Joseph Potter

Joseph Potter (1756–1842), was an English architect and builder from Lichfield, Staffordshire in the United Kingdom. Potter had a considerable practice in Staffordshire and its neighbouring counties in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century. Potter lived in Pipehill, south-west of Lichfield, and had his office in St John's Street. Joseph Potter's son Joseph Potter Jnr. took over his father's practice after his death and went on to design many of his own buildings in the late nineteenth century. Biography Early in Joseph Potter's career as an architect, he was employed by James Wyatt (a prominent architect at the time) to supervise the alterations to Lichfield Cathedral in 1788–93 and Hereford Cathedral in 1790–93. In this period he also worked under Wyatt in the repair to St Michael's Church, Coventry (now St Michael's Cathedral) in 1794 and the rebuilding of Plas Newydd, Anglesey for the 1st Marquess of Anglesey. At Plas Newydd it is thought Potter is solely responsible for the design and build of the gothic chapel. Potter became the established architect at Lichfield Cathedral, overseeing repairs to the south-west spire in 1794, the restoration of the vaults in the north transept in 1795–97 and restoration of the west face of the cathedral in 1820–22. Potter was the county surveyor of Staffordshire for 45 years until his death in 1842. Potter was also an engineer for the Grand Trunk Canal Company.