Frederick Pottinger

Who was Frederick Pottinger?

Sir Frederick William Pottinger, 2nd Baronet, police inspector, was born in India, son of Lieutenant-General Sir Henry Pottinger of the British East India Company, and his wife Susanna Maria, née Cooke, of Dublin.

He was educated privately and in 1844–47 at Eton, Pottinger purchased a commission in the Grenadier Guards in 1850 and served in England until 1854. Active in social life, he lost much of his adoring mother's wealth on the race-course. In 1856 he succeeded his father as second baronet and soon dissipated his inheritance. Forced by debt to leave England, he migrated to Sydney. After failing on the goldfields he joined the New South Wales police force as a mounted trooper. A superb horseman, he spent the next few years on the gold escort between Gundagai and Goulburn.

Probably because of conditions imposed by his family who still supported him with funds, Pottinger kept his title secret but in 1860 it was discovered by the inspector-general of police, John McLerie, and promotion came rapidly. In November he became clerk of petty sessions at Dubbo and on 1 October 1861 assistant superintendent of the Southern Mounted Patrol.