18th Century diamond cutting workshop
Joseph Potter's wealthy relations
In his Memoirs, recalling the year 1792, Joseph Potter writes:
"We arrived safe in the River Thames and moor'd her abreast of the Tower of London. It came into my mind concerning a rich uncle I had in London which I had never seen, likewise two of my father's oldest sons of his first wife's children, Thomas and Ralph Potter ...... He died possessed of about one hundred thousand pounds besides all Bell Alley, Coleman Street, belonged to him. He died when I was an infant and my mother alive, but Thomas and Ralph never once wrote to acquaint my mother with his death as the two shared the effects between them.
They took a trip to Madras and Bengal in India where they stayed for some years. They returned and bought an estate each of them. Thomas was at last through high life gambling entirely reduced to poverty. Ralph proved at last to have more conduct and at last left England to go to Paris (rue de Bell de Chase, Paris), diamond merchant - this deceased uncle having brought them up to diamond cutting and polishing and at that time it was the most profitable business in England."
Henry Potter, of St. Stephen, Coleman Street, London, diamond cutter, made his will 10 July 1777; the will was proved 3 March 1779. National Archives, Prob/11/1051.
