The Family of the Powell's of Nanteos

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The family of the Powell's of Nanteos

The earliest known inhabitant of Nanteos was Colonel John Jones, who raised the Cardiganshire Militia in support of King Charles I during the Civil War. He had three daughters, Mary, Anne, and Elinor. Anne succeeded to the estate on her father’s death in 1666.

Anne Jones married Cornelius Le Brun (1627-1703), he was born in Cologne, Germany. He came to Wales to work in the lead and silver mines as a mining engineer. After making his fortune he became High Sheriff of Cardiganshire in 1674. When he died in 1705, Nanteos was left to his only daughter, Averina, who married William Powell of Llechwedd Dyrus. William Powell was the son of Sir Thomas Powell K.C. who was knighted by King James II in 1688 and became one of the Judges of the King’s Bench.

Sir Thomas Powell K.C. (1632–1705) married Elizabeth Lloyd 1620

Children - Richard Powell

William Powell (1658-1738) married Averina Le Brun (1675-1728)

Anne Powell married Sir Thomas Owen

Sir Thomas Powell K.C. (1632–1705)

The Powell family came initially from Llechwedd Dyrus, just slightly south-west of Nanteos. They came into possession of the Nanteos Estate in 1699, on the marriage of William Powell to Averina Le Brun of Nanteos. Nanteos then became the family seat of the Powells and remained so for the next 250 years. The mansion standing there today was built in 1739, with the porch, extensions and stables being added during the 1840s and 60s. The Powell’s former house at Llechwedd Dyrus was abandoned and sadly no evidence of it survives today.

William Powell and Avarina Le Brun married in 1699, they had five children.

Thomas Powell (1699–1752)

Anne Powell (1702-1778) Married Richard Stedman (died 1746) 2nd Herbert Lloyd (1719-1769)

Children - Elizabeth Stedman 1724– 734

Averina Stedman 1726-1726

William Powell (1705-1780)

John Powell – died in Africa 7th May 1737

Elizabeth Powell

When William died in 1738, the estate was passed on to his eldest son, Thomas, who immediately began to build the present house at Nanteos. He was married to Mary Frederick, granddaughter of Sir John Frederick (1601–1685), who was Lord Mayor of London in 1622 and it was her wealth that built Nanteos, we see today. Sadly, before completion of the mansion and while attending Parliament, Thomas died of an apoplectic fit in a street in London at the age of 52. He had no issue though did have an illegitimate son who lived at Nanteos, though not much is known about him.

Thomas Powell (1699–1752), with his wife Mary.

Nanteos was left to Thomas’ brother, the Reverend William Powell, who took over the estate in 1752. William carried on with the building of the mansion, completing it in the late 1750s. His initials, W.P., and the year 1757 can be seen on the lead drainpipe heads. He married Elizabeth Owen, eldest daughter of Athelstan Owen of Rhiwsaeson, Montgomeryshire. William was ordained deacon of Lincoln in 1731 and was made Doctor of Civil Law in 1763. He died in 1780 leaving a son, Thomas, and daughter, Corbetta Williamia.

Reverend William Powell (1705-1780) (© www.artwarefineart.com)

Thomas Powell (1745-1797)

Corbetta Williamia Powell (1757-1831) married William Lewis Llanerchaeron

Children John William Lewis (1855–1917)

Eliza Williama Lewis (1863-1849)

On the death of William Powell in 1780, the estate was left to his son Thomas Powell (1745-1797) married Eleanor Maurice Corbett of Ynysmaengwyn, Merioneth and became High Sheriff of the County of Cardiganshire in 1785. They had five children.

William Edward Powell (1788–1854) married Laura Phelp (1787-1822)

Children William Thomas Rowland Powell (1815–1878)

Cornelius Powell (1817 -1964)

Elinor Elizabeth Powell (1793–1876) married 1812 Edward Phelp in Dublin

Thomas Powell died in infancy and buried with his father.

Richard Owen Powell (1796 -1859) married Harriet Ann Wynne, Caernarfon

Children Elinor Laura Powell (1829-

Athelstan Owen Powell (1832-1874)

William Beauclerc Powell (1834-1911)

Harriot Sydney Powell (1836-?)

Elen Elizabeth Powell (1838-?)

William Robert Maurice Wynne Powell (1840-?)

Anne Corbetta Powell (1840-?)

Owen Stanley Powell (1842-?)

(All children of Richard Owen Powell were born at Nanteos)

Anna Corbetta Hannah Maria Powell (1796-1860) married Roderick Richardes, Penglais in 1820, (with deed of separation in 1848).

Children – Alexander Richardes

Roderick Richardes

Averina Richardes

Maria Richardes

Charles Richardes

Cornelius Richards

When Thomas died on the 8thMay 1797, aged 52, the estate was left to his eldest son, William Edward, who was then only nine years of age and too young to take over the estate. In the interim Eleanor took her four children to France and Nanteos was let out until 1809, when William Edward was old enough to take over the estate at the age of 21

By 1810 William was High Sheriff and married Laura Edwina Phelp, eldest daughter of James Sacksville Tufton Phelp of Coston House, Leicestershire. They had two sons, William Thomas Rowland born in 1815 and Cornelius born in 1817.

William Edward Powell (1788-1854)

He married Laura Phelp, the eldest daughter of James Sackville Tufton Phelp of Coston House, Leicestershire in 1810, and they had two sons, William Thomas Rowland (b.1815) and Cornelius (b.1817). Laura died in 1822, leaving two young children. William subsequently remarried in 1841, taking as his wife Harriet Dell, the widow of George Ackers of Moreton Hall, Cheshire.

The Welshman 7 May 1841 - ‘On the 21st at Campton, Bedfordshire, Colonel Powell of Nanteos M.P. for Cardiganshire, to Harriot Dell Ackers, widow of the late George Ackers, Esq., of Moreton Hall, Cheshire’.

William Thomas Rowland Powell (1815-1878) married Rosa Edwyna Cherry 16 May 1839, (deed of separation in 1854).

Children George Ernest John Powell (1842–1882)

Stillborn Daughter August 24th1843

Harriot Edwyna Powell (1844–1857)

Cornelius Powell (1817-1864) married Mary Saunders 20 April 1951 Holyhead Anglesey.

Children Cornelius Le Brun Powell (1852-1927)

Athelstan Charles Powell (1855-1923)

George Frederick William Powell (1856-1906)

Laura M Saunders Powell (1862-?)

Pryse Saunders Valentine Powell (1864-?)

William Edward Powell seems to have lived something of a double life, however! He had a long-term liaison with Miss Mary Selina Genet of Britannia Street, London, which spanned both his marriages. He had four children with her: Edward William (b.1816), Frederick James (b.1819), Henry James (b.1825), and Emma Mary (b.1830). William Edward Powell was named as the father on all their baptismal records.

Little is known of Mary Genet and her family, but all the children were well educated and provided for, and in William Edward’s last will and testament (1853) each member of the Genet family was to receive £50. The family later emigrated to New Zealand, where their descendants live to this day.

William Edward Powell died in 1854, and left his estate to his eldest son William Thomas Rowland Powell.

William Thomas Rowland Powell (1815–1878)

William Thomas Rowland Powell married Rosa Edwyna Cherry (1818-1860), eldest daughter of William George Cherry of Buckland, Herefordshire, in 1839. They had a very turbulent marriage, which ended in a nasty separation in 1854. They had two children, George born in 1842 and Harriot in 1844. Harriet sadly dies of consumption at the age of 13 at Nanteos.

William Thomas Rowland Powell was a Member of Parliament from 1859 until 1865, when he resigned due to ill health. He died in 1878 leaving the estate to his only son, George.

George Ernest John Powell (1842-1882)

George Ernest John Powell married Dinah Thomas Harris 10 May 1881 at St, Matthew St. Pancras, Camden, London.

No Children

On his father’s death in 1878, George returned to Nanteos to run the family estate. He became High Sheriff of Cardiganshire in 1880, and the following year married Dinah Harris from Goodwick, Fishguard. Unfortunately, however, George died childless a year later at the age of forty.

The estate then passed to his cousin, William Beauclerc Powell (1834-1911), who at the time lived in Llanfair Dyffryn near Ruthin in North Wales. He had married Anna Maria Lewis, the third daughter of David Lewis, of Bronavon, Cardiganshire in 1864, and they had a son, Edward, who was born in 1870.

William Beauclerc Powell (1834-1911) married Anna Maria Lewis (1834-1911), of Bronavon.

Children Edward Athelstan Lewis Powell (1970-1930)

William and Anna Maria lived at Nanteos for over 30 years and died within days of each other in 1911 and Nanteos estate was left in the hands of their only son Edward.

Edward Athelstan Lewis Powell (1870-1930)

Edward Athelstan Lewis Powell (1970-1930) married Margaret Louisa Joan Powell (1862–1951) of Gogerddan on the 4thFebruary 1897. It was a marriage that united two of the largest estates in Cardiganshire.

Margaret Louisa Joan Powell (1862–1951)

Children William Edward George Pryse Wynne Powell (1899-1918)

They lived in Rhydyfirian, the dowager house of the Nanteos estate, just under a mile from the mansion of Nanteos. They had one son, William, born in 1899. Edward bequeathed the Nanteos estate on the death of his parents in 1911.

Sadly, their marriage was scarred by tragedy. Their son William was killed in action in Buvignies, France during the First World War on the 6thNovember 1918, five days before armistice. Nanteos was in full victory celebration when the telegram with the news of poor William arrived.

A memorial to William E. G. P. W. Powell stands in South Gate, Aberystwyth to his memory, built and paid for by the tenants of Nanteos. It was unveiled by Lord Ystwyth in 1921.

William Edward George Pryse Wynne Powell (1899-1918)

Edward Powell died in 1930 aged 60 years, leaving Margaret to manage the Nanteos estate until her death in 1951.

Below is a list of the individual’s life span period as head of household at Nanteos

William Powell (b.1659–d.1738) 1699–1738 39 years

Thomas Powell (b.1699–d.1752) 1738–1757 19 years

Reverend William Powell (b.1705–d.1780) 1757–1780 23 years

Thomas Powell (b.1745–d.1797) 1780–1797 17 years

William Edward Powell (b.1788–d.1854) 1809–1854 45 years

William Thomas Rowland Powell (b.1815–d.1878) 1854–1878 24 years

George Ernest John Powell (b.1842–d.1882) 1878–1882 4 years

William Beauclerc Powell (b.1834–d.1911) 1882–1911 29 years

Edward Athelstan Lewis Powell (b.1870–d.1930) 1911–1930 19 years

Margaret Louisa Joan (Pryse) Powell (b.1862–d.1951) 1930–1951 21 years

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