John Potter and His Associates

This house was built c. 1750 by Mr Thomas Nevin's son William, then owned by
Edward Southwell (Lord de Clifford) in 1777.
It was leased and then bought by James Crawford in 1799
and then by Richard Stitt in 1816 for £1500.
Copied from Ros Davies County Down site

As this review of John Potter's life and family have proceeded, certain names recur. There is, for example, James Crawford. He lived in English Street, Downpatrick, and was a partner in the Ballydugan Mill enterprise. Beyond this, he was also a member of the Downpatrick Whig Club in 1790. He too bought up lands and properties in the area, including Marlborough House, and in 1812 signed a petition for Catholic emancipation.

Then there is John Auchinleck of Strangford, another of the partners in the Ballydugan Mill project. According to the Ros Davies County Down site, in addition to having a distillery, he was in partnership with Thomas Parkinson in another smuggling operation from Quoile and Strangford. None of this prevented him from becoming a county magistrate and deputy lieutenant, and leaving substantial legacies to his sons after his death in 1800.

A common theme, however, running through these families seems to be their membership of the Downpatrick Whig Club in 1790. The French Revolution had taken place the previous year, and it was only six years since the conclusion of the American War of Independence. In both Downpatrick and in Ireland more widely, there were those who not unnaturally turned their minds to enhanced rights and liberties closer to home. Yet another dramatic episode was about to erupt, which would challenge the members of the Downpatrick discussion and debating groups to decide yet again what horse they were going to back as the Irish pot boiled over once more.