Vincent Potter
Vincent Potter (c.1614–1661) was an army officer in Parliament's army during the
Early life and career
Potter was born in Warwickshire. In 1635 as a member of the
A strict Puritan, he traded with New England until he joined the parliamentarian army. In January 1643 he was commissioned as an officer of horse by Robert Greville, 2nd Baron Brooke. After Greville's death he continued to fight as a cavalry officer for Parliament until 1645 when he took over as parliamentary commissioner to the army from his brother Captain John Potter.[2]
Devotion
Potter was a diligent commissioner. He drew up lists of former soldiers ("Potter's lists") to help him settle army pay arrears, and became the foremost administrator in this area. He continued to perform as a commissioner during the Second Civil War.[2]
Controversy
Potter was one of the
On 6 March the same year, he also signed the death warrants of five prominent Royalist peers who had been captured during the Second Civil War, the Duke of Hamilton, the Earl of Holland, Lord Capel, the Earl of Holland, and the Earl of Norwich.[2]
Career under Cromwell
In June Potter was made a full colonel and helped to plan and organise the logistics of
One account states that in 1660 at the
Trial and death
He was arraigned at the Sessions House in the Old Bailey, October 16, 1660, and pleaded not guilty. His trial commenced on the 16 November, at which he asked for a delay as he pleaded he was ill and in great pain (probably from kidney stones). However the trial went ahead and he was found guilty of high treason and condemned to death for his part in the regicide of Charles I, but he died in the Tower of London in late 1661 or early 1662 before the sentence could be carried out.[1][5]
References
- ^ a b David Plant, Vincent Potter, Regicide, the British Civil Wars and Commonwealth website
- ^ a b c d e Andrew J. Hopper, ‘Potter, Vincent (c.1614–1661?)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, September 2004; online edn, January 2008 accessed 24 July 2009
- ^ a b c Noble,p. 129
- ^ The National Archives: SP29/9
- ^ House of Lords Journal Volume 11: 7 February 1662
- Attribution
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: "The lives of the English regicides: and other commissioners of the pretended High court of justice, appointed to sit in judgement upon their sovereign, King Charles the First" Volume II, by Mark Noble (1798)