Arthur Thomas Potts was born on 24th December 1895 at Aston-by-Sutton and baptised on 26th January 1896 at St Peter’s, Aston. He was the son of Samuel Potts, who was born in 1869 at Dutton and his wife Alice (nee Lewis) who was born at Oakmere in 1868. The father was a warehouseman.
In 1901 the family were living on Northwich Road in Aston and Samuel was a horseman on a farm.
Ten years later they were still living in Aston and Samuel was employed as a railway platelayer. Arthur Thomas was working as an errand boy in an oil works and Alice looked after the house and family. Arthur Thomas was their only child.
Arthur Thomas first saw service in the Great War in the Royal Field Artillery. He was given the service number 118026 when he attested on 9th December 1915, serving until 8th March 1919 under that number. He was with the 27th Brigade, 121? Battalion. In September 1916 he was hospitalised briefly to no. 34 Casualty Station, having had one month of active service. He was in France in 1916, 1917, 1918 and into 1919. He was wounded in August 1917, but he recovered and rejoined his unit. The absent voters list for Aston in 1918 recorded him as a gunner with the 14th Battalion of the 4th Brigade of the RFA. He attested again after the war ended, on 9th March 1919, whilst in Germany. He was still a gunner with the Royal Artillery, but he was assigned a new service number of 1031429. At the time he was 23 years and three months old and was a cable maker in civilian life. He was finally discharged from war service on 31st March 1921, over two years after the Armistice.
In late 1934 Arthur Thomas Potts married Isabel Croudace Sanderson, who had been born in 1900 in Sunderland. They were married in the Runcorn registration district. They would not appeared to have had any children.
The 1939 Register recorded the couple as living at Northwich Lane End in Dutton, next to his parents. Arthur was a railway permanent way labourer (a lengthman) on the London Midland and Scottish Railway. Isabel looked after the home. Arthur was designated as an Air Raid Warden.
Arthur’s father passed away in 1952. It is not known when his mother died.
Arthur Thomas Potts died in 1985 in the Vale Royal district. He was 89 years old. Isabel passed away early the next year.