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2 © Nicolas de Potter d’Indoye, Brussels, 2020 Print on demand and eBooks published by GooglePlay, Lulu, Kindle, Publica, Issuu… Information & orders: www.potter.c.la
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4 FAMILIES FOREST REBELS << “Black sheeps” are path finders for families’ constellations. Members of a fraternity, braking traditions. Those who, since childhood, question beliefs and standards. Rebels, criticized, judged and rejected by the clan. However, they feel a vacuum and fill it with love. They are trend-setters, whistleblowers, releasing the group from mistake or re-enacted stories, which frustrated entire generations. Those modern strangers, against all conservative odds, shout their rebellion towards the brotherhood and play a crucial role in each bloodline. They repair, detoxify, uncover new roots, tree blossoms, and reach out to DNA, show the beauty of united families. Thanks to them, forests regenerate. Their thinking outside the box, with a fresh approach, is fertile ground, nourishing. Their stubbornness creates new tracks, their passion is the fire that rekindles, in modern patterns, the hearts of the ancestors and reconnect them to modern times. Repressed desires, unrealized dreams, frustrated talents, murders of ancestors, are manifested in the resistance of these disturbers. They are pure souls, trying to be useful to all. The inertia of traditions maintained a negative growth. Our brave “Robin Woods” empower families with a new positive environment. The human genome acid test is moving our hearts… Who would bring new seeds and flowers to our plants, if not the Families Rebels? Who would stretch out new leafs, build new ties, across ancient souls? Without them, the hopes of previous generations, for next children moving up, would be buried under rotting roots. Heritage angels help with transmitted impairment and rarity of love. Like a distant mirror in the sky, they inspire the beauty of peace. Trillions of tears and smiles fall on you like sky dust, from the ancient times, to nourish your tender re-united young spirits! >>
5 Based on the text of Bert Hellinger, genealogic therapy expert.
6 LINEAGES POTTER(E) Some of the allied families:
7 Profound Respect to Her Royal Highness MATHILDE Gracious Queen of Belgium of millennial ancestors UDEKEM d’ACOZ, beloved Belgian braves.
8 Profound Respect to Her Royal Highness ELISABETH Gracious Princess of Belgium of millennial ancestors UDEKEM d’ACOZ, beloved Belgian braves.
9 Laugh with respect. Smile with love. Gather sensible people and kids. Take advantage of criticism in good faith. Let go unfriending friends. Appreciate others’ beauty. Leave good things behind: healthy child, clean nature, humans breathing better. Because you passed here. That's what I call: “a successful life”! Ralph W. Emerson
10 THANKS To my beloved kids Aymar, Eleonor+, Olivia, Magali, Youri, Dorsan de POTTER d’INDOYE, my family André, Amaury, Christophe, Guillaume, Pierre, Stéphane, Marie-Claire de POTTER d'INDOYE, the late honorable Dame Henri de POTTER d’INDOYE, born Princess Elisabeth de MERODE, Suzanne, Ingrid Gaby, Gérald, Miguel, Diego de POTTER, Jean de POTTER de ten BROECK, Eric de POTTER de ZINZERLING, Fernand de POTTER de DROOGENWALLE, Yvonne de POTTER said d’ELSEGHEM, Denis, Serge, Christian, Peter-Frank, Sven, Vincent, Patrick, Hugo, Etjen, Filippe, Dorothée DE POTTER, the POTTER Association, cousins Dame Nicole d’UDEKEM d’ACOZ, Nicolas de GHELLINCK d’ELSEGHEM, Véronique, Béatrice, Geneviève, Isabelle, François van CALOEN, Alain van HILLE... Cousin Henri BRUSSIN, Oxford professor Derrick GOSSELIN, Pieter DONCHE, Heraldic College, Flemish Genealogy Board, Dame Françoise de CASAUBON, Annick MALARD, DNA-experts Wim PENNINX and Astrid KRAHN, Danielle de LAMINNE de BEX, Arnaud WATELET. For a Lophem Castle meeting, prof. Paul JANSSENS, former chairman Nobility council of the Kingdom of Belgium, Cleveland MOFFETT, ex-editor of The Bulletin Magazine and Noël VANDE PUTTE. For their ad-hoc help, to baroness Els WITTE, Pierre-Paul DE BEIR, Jo STEVERLINCK, Dominique RODENBACH, Paul DE CLERCK, family of Louis de Potter’s aunt; Sebastiaan De RAEDT, Laurent INGHELBRECHTS, Jos MEVENSEN, volunteers in West-Flanders; Charles SCHOUW and Adrie RAADERSMA (NL); Heads of Royal Archives Chris VANDE WALLE (Dixmude), Eric DEVOS (Renaix), Maurice VANDERMAESEN (Bruges), Michiel MESTDAGH (Tourhout); to Patrick ARNOU, Mayor of ZedelgemLoppem, Karl VANDENBROECK (Bozar).
11 All my gratitude, for their genuine genealogy help, to the families van CALOEN de BASSEGHEM, COPPIETERS t’WALLANT, de GHELLINCK d’ELSEGHEM, van OUTRYVE d’YDEWALLE, van POTTELSBERGHE de la POTTERIE, de SCHIETERE de LOPHEM and, last but not least, d’UDEKEM d’ACOZ. Private Nicolas de POTTER d’INDOYE, Esq. Res. Lt Col., Cmdr Crown Order, hon. Advisor to the president of the High Assembly of Canada, hon. Secretary General of the Euroregion Team member Pieter Donche, genealogy expert, with Nic de Potter, in Renaix. Pieter is not a book patron but made it possible with his immense work in Bruges.
12 Why is it complex to be happy? You think... The Past was better than it really was, the Present, worse than it actually is, the Future, harder than it will be! Marcel Pagnol
13 POTTER’s Street Origin of a Name 17 Family Origins 23 Karel & Lodewyck de Potter 61 Potter Family Forest 83 French Pottier ‘s 87 British Potter ‘s 95 Dutch Potter ‘s 103 Jan de Potter 123 Louis de Potter 155 Armand de Potter 341 Frans De Potter 353 Jean de Potter 369 Nicolas de Potter 393 Making Of 397
14 FOREWORD I have known Esquire Nicolas de Potter d’Indoye, for more than 30 years. Driven by a passion for family history and excellence, Nicolas started to tell me about his dream, his opus magnum, more than 20 years ago. What an adventure, what an accomplishment, what an effort and dedication! A journey which generations will remember for sure. Nicolas told me it all started around the emblematic year 2000 when Cleveland Moffett, former editor of The Bulletin Magazine, suggested to write a families book during a visit to the Castle of Lophem. This visit was actually an important moment, even paramount to this project, as it was built by the family of Belgium’s first Prime Minister, Louis de Potter, Nicolas’ distant family member. This visit triggered this broad historical sociological research and deep family genealogy search. A journey of 20 years started with this single visit, with a distant family mirror. Many steps would follow before this quest would reach its destiny in 2020. This book is a unique combination of history, sociology and genealogy research, over nearly 1000 years. Hence it provides a unique perspective as it is built around fascinating adventures of various sociologically different families “de Potter”, reinforced by extensive archives and library research, with the help of a team of academic researchers. In combining disciplines around sociologically different family names “de Potter”, Nicolas depicts how social mobility evolved in Flanders and Belgium over nearly a millennium. This resulted in a fine portrait of the “Belgian - Low Countries - Flanders” society, reflected by different (de) Potter families, over a time span between the years 1000 and 2000. Such a wide range explains why it took Nicolas 20 years of study.
15 Wars, revolutions, religious banishments make primary historical records and sources scarce, especially in West-Flanders... However, nothing stopped Nicolas. During so many years he worked hard on this societal contribution, describing unpublished true stories. They are well supported by numerous sources, here and on his website, also pleasant to read, through the use of a modern language, illustrated with many quality images. We consider it a privilege to recommend this book and sign this preface alike. We hope that the historical contribution of Nicolas will be well received, recognized and studied by people who love history, in its broader sociological context, as much as we do; and that others will be stimulated to further contribute to the innovative approach and knowledge inspired by the example of my friend Nicolas. Derrick Philippe GOSSELIN, Former Chief of Cabinet, Minister-president of Flanders, Fellow Royal Academy of Belgium, Consul of France in Belgium (Bruges). With genuine support of: Paul BREYNE, OBE, Honorary Governor of West Flanders, Lies LARIDON, Major of Dixmude, Councilor of West-Flanders Hilde CREVITS, Flanders Minister of Education, Kingdom of Belgium.
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17 Origin of a name
18 In early days, names were assigned in function of (1) a [saint’s] first name, often used as “patronym”, (2) a geographic place e.g. village or city, (3) in function of a characteristic such as physical appearance, style or temper, (4) in function of demographic origin e.g. “Hollander” or “Lefrançois”, (5) in function of a profession (see below) or... combinations of the above! Spelling of names was not so important in the past. Families who were lucky to have their (first) name written down were the happy few. There were less inhabitants and craftsmen in villages. Few people had the same name or profession. Notaries, priests and civil servants were not as accurate as today. The name “Potter” was transcribed “Pottere” or “Potters” (Pottersoone, son of…; ‘s Potters, family of ...) or Pottre (BE), Pottes (BE/FR), Pottier (BE), Pottiez (BE), Pottère (FR), Pötter (DE), Poterus (NL), Potier (FR), Pooter (BE), Poortere (BE), plus variants “le Pottere” (BE/FR/UK), “le Potier” (FR), “de Pottier” (FR), “de Pottes” (FR/BE), “Depottere”...
19 At the end of the 1st Millenium, in the cities of Cambrai, Tournai, Courtrai, Roubaix and Renaix, some brave craftsmen were manufacturing clay or iron pots. Some were esquires with the Duke of Mortaigne in Potelle, cousin of French kings, husband of Countess Alix of Flanders from Lille. Different POTTERS’ families took advantage of rich soils and iron crafts expertise in the region. Also, the presence of the Escaut river, and the proximity of the sea, were advantages to ship heavy clay jars (Hainaut, Flanders) and cast iron caldrons (Liège). Quality work across centuries allowed transfer of their coat of arms and crafts emblems onto local blasons of cities or places like: Potte (Arras), Potes -Pottelbergh (Renaix), Trou Pottier (Tournai), Potelle (Mons), Potterye (Roulers/ Bruges)...
20 Pots were manufactured abundantly by craftsemen in Tournai between 900 and 1200. These ones were found nearby, on Pottelberghe mount near Renaix and in Poperinge. Potters’ craftsmen were under pressure alongside the “Bellum” (war) border region, soon Belgium
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23 Family Origins
24 In the families table below, seven old roots of the POTTERE forest were matched with survivors, archives and DNA. Ancient spellings, refer to cities (Pottes, Potelle), landmarks (post, potteau, Roman sign), crafts (potterye) or jobs (Poortere: door keeper). 1. “Pottere” found around year 1089 in North-Brabant where Herman, leader of the harbour of Bergen-Op-Zoom, initially carried a Lion and three U-shaped signs. This lineage flourished several centuries with: (1) elected members of city councils (Bergen-Op-Z., Breda), (2) fleet admiral with Dutch-Scotts marine, (3) fleet esquire with knight Godfrey of Bouillon, (4) esquires of Charles Duke of Lorraine, (5) Prelate of Zeeland in Middleburg. Thereafter carrying three pots, sub-branches developed in Amsterdam with various skills: (6) writer, (7) painter, (8) Lutherian mayor (renamed Potterus in Utrecht) and (9) in the United Kingdom, elected member of the Essex assembly and (10) archbishop of Canterbury (le Pottere);
25 2. “Pottier” ancestors in Frasnes, province of Hainaut, were found around 1100 near Renaix where the above branch originated. They lived close to the family ”Pottes”, of the Lords of Pottes, found as early as 970 in the cities of Pottes (BE), Potte (FR) and Potelle (BE/FR), with several related sub-groups: Pottiez, Pott(i)er, Potter, Potèlle, Potèrre. They were also active in the booming clay, iron and textured molding, occupying over ten mayorates during several hundred years, in the cities of Tournai, Renaix and Frasnes. All connected to nearby cities of Pottes and Potelle and, not far, the city of Potte in France. - An iron-craft sub-branch “Potter” moved to Brussels, providing elected members in South Brabant Province like Macaire in 1257 and in the Brussels City Council. o The key-figure in Brussels was Jan, writing famous Brussels chronicles under the byname “Pottre” whose statute is on the façade of the Brussels City Hal, near the one of Vesalius. o With Jan’s father, Thomas, this branch originated a whole Brussel Ommegang lineage of senior “silversmith Nation” and ciseled chaldrons craftsmen between 1300 and 1600, exposed today in the Castle of Laarne (Ghent); - A leading textile sub-branch “Potter” (ancient: Pottere), the one of the book’s author, moved around 1500 to Ghent providing elected members (Joseph, Henri...); - Other textile craftsmen “De Poortere” on the Northern France frontier also originated in the region of Renaix or Roubaix but were not yet analyzed;
26 - A line “Pot(t)ier”, linked to French Founding Fathers identified in French-Flanders around 1100, providing a stronghold with Receiver of King’s treasure in Lille, head of an abbey near Mount Cassel, and one in Alveringhem (West-Flanders), with ties to several leading priests and abbey intendants in Poperingues and Tournai (1200). 3. “Potterie” and “Poterye” (and nordic style Potterik), found around 1200 in West-Flanders, including Créstien, official with the City of Bruges in 1170, followed by different elected members and court members in that century. Further down the line, a Lodewyck was deputy Bailiff of the Free State of Bruges, a Liévin was head of the corporation of the textile craftsmen and a Robert was high representative of Bruges to the Prussian city of Bremen; 4. “Pottere” and “Pottaeyre” (seen “”Pottey”) found around 1300 in Mons (Egidius) and Liège (Leuder), related to the “Pottier” and “Potier” branches above, occupying business and political functions in and around both cities. A sub-branch “Potère” moved to Roubaix, Mouscron and Courtrai, also providing textile experts and elected members. 5. “Potter” found around 1400 in Liège-Limburg, providing a back-link in Antwerp with cousin Thomas, Receiver of the King of Spain in 1625. Members of that branch moved to Prusland (Germany) with possibly adapted patronyms “Pötter”, “Potten’dorf”, “Potter’hausen”.
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28 Working backwards on five roots, researchers Pieter Donche, Jacques de Potter, other experts of Flanders family research board, plus several archivists, helped us analyze hundreds of history records. We matched five “modern branches”, detailed in the timeline and verified DNAs with experts Yseq.net and Wim Penninx. Here is a summary ot the results (colored on the family diagram to follow). 1. HAINAUT “Pottere” re-united root, with the tree ancient lines as options: - “Pottes” and “Potèlle” lordships and families provided several mayorates in the city of Pottes in 1000-1400 and Tournai. They then disappeared while several persons still carry this name today, around Roulers. Also, the “green branch” carries the same coat of arms, inspired/ taken over from this original branch? - Frasnes ”Pottier” sub-branch along with Renaix “Potter” sub-branch, identified by princess Elisabeth de Merode and her cousin, father Jacques de Potter, plus genealogist Douxchamps for the years 1357-1650, merging into the “blue branch” listed below, further detailed and ascertained by a Leuven genealogist too; - Mons, Dour, Alost “Pottier” and “Potèrre”, identified by chief archivist of Renaix. This sublet provided a mayorate in Dour in 1500, with sublet moved to Audenaerde (mayorate in 1600) and further to Avelghem (mayorate in 1700).
29 2. WEST-FLANDERS “Potter” re-united roots, with three old lines as solid basis: - Bruges “Potterye” (1300), “Pottier” (1400), “Pottere” (1500), “Potter de Droogenwalle“ in Keyem/ Dixmude, “Potter“ (1600+), precisely identified by expert Pieter Donche. Several volunteers found representatives of the district of St. Omer (Créstien Potterye in 1300), an elected member of the Free State of Bruges (Jean in 1307), a deputy Bayliff of the Free State of Bruges (Lodewyk in 1680), a delegate to the city of Bremen (Robert in 1600), etc.; - Alveringhem ”Potter(e)” (1600) and then East-Flanders Audenaerde (1650) identified by cousin Henri Brussin plus Patrick de Potter. Kerchove “Potter” (1700) dentified by Wim Penninx and the Yseq ADN lab, with Fernand as survivor, Avelghem “Potter” (1750) identified by Denis and Yvonne de Potter, with Sven as survivor, and finally French Flanders Uxem “Potter” (1770) identified by Paul De Clerck, with Joost, Liam and Pascal as survivors of above green line. - Westhoek “Pottere”, (1600) Courtrai-Heule “Potterye” and French-Flanders well identified by freelance volunteers Annick Malard in France and cousin Henri Brussin in Mouscron-Roubaix, providing e.g. a Receiver of the King’s estates in Lille in 1570 and ties to several abbeys in Mount Cassel and Poperinge in 1600.
30 3. GHENT AND BRABANT “Potter” re-united roots “blue branch”, fully identified by Elisabeth de Merode, genealogist Douxchamps and Fernand de Potter, providing numerous alliances with the families Udekem, Holstein - Luxembourg, Merode, Lannoy, Davignon, Ghellinck, Caloen, Kint, Saverys, Casaubon... 4. DUTCH “Pottere”, Potter, Potterus re-united roots, “parse branch”, fully identified as from 1093, by Jkhr Beelaerts van Blokland and us, with direct link to the Ghent branch (Abraham), identified by a Leuven expert, plus a stronghold in Antwerp with the Receiver of the King of Spain, Thomas (1650), but not yet known living descendants in The Netherlands. 5. SAINT-NICOLAS “Potter” re-united “pink branch” found around 1400 in the Land of Waes, fully identified with the great support of biology dr. Vincent de Potter, Christian, Serge (direct descendants of Frans), plus Peter-Frank de Potter. They are all closely related to the famous historian Frans de Potter, while all above roots relate 10.000 years ago. Above colors match the Families Table (see large one on last page of the book)
31 The oldest “reliable” basic POTxxxRx families background and reference book which we found is shown below. It was based on “noble names” of Cambray-Tournay regions, with their cities crafts emblems and families “coats of arms”, as early as the 12th century.
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33 Across ages, transcription of names, on corn paper or papyrus, was done with a bird’s feather, at candle light, in the cold, war after war, many times in a row! It sometimes caused an “s” to become “r” or “z”... Or “tt” to become “t”... And “o” to become “u”. Also, with changes of official language, names varied from “de Potter” into “le Potier” or “de Poorter” or “ ‘s Potters”. In the 10th century, craftsmen living in the cities of Pottes (BE) and Potte (FR), were identified as “Pott(i)er” or “Potier” or “Potters” and “Po(t)tiez”. They lived all over the lower water regions, along the rivers of Aquitaine, Brabant, Britanny, Flanders, Hainaut, Picardy... Their crafts and art blasons (coats of arms) were often conferred onto their city of deployment. In the 11th century, the names “de Pottes”, “de Pottelle”, “de Poterre” or “le Pottier” were being more consistently used. They did refer to afore mentioned powerful iron and clay craftsmen along the Escaut river. While some (natural childs?) “ Pottes(de)” and “(‘s) Potters” still survive today in Ypres, here is a family “Pottes” research made by late cousin Amaury de Ghellinck:
34 According to the “Tournai ancient painters index”, listed around 1425, an artist by the name of Pierrequin de Pottes, “also registered as de Potter” (sic), was dispatched to the court of the Duke of Burgundy in Bruges. He had moved from Tournai to Bruges, to join the preparation of celebrations for the installation of the Dukes of Burgundy’s family in Bruges. In the same period, the Lord of Gruuthuyse in Bruges married the grand-daughter of Catherine de Pottere, as stated by Edward Gaillard in the Royal Archives of Belgium in 1885. Catherine was married around 1420 to Allart, son of Robert, count of Mortaigne, family of the Dukes of Mortaigne, Lords of Pottes and counts of Pottelle. More details are provided in the chapter about the family of Louis de Potter de Droogewalle, who happens to carry the arms of... Catherine de Pottere, hairess of the castle of Potelles. In 1433, a Knight Gilles de Potelle, attached to the house of Countess Marguerite, Dame of the Hainaut county, learned that the Duke of Burgundy, her nephew, was collecting too much money for himself. Gilles joked, telling people that he would hunt him down one day. Gilles was immediately accused of a crime and got his head cut off… His castle was confiscated by Jean de Carondelet, minister of the Duke Charles-the-Rash. The castle was built in 1290 by Guillaume de Mortaigne, Lord of Pottes, count of Pottelle who kept it until 1490. Ancient arms of the city of Pottes were “blue and white stripes cut by a red line”. Later on, both cities carried three pots, like the families.
35 Meanwhile, we had found in the archives of Tournai, in the 12th century, afore mentioned family “de Potter” (BE) and “le Pottier” (FR), living near the city of Pottes (BE), on the Escaut river. In the 13th century, the “Lordship of of Pottes” grew up, hanging together with the “French” city of Potte, in the Somme region, further up the river.
36 The marriage of Catherine de Pottere, Dame of of Pottes greatgrand-daughter of Countess Alix of Flanders, at the castle of of Pottelle, with Duke Allart of Mortaigne, count of of Pottelle, reinforced this family option, also because members of the Mortaigne family acquired lordships in Middelburg, linked to the ones of the “green branch” which also carried the same coat of arms! Also, The High Society of The Hague, identified ancestor Herman de Pottere in 1093, freighting boats on the Escaut river, North of Antwerp. He was the cousin of Hermès in Renaix. As shown by Mr B. van Blokland (High Society The Hague, 1870), Herman de Pottere, was made esquire in Dutch Brabant (Breda) in 1093, at service of King Godfrey of Bouillon, Duke of Lorraine, Marquis of Antwerp. Herman was gearing up crusaders in the port of Bergen-Op-Zoom (Rotterdam).
37 Under Herman came a lineage with several maritime mayors, an advisor to King Charles The Rash (Geerart), an advisor to the Prince Orange of The Netherlands (Maximiliaan), a prelate of the Free State of Zeeland (Roeland in Middelbourg who had studied in Bruges), sea captain of Dutch-Scottish fleet (Roelant), great poet (Diric), key painter Paul (from Courtrai, made noble by prince of Orange). Castle of Godfrey of Bouillon (Ardennes) In the 13th centuries, Herman’s descendants splitted into four roots: - Renaix (Pottere) and Frasnes (Pottier), also carrying ancient stripes and one pot (like Jean de Pottère 1270 in Royal Library’s blazons) or three pots (like Gilles 1357); - In Saint-Omer (Pottere, Pottier), also carrying three pots as coat of arms; - In Liège (Pottier), carrying the ancient striped coat of arms, crossed by the red line; - In Mons (Pottier), old heraldic red line with a gray base field. These roots possibly all tie up into of Pottes/Pottelle and certainly into Tournai as shown on the family table and within the adventures of different amazing personalities selected…!
38 Starting in Frasnes and Renaix in 1357, a detailed book of 400 pages was published at Tradition & Vie in 1964 by Dame Henri de Potter d’Indoye, born Princess Elisabeth de Merode. The research was done during more than 20 years by father Jacques de Potter and validated by genealogist Douxchamps, with whom we went to visit uncle Jacques, in the Abbey of Rochefort. Supported by Eric Devos, Head of the Royal Archives of Renaix, this research was done by the monk de Potter, published by my aunt, Princess de Merode, promoted by my grandmother, viscountess Davignon, daughter of the President of the Royal Literature Academy. We offered a copy to prof. Paul Janssens, allied cousin, honorary chairman of the High Council of Nobility of the Kingdom. He acknowledged the work, starting before 1357 in Renaix (Ronse) and Frasnes, with evidences by genealogists Delghust (1896), Butsele (1950), Douxchamps (1964)...
39 Arms of pot craftsmen region, transferred onto the cities. With Leuder, mentioned in Liège in 1170, Gilles in 1250 in Mons, and Jacob in 1357 in Renaix, plus their cousins (Pottere and Pottier) in Frasnes in 1250 and Bruges in 1320, we can say that the oldest members of both the “Roman” and “Flemish” branches were identified accurately by these experts. The recent work by Willy Delhaye re-confirms above family ties established with the Dutch and German branches, as well, further explained below.
40 After the solid 12th and 13th century options above, follows Jacob (1400), referred to as “son of Gilles” (1357), clearly identified by the head of the Royal Archives of Renaix, with appertaining official material (reference below), with confirmed lateral link with the Frasnes ancestors. The evidence, mentioned on the picture below, is called “Document Maes”, archived in the Registrar of Renaix as early as 1357. It was produced a first time by genealogist cited below on the photograph, Dr. Delghust, and kept in the “de Potter Repository” at the Royal Archives in Renaix and Ghent. Based on the works of Maes, Butsele, Delghust, Douxchamps and Devos, the Leuven expert re-confirmed the uninterrupted family bloodline from those days until today.
41 Above archives were found in 1958 by the Rochefort fathers de Potter, published by princess de Merode and deposited with the Belgian Genalogy Office, no remarks eversince. They all worked accurately. Louis Maes, author of the “Document Maes” was a clerk of the City of Renaix. He also was our cousin, via Nicolas Maeterlinck (ancestor of Nobel Prize of Literature, Maurice Maeterlinck), also from Renaix, both related to Head of Archives Devos. Like Eric Devos, father de Potter showed us his archives and research papers at the Abbey of Rochefort in 1995, in the presence of genealogist Douxchamps. In the mean time, a book, also registered at the Genealogy Office of Belgium, did cut off three centuries in our tree. The fathers de Potter and my beloved late aunt Dame Henri de Potter d’Indoye - de Merode, plus several other experts, and me, are convinced that there is no doubt about Gilles in Renaix in 1357 to be the direct ancestor of all blue branch descendants.
42 The research hereafter is an update, further documented on our website. Any amelioration, with the Family Association are welcome. Archives files, “Repository de Potter” at the Royal Archives of both Gand/Ghent and Renaix include numerous pieces which we consulted. The example below, written by Eric Devos, Head of archives in Renaix, testifies of the official roles of related lineages “de/ le Pottier” or “de Pottere” in the administration of the Barony of Renaix during 300 years as of 1332. The vast POTTER archives (Roman, Flemish, French, Dutch…) were analyzed by (1) archivist Maes in 1760, (2) genealogist Blokland in 1870, (3) the Association of Nobility Kingdom of Belgium in 1896, (4) genealogist Delghust in 1896, (5) archivist Butsele in 1964, (6) genealogist Coppieters t’Wallant in 1950, (7) genealogist de Schietere de Lophem in 1956, (8) fathers genealogists de Potter in 1958, (9) genealogist Douxchamps in 1964, (10) over twenty archivists between 2000-2020, including Eric Devos, Head of Royal Archives of Renaix, (11) a Leuven genealogist in 2016, (12) genealogist Pieter Donche, in 2017-2019 with (13) private Nicolas de Potter d’Indoye and (14) kindly reviewed by prof. Dr. Ir. Derrick Gosselin in 2019 and (15) reinforced by ten DNA-tests by Yseq in 2020.
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44 In the 15/16th Centuries, Renaix was a booming city, exporting throughout Europe. The family of Liévin de Potter, had exercised responsibilities there for two centuries. Year after year, modernity developed and the Grand Inquisitor of the Church violently opposed this… The bloody Duke of Alba rejected the peace treaty signed by city leaders. Three Potter signees were heavily condemned. The painting by S. van Ruysdael shows the family escape, with coat of arms on the wagon. Below is the rejected “1566 Renaix Peace Compromise”, with family branches signatures. The cruel Duke of Alba cut off Liévin de Potter’s head, and banished his brother Willem and cousin Louis, with friends Van Coppenolle, t’Sersander and other protesting families. This disturbed the establishment up to Brussels where the family was led by cousins Anton and Jan.
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47 Near Pottes and Pottelles, Renaix is named after the nearby stream Ronse of the Escaut river. Border city, taken by the Franks (440), Romans (500), Vikings (800), it was often destroyed. In the 7thC it was re-built around Amand’s church, patron of beer, wine and pots makers. When Hermès’ relics arrived, count of Flanders Dampierre (x Luxemburg, x Béthune) ruled. Thereafter, textile families Cambier, Coppenolle, Potter… prospered until religious wars. Escaping fires (1478, 1518, 1553, 1573) families moved to Amsterdam, Bruges, Bremen… Work of genealogist Delghust Secret archives of the 3 fathers de Potter Rochefort Abbey
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49 Families Structure
50 GAND/GHENT Ghent with lineages in Belgium (Potter, Indoye, Zinzerling, ten Broeck), Luxembourg, Denmark, Germany (Pottere), identified by Jacques and Elisabeth de Potter. Jean-François de Potter (1737- 1801) had married Reine de Bay, daughter of the Chamberlain of Archduchess of Austria in Ghent, who included several family members, also of the green branch, into the nobelty. Jean-François de Potter Emperoress Maria-Theresia of Austria