William Powell Esq (1658 - 1738)

Born 1658 in Llechwedd-Dyrys, Ysbyty Cynfyn, Cwmrheidol, Llanbadarn Fawr, Cardiganshire, Wales

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 8 May 1738 at about age 80 in Nanteos, Llanbadarn Fawr, Cardiganshire, Wales

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Biography

William Powell was born in 1658 in Llechwedd-Dyrys, Ysbyty Cynfyn, Cwmrheidol, Llanbadarn Fawr, Cardiganshire, Wales.

He married Avarina, daughter of Cornelius le Brun by his wife, Ann, daughter and co-heiress of John Jones of Nanteos.

^[1]

Father - William POWELL esq.

(Of Llechwedd-Dyrys) b.c1658 Llechwedd-Dyrys, Ysbyty Cynfyn, Cwmrheidol, Llanbadarn Fawr, Cardiganshire, Wales. d.1738 Nanteos, Cardiganshire, Wales. m.1697 Nanteos, Wales. Landowner

1699 to 1738

Their plaque in St Padarn church reads:

Near this place lie the Bodies of. William Powell Esq. Son of Sir Thomas Powell - Knight & of Avarina his wife Daughter of Cornelius Le Brun Esq.

She died January 9th 1728 aged 53 years

He died May 8th 1738 in the 80th year of his Age.

Having lived together upwards of 31 years in uninterrupted Harmony and Affection She among other excellencies Possessed an understanding superior to most of her Sex, and for ye good Conduct and Government of her affairs, and Family, left few Equals.

He was Master of sound sense and prudence formed on Experience, and regulated by Temper and Moderation His Duty to the best of Fathers Whose virtues and principles he inherited with his Fortune, was exceeded only by his Piety to his Creator. Both well discharged the several duties of Christians, Parents, Friends, and were re-markabIy Eminent for their singular Benevolence and Hospitality.

They had Issue three Sons; Thomas, John who died in Africa May 7th 1737, and William, and two Daughters, Eliz. and Ann.

Their Eldest Son, Out of a pious regard to the memory of his dear parents, has caused this stone to be erected.

Here also lie the bodies of William Charles, and of Ann Portrey, son and Daughter of Richd Portrey of Ynys cedwin in ye county of Brecon Esq. by the above mentioned Eliz. Both died Infants. ^[2]

The family originally resided at Llechwedd Dyrys, Cardiganshire. Sir Thomas Powell (1631-1704), Serjeant-at-law (1688), a Baron of the Exchequer and Judge of the King's Bench during the reign of James time married Elizabeth, daughter and heiress of David Lloyd (Gwyn) of Aberbrwynen. It was Sir Thomas's successful legal career which ensured the rise to local eminence of the Powell family. Thomas's son, William Powell married in 1620, Avarina, daughter of Cornelius le Brun by his wife, Ann, daughter and co-heiress of John Jones of Nanteos. After this period Llechwedd Ddyrys became unoccupied and was later abandoned and became a ruin.

William and Ann's heir was their eldest son, Thomas Powell, M.P. for Cardigan Boroughs 1725-1727 and for Cardiganshire 1727-1742. He married Mary, grand-daughter of Sir John Frederick, Lord Mayor of London in 1662. They built the Georgian mansion on the site which was completed in 1757. On Thomas's death in 1752 the estate devolved on his surviving brother, Dr William Powell (1705-1780). Through the marriage of his sister Anna to Richard Stedman, the extensive lands of the Ystrad Fflur (Strata Florida) estate came to the Powells, including Strata Florida Abbey. Following this acquisition, the Powells owned 30,000 acres from Devil's Bridge and Ponterwyd to Aberystwyth, including extensive sheep walks above Llanddewibrefi.

William was succeeded by his son, Thomas (1745-1797), whose heir was his eldest son, William Edward Powell (1788-1854). The latter was M.P. for Cardiganshire 1816-1854 and Lord Lieutenant for the county. He purchased an army commission and left the running of the estate to agents. The estate, due partially to a series of family settlements, was heavily in debt. When William came of age in 1809 the debt amounted to over £20,000. He made some attempt to retrieve the situation, arranging for the sale of his un-entailed property at Llanbrynmair, Montgomeryshire in 1823, but he also spent £2,880 on improvements to the mansion which were completed in 1847.^[3]

The estate passed to William's son, William T.R. Powell (1815-1878), M.P. for Cardiganshire, 1859-1865, who sold parts of the estate to the value of £80,000 between 1868 and 1873. According to the return of owners of land, he owned an estimated 30,573 acres in Wales (in Cardiganshire, Breconshire and Montgomeryshire) with an estimated rental of £9,372.

He died May 8th 1738 in the 80th year of his Age.

William T.R. Powell's heir was his eldest son, George Ernest John Powell (1842-1884), poet, scholar and friend of Byron, Swinburne, Longfellow and Wagner.He was succeeded by his father's cousin, William Beauclerk Powell (1834-1911), who along with his son, Edward Athleston Lewis Powell (1870-1930) sold extensive tracts of land which saw the estate dwindle to 4,000 acres. Edward married Margaret Louisa Joan, eldest daughter of Sir Pryse Pryse of Gogerddan, thereby uniting the two declining houses. Their only son, William Edward George Pryse Wynne Powell (b. 1899) was killed in action in France.

Various claims of male relations to the estate were rejected and when Edward Powell died in 1930, the male line of the Powells came to an end. A descendant of Edward Powell's widow, Elizabeth Mirylees, succeeded to Nanteos. Most of the remaining 2,250 acres and the house were sold in 1967.

^[4][5]

Reverend William Powell D.C.L. completed the present building of Nanteos,

With the sudden death of his brother Thomas Powell in 1752, William took over the estate, and completing the build of Nanteos as the lead drain pipe heads show. ^[6]

Research Notes

Llanbadarn Fawr

"LLANBADARN-VAWR (LLAN-BADARN-VAWR a parish comprising the sea-port, borough, and market and post town of Aberystwith, from which the church is one mile distant, to the south-east, and the hamlets of Broncastellan and Clarach, in the upper division, and those of Cwrnrheidol, Elerch, Isâ yn Dre', Uchâ yn Dre', Isâ yn Vainor, Uchâ yn Vainor, Melindwr, Parcel-Canol and Trêvirig in the lower division of the hundred of GENEU'R GLYN; and the hamlets of Llanbadarn Isâ yn y Croythen and Llanbadarn Uchâ yn y Croythen, each of all these hamlets maintaining its own poor, in the upper division of the hundred of ILAR county of CARDIGAN, SOUTH WALES; and containing 9824 inhabitants......"

[From Samuel Lewis's A Topographical Dictionary of Wales 1833]

A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry of Great ..., Volume 2

By Bernard Burke (https://books.google.com/books?id=yEtNAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA1205&lpg=PA1205&dq=~genealogy+William+Powell+Cardiganshire,+Wales&source=bl&ots=JxBifYroxO&sig=ACfU3U3sB3u6cP9LZU3TWBLDhLNxNWUPNA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwixhazb4IXjAhWmB50JHbn0AFwQ6AEwCXoECAkQAQ#v=onepage&q=~genealogy%20William%20Powell%20Cardiganshire%2C%20Wales&f=false)

Sources

1. ↑ POWELL family, of Nanteos (and anciently of Llechwedd-dyrus), near Aberystwyth
2. ↑ Memorial Plaque at St Padarn Church, Llanbadarn Fawr, Wales
3. ↑ A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Commoners of Great Britain and Ireland Enjoying Territorial Possessions Or High Official Rank, But Uninvested with Heritable Honours, Vol 1, By John Burke page 230
4. ↑ William Powell, of Nanteos
5. ↑ Powells of Castle Castle Madoc
6. ↑ Reverend William Powell D.C.L. completed the present building of Nanteos

• POWELL family, of Nanteos (and anciently of Llechwedd-dyrus), near Aberystwyth

• William Powell, of Nanteos

Acknowledgements