e" was William Pottinger (Sam's Brother b 1765). The name was spelled with an "i" on a land grant.

Colonial Families of the United States of America: Volume 2
ISSUE OF JANE (GRAY) WITHROW

CAPT. SAMUEL POTTENGER, b. at Parrott's Manor, in Prince George's Co., Md., 29th Apr. 1754; served in Capt. Samuel LAPSLEY'S Company, Col. Nathaniel GIST'S regiment of Continental troops in the Revolutionary War; also in Capt. William HARROD'S Company of the Pioneer Soldiers of Kentucky; Captain in [p.598] the Militia Muster (Kentucky Militia); pioneer settler and founder of Pottenger's Station (fort) in the spring of 1781, in Nelson Co., Ky.; d. 20th Jan. 1831, and is bur, in Cox's Creek church cemetery, near Bardstown, Ky.; m. (firstly) Jane (née GRAY) WITHROW-GILKEY, circa 1782; m. (secondly) Jenny (CALDWELL) LOGAN, of Washington Co., Ky., in Jan. 1799, widow of Robert LOGAN, her cousin, dau. of Robert and Mary (LOGAN) CALDWELL, sister of Gen. John CALDWELL, Lieutenant-Governor of Kentucky in 1804, and niece of Gen. Benjamin LOGAN, pioneer settler and founder of St. Asaph's Station, in Lincoln Co., Ky., in 1775.
1. John LOGAN, emigrated to Ste. Genevieve Co., Mo.; m. his first cousin; no issue.
2. Margaret LOGAN, m. Capt. Thomas HEAD of Washington Co., Ky., she d. in Ste. Genevieve Co., Mo., about 1843.
3. Robert LOGAN, moved to Shelby Co., Ky.; m., had four children.
4. Mary LOGAN, m. George PHILLIPS of Marion Co., Ky., where both d.; left five children.
I. Elizabeth, b. in Pottenger's Fort, Nelson Co., Ky., 14th May, 1783; d. in Nelson Co., Ky., 6th May, 1857; m. 4th Sept. 1803, James PHILIPS, b. 2d Apr. 1780, d. 28th Jan. 1842, in Nelson Co., Ky.
1. Samuel Pottenger PHILIPS, b. 9th July, 1804; d. 15th Aug. 1864; m. (firstly) Lucinda BLAND, b. 13th Dec. 1807, d. 15th Sept. 1843; m. (secondly) 20th Feb. 1845, Mary E. (née STILES) RAY, dau. of Lewis and Rebecca (WILLETT) STILES, his wife, who m. (firstly) James RAY, and had one child, Rebecca RAY. This Rebecca RAY m. Alfred G. NALL of Nelson Co., Ky.
2. Eliza PHILIPS, m. 23d Dec. 1825, Woodson COCKE.
3. Harriet PHILIPS, b. 7th Jan. 1808; d. 16th Aug. 1856; m. 14th Jan. 1829, Samuel Lawrence BLAND, b. Apr. 1802, d. 1st Apr. 1839, son of Thomas Morton and Ann (LAWRENCE) BLAND, of Washington Co., Ky.
4. Lucinda PHILIPS, m. 14th Jan. 1829, John B. COX.
5. Jemima Jane PHILIPS, m. 20th Feb. 1834, Smith THOMAS.
6. Robert P. PHILIPS, m. COX (first name unknown).
II. SAMUEL, b. 1st Mar. 1785, of whom later.
III. John, b. 1789; d. unm. 7th Sept. 1833; but. at ?Walnut Hill.?
I. Robert, b. circa 1801-2; d. unm. circa 1820; bur. at ?Walnut Hill.?
II. Jane Gray, b. 12th Nov. 1803; d. in Union Co., Ky., 9th Jan. 1828; m. 20th Mar. 1821, Ignatius Aloysius SPALDING, b. in St. Mary's Co., Md., 5th May, 1790, d. in Union Co., Ky., 5th Dec. 1851, son of Benedict and Allethaire (ABELL) SPALDING of St. Mary's Co., Md. He m. (secondly) Ann HUSTON, b. in Person Co., N. C., 5th May, 1790, d. in Union Co., Ky., 29th Apr. 1877.
1. Robert Abell SPALDING, b. 6th Jan. 1822; d. 15th Dec. 1895; served one term in the Kentucky legislature; m. 28th Sept. 1847, Ellen Miles LANCASTER, dau. of Dr. John and Mary Rose (HAYDEN) LANCASTER of Marion Co., Ky.
2. Allethaire SPALDING, b. 25th Apr. 1824; m. David H. COWAN.
3. Samuel Pottenger SPALDING, b. 28th Sept. 1825; d. 27th Apr. 1906; served one term in the Kentucky legislature; m. (firstly) 17th Jan. 1850, Margaret HANLY of Jessamine Co., Ky., b. 10th Feb. 1828; d. 8th Apr. 1855; m. (secondly) 10th Nov. 1856, Ann BARRY of Columbia, S. C., b. 27th Jan. 1831, d. 23d Aug. 1903.
4. Benedict SPALDING, b. 21st Mar. 1827; d. 7th Sept. 1834.
1. Ignatius Aloysius SPALDING, b. 3d Dec. 1833; member of Ky. House of Representatives; Ky. Senate two terms; Ky. railroad commissioner; member Ky. Constitutional Convention of 1890; m. Susan JOHNSON.
2. Susan SPALDING, b. 16th Feb. 1836; d. 12th Sept. 1844.
III. Anna, b. 5th Sept. 1805; d. 10th May, 1881; m. 26th Dec. 1826, Benjamin LANCASTER, b. 25th Apr. 1799, d. 22d Sept. 1840, son of Jack LANCASTER.
1. John LANCASTER, b. 15th Nov. 1827; d. 7th Dec. 1827.
2. Mary Jane LANCASTER, b. 13th Dec. 1828; d. 16th Aug. 1845.
3. Samuel Pottenger LANCASTER, b. 6th Dec. 1830; d. 7th May, 1902; unm.
4. James Madison LANCASTER, b. 17th Mar. 1833; d. 3d Oct. 1894; unm.
5. Robert B. LANCASTER, b. 26th May, 1835; d. 18th May, 1904; m. (firstly) 7th May, 1867, Mary T. ABELL; m. (secondly) 22d June, 1881, Sallie DOHERTY; m. (thirdly) 29th Jan. 1903, Bettie CARDWELL.
6. Catharine, b. 24th July, 1837; d. 14th Aug. 1837.
7. Ann E., b. 24th Aug. 1838; d. 24th Aug. 1868.
[p.600] JANE GRAY, wife of Capt. Samuel POTTENGER, name of parents unknown, but of Scotch-Irish descent, was b. in N. C. circa 1746 (tradition says, Buncombe Co., but that county was not then formed); d. at ?Walnut Hill,? the plantation of her third husband, Capt. Samuel POTTENGER, in Nelson Co., Ky., circa 1795; had one brother, John GRAY, who d. in Butler Co., Ohio; m. (firstly) WITHROW (first name unknown), of what is now Buncombe or Rutherford Co., N. C., who d. there; m. (secondly) John GILKEY of same locality (old papers in the GILKEY family show that he left land in Rutherford Co., N. C., to his two children); m. (thirdly) Capt. Samuel POTTENGER, within the walls of the latter's fort on Pottenger's Creek, Nelson Co., Ky., circa 1782.
I. James WITHROW, b. in N. C., 24th Aug. 1766; emigrated to Pottenger's Fort, Nelson Co., Ky., spring of 1781; emigrated to Butler Co., Ohio, about 1802, where he d. 1st Apr. 1851; m. 21st Dec. 1790, in Nelson Co., Ky., Sarah (POTTENGER) ROBEINS, b. in Prince George's Co., Md., 15th July, 1764; d. in Butler Co., Ohio, 25th Aug. 1827; dau. of Samuel and Eleanor (WILLETT) POTTENGER.
II. John WITHROW, b. in N. C., 17th Jan. 1768; d. in Butler Co., Ohio, 17th Nov. 1842, where he emigrated about 1802; m. 17th Mar. 1795, in Nelson Co., Ky., Anne POTTENGER, b. in Prince George's Co., Md. 16th Aug. 1773, d. in Butler Co., Ohio, 1st Dec. 1853; dau. of Robert and Elizabeth (WILLETT) POTTENGER.
III. Susan WITHROW, b. in N. C.; d. in Butler Co., Ohio; m. 17th Mar. 179**** in Nelson Co., Ky., Samuel S. POTTENGER, b. in Prince George's Co., Md., emigrated to the Pottenger Creek settlement, Nelson Co., Ky., in 1781, and to Ohio about 1801-2, where he d.; son of Samuel and Eleanor (WILLETT) POTTENGER.
I. Robert GILKEY, b. in N. C., 3d Oct. 1776; d. in Montgomery Co., Ind., Feb. 1847; m. in Nelson Co., Ky., 6th Nov. 1796, Sarah S. KERCHEVAL, b. 5th Jan. 1779, near Martinsburg, (now) W. Va., dau. of James and Mary (POTTENGER) KERCHEVAL, dau. of Robert and Elizabeth (WILLETT) POTTENGER of Prince George's Co., Md.
II. Jane GILKEY, b. in N. C., circa 1778; m. 17th Mar. 1795, in Nelson Co., Ky., John POTTENGER, b. in Prince George's Co., Md., 1768, d. in Preble Co., Ohio, 13th Dec. 1842, son of Robert and Elizabeth (WILLETT) POTTENGER. John POTTENGER m. (secondly) in Feb. 1800, in Nelson Co., Ky., Catharine RAILSBACK, b. Dec. 1775, in Culpeper Co., Va., d. 11th Nov. 1849, in Preble Co., Ohio; dau. of John RAILSBACK, who emigrated from Culpeper Co., Va., to Nelson Co., Ky.
I. Elizabeth POTTENGER, b. in Pottenger's Fort, Nelson Co., Ky., 14th May, 1783; d. 6th May, 1857; m. 4th Sept. 1803, James PHILIPS, b. 2d Apr. 1780, d. 28th Jan. 1842, in Nelson Co., Ky.
II. Samuel POTTENGER, b. 1st Mar. 1785; d. 23d Sept. 1832; m. 15th Oct. 1809, Lucinda JAMESON, b. 19th Oct. 1791, d. 25th Oct. 1867, dau. of John and Polly (RICE) JAMESON.
III. John POTTENGER, b. 1789; d. 7th Sept. 1833; unm.
SAMUEL POTTENGER, b. 1st Mar. 1785; d. 23d Sept. 1832; was the largest landholder in Nelson Co., Ky.; produce merchant and flat-boatman on the Ohio and lower Mississippi Rivers; coast trader between New Orleans and New Haven, Conn.; founded the town of New Haven, in Nelson Co., Ky., in 1819, which he named for the Connecticut city; philanthropic and public-spirited citizen. He m. 15th Oct. 1809, Lucinda JAMESON, of Nelson Co., Ky., b. 19th Oct. 1791, d. 25th Oct. 1867, dau. of John JAMESON, b. in Augusta Co., Va., 22d Oct. 1763, d. in Barren Co., Ky., circa 1840, and his wife, Polly (RICE) JAMESON. John JAMESON was a son of George JAMESON and enlisted in the Revolutionary War, 1st Sept. 1779, for six months, and served three additional enlistments of six months each, the last as an Indian spy. The first enlistment was as a substitute for his father. He made application for pension 19th Nov. 1832, and his claim was allowed. After the death of Samuel POTTENGER, his widow, Lucinda, (JAMESON) POTTENGER, m. (secondly) Strother M. HELM, on the 6th June, 1836; emigrated to Nelson Co., Ky., from tidewater Virginia. He is reported to have joined the Lopez expedition to Cuba, and was never heard of afterwards. They had no issue.

(From "Colonial Families of the United States of America", MacKenzie, LL.B, George Norbury, Vol II, pg 597-8, publ 1912, reprinted 1996, 1995.