Alice Hawthornwaite Croasdale
Quaker
03 Aug 1673 - 16 Nov 1730 ·Alice Hawthornwaite Croasdale was born on 3 August 1673 in North Yorkshire, England. She married David Potts in a Quaker meeting at Middletown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, on 22 March 1694. They were the parents of eleven children. She died on 16 November 1730; the supplied family-tree notes place her death in Germantown, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania.
Before their marriage, David Potts and Alice declared their intentions before several public meetings of Quakers in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. According to the transcript, the meetings approved their proceedings after consideration and found them clear of other marital commitments.
On 22 March 1694, David Potts and Alice married in a public meetinghouse of Friends at Middletown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The transcript records that David took Alice by the hand and publicly promised to be a loving and faithful husband until death separated them. Alice made a corresponding promise to be a loving and faithful wife. David signed the record as “DAVID POTTS,” while Alice signed as “ALICE POTTS, X her mark.”
Alice and David Potts were parents of eleven children: Thomas, John, Daniel, Elizabeth, Jonathon, Mary, Stephen, Rebecca, Sarah, Ezekial, and Nathan.
Alice died on 16 November 1730. The supplied family-tree notes identify Germantown, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, as her place of death. David Potts, identified in those notes as her husband, is listed with the dates 1670–1730.
Historical context
The supplied marriage transcript reflects the Quaker practice of declaring marital intentions before meetings and completing the marriage in a public meeting of Friends. It records the couple’s spoken promises and the signatures or marks used to confirm the marriage.
Sources & research
Original Family Tree Maker notes, supplied in the prompt: Birth, “Aug. 3, 1673,” North Yorkshire, England; death, “1730,” Germantown, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, USA; wife of David Potts; mother of 11 children, Thomas, John, Daniel, Elizabeth, Jonathon, Mary, Stephen, Rebecca, Sarah, Ezekial, and Nathan.
Supplied transcript of wedding information: “Whereas, DAVID POTTS and ALICE CROASDAEL, both of Philadelphia, in the Province of Pennsylvania, having declared their intentions of taking each other in marriage, before several public meetings of the People of God called Quakers, in Philadelphia in the Province of Pennsylvania aforesaid, in American, according to the good order used amongst them, whose proceedings therein, after deliberate consideration thereof, were approved by the said meetings; they appearing clear of all others. (New paragraph) Now these are to certify to all whom it may concern, that for the full accomplishment of their said intentions, this twenty second day of the first month called march, in the year one though six hundred and ninety four, they the said David Potts and Alice Croasdale appeared in a public Meeting house of friends in Middletown, Bucks County, and (according to the example of the Holy men of God recorded in the Scriptures of Truth), in a solemn manner, he the said David Potts, taking the said Alice Croasdale by the hand, did openly declare as followeth, Friends, in the presence and fear of God and before you his people, I take this my friend Alice Croasdale to be my wife, promising to be to her a loving and faithful husband, till it please God by death to separate us; and then and there in the same assembly, the said Alice Croasdale did in the like manner declare as followeth, Friends, in the presence and fear of God and before you his people, I take this my friend David Potts to be my husband, promising to him to be a loving and faithful wife, till it please God by death to separate us. And the said David Potts and Alice, his now wife, as a further confirmation thereof, did then and there to these presents set their hands: DAVID POTTS ALICE POTTS, X her mark.”
Family links in the supplied notes: Spouse, David Potts (1670–1730).