Papers of John B. Potts

This collection of papers comprises a variety of documents relating to matters of the 'Exclusive Brethren', including notes from readings given at meetings, minutes and photographs, with the largest part of the collection being copies of circulated correspondence. These circulars cover a range of thoughts on the nature and direction of the Brethren with particular emphasis on divisions throughout the United Kingdom after 1970, the activities of individuals within the 'Exclusive Brethren' and lengthy considerations on the application of Biblical passages to events within the Brethren.

The collection will be of interest to researchers of the Exclusive Brethren, fundamentalist Christian groups, divisions within Brethren and Christian groups during the mid to late twentieth century and Brethren missionaries in the twentieth century.

John B. Potts lived on the Isle of Wight all his life. He grew up attending the Exclusive Brethren meetings at Newport, Carsbrooke and latterly, Freshwater. [More detailed biographical sketch to follow].

The collection was arranged in separate folders and this order has been maintained in its original state. Each folder has been arranged by document type and in chronological order.

The collection is divided into seven series:

• Circulated correspondence covering various topics of interest, notes on readings and accounts of events, Biblical passages, time line and ancestry tree, photographs and an atlas of meetings

• Papers regarding divisions in Scotland

• Correspondence regarding Brethren practices in Germany

• Correspondence regarding divisions

• Correspondence regarding divisions

• Correspondence regarding divisions

• Correspondence regarding divisions

The collection is open to any accredited reader unless otherwise stated.

The collection includes material which is subject to the Data Protection Act 1998. Under Section 33 of the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA), The University of Manchester Library (UML) holds the right to process personal data for research purposes. The Data Protection (Processing of Sensitive Personal Data) Order 2000 enables the UML to process sensitive personal data for research purposes. In accordance with the DPA, UML has made every attempt to ensure that all personal and sensitive personal data has been processed fairly, lawfully and accurately. Users of the archive are expected to comply with the Data Protection Act 1998, and will be required to sign a form acknowledging that they will abide by the requirements of the Act in any further processing of the material by themselves.

Open parts of this collection, and the catalogue descriptions, may contain personal data about living individuals. Some items in this collection may be closed to public inspection in line with the requirements of the DPA. Restrictions/closures of specific items will be indicated in the catalogue.

Gregory Morris

Photocopies and photographic copies of material in the archive can be supplied for private study purposes only, depending on the condition of the documents.

A number of items within the archive remain within copyright under the terms of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988; it is the responsibility of users to obtain the copyright holder's permission for reproduction of copyright material for purposes other than research or private study.

Prior written permission must be obtained from the Library for publication or reproduction of any material within the archive. Please contact the Head of Special Collections, John Rylands Library, 150 Deansgate, Manchester, M3 3EH.

This collection of papers was given by John B. Potts to Gregory Morris, his great nephew and the depositor, on the understanding that it would be given to the Brethren Archive at the University of Manchester Library.

None expected.

There are further papers and printed circulars relating to divisions in the Exclusive Brethren in the Papers of Gordon Simmonds GB 133 GWS

B.R. Wilson, 'The Exclusive Brethren: A Case Study in the Evolution of a Sectarian Ideology' in B.R. Wilson (ed.), Patterns of Sectarianism (London: Heineman, 1967).

B.R. Wilson, '"The Brethren": A Current Sociological Appraisal', (Sheffield: Duplicopy, 1981).

Roger Shuff, Searching for the True Church (Carlisle: Paternoster, 2005).