Welsh place names in a will

[Gadget]

Copyhold, messuages or Tenements:

Copyhold  - land that was land that was  part of a Manor (which was an area of land owned by the 'Lord of the Manor)'. but was held in copyhold. Thus, it was not 'freehold' but  a little like leasehold

Messuages or Tenements - 'a dwelling house with its adjacent buildings and the lands appropriated to the use of the household'.

[Annbee]

Snippet from British Newspaper Archive "parishes of John and Saint Martin, within the Hereford, to or near the ford; and to join and communicate ock (?) and Abergavenny Canal, Ah- of Lanfoift, near the town I order of the Promoters, WILLIAM POWELL. .3t,, 1793 . ?HAT, AND WHITNEY CANAL: Notice ..."

I don't currently have a subscription. But looks like in 1793, William Powell had something to do with Canals. I think round about this time they were planning the Abergavenny Canal; and that they built it but in the end it wasn't the financial success they'd hoped.

[Gadget]

I'll have a look at the newspapers later today unless others might be able to turn it up.

[Gadget]

I take it that you've looked through the collections of the National Library of Wales. It is likely to have a considerable amount of material relevant to your research:

https://www.library.wales/

When I was researching the few wealthy ancestors that I have, the online resources there were a goldmine!  Also just background information about the landowners in the areas that I was interested in.

[Annbee]

Thanks Gadget, much appreciated. I've not had great luck at finding the (right) (and there were many) Powells in the Welsh Newspaper Archives. Despite being a reasonably good searcher in other newspaper archives. (In Australia they have a great one called Trove) (I text correct for them occasionally).

FYI, there's William Powell the Excise Officer, of Hereford and Abergavenny, his wife Rachel (who I think lived to a grand old age, she or her doppleganger was in the death notices). There's William's brother John Powell who lived on Llantillio Perthorey property, and I assume this John was father of the nephew John Powell since 2nd John inherited what his dad inherited. 2nd John Powell was a Navy Surgeon, based in Portsmouth. Definitely a surgeon early 1800s. And maybe late 1700s; he was on 2 vessels: the Vestal and the first Charwell (captured from the French and renamed Charwell).

There were also Powells in Abergavenny who were Attorneys at Law and had the same names of William, John and an additional Walter. I have their William's will as well, to cross check. They are probably cousins of some sort.

John Powell the RN Surgeon had a son called Horatio Nelson Powell who became a well known steeplechaser who trained as a lawyer in his earlier years. He is the one who figures most in newspapers. He was v. newsworthy in a calamity charmer sort of way: he maybe got drunk and attacked a cab driver when he was 23, he maybe 'frauded' someone else, certainly when he arrived in Australia quite late in his life, he was probably running from debts. In the short 10 or so years he was in Australia he clearly trod on toes and upset people. He ended up being thrown from his buggy and killed in the (then) rudimentary hot and dusty Murray River town of Echuca. (although in England it was reported as New Zealand). In his will he revoked the small amount of money he was going to leave his sister and her family - he said he was revoking the money as a consequence of their treatment of him the last time he saw them!

But I digress

Grateful for you to have a quick look, but don't go too far down the rabbit hole. There are way too many Powells down there...

[horselydown86]

I can't see an answer to Reply #9 so:

1.  Confirming it is the City of Hereford.

2:
...now in the occupation of my Brother ^John Powell to hold the same to them the s(ai)^d John Straker and^ John Lewis

their heirs Ex(ecut)ors Adm(inistrat)ors and Assigns for and during the term of ffive hundred

years to be computed from the day...

Note that Straker is an Ironmonger but Lewis is a Butcher.

3:  In the final image I believe it says:  ...Llantillio Pertholey or elsewhere in the said County...

[Gadget]

Ann - do you have William's dates, please?

I've found a  number of refs in Nat Lib and newspapers but I'm not sure if it is him.

[Annbee]

Gadget, the only dates for William Powell, Uncle and Excise Officer, are the dates on his will:

Made 13 June 1809 and Proven 5 Feb 1810. Yet I cannot find his burial (on freeREG). It sounds like he would have died shortly after making his will given that there is usually a six month period before being proven. These are the UK wide results I got on freeREG: https://www.freereg.org.uk/search_queries/6233ce88f493fd3a0e0a3436?locale=en#5818071ee93790ec75ad9f2c

Apart from his will and now the news article you found, I know nothing else about him. In his will he has wife Rachel and children William (eldest), Thomas, Elizabeth and John are named.

Nor do I have his nephew John's birth date OR his burial date/place (I have the ballpark dates when his will was proven).

[Annbee]

Thanks for library link, Gadget. I've found yet more smoking guns as to who these Powells might be. I've download two wills of Seth Powell Snr and Jnr who might be William Excise Office Powell's father and grandfather I will have to investigate on the weekend.