Nanteos Book
Death of William Thomas Rowland Powell
The Cardiganshire Observer and General Advertiser for the Counties of Cardigan Carmarthen and Pembroke.
25 May 1878
Deaths
POWELL = On the 13th inst. At Norwood, Col. W. T. R. Powell, of Nanteos, Aberystwyth, D.L. and formerly M.P. for the county of Cardigan aged 64 years.
Cambrian News & Merionethshire Standard
17 May 1878
The news of the death of Colonel Powell in London, on Monday evening, reached Aberystwyth on the following day. He left Nanteos for Nice towards the end of last November, and was on his return journey when he was taken ill and died. Colonel Powell was in his 64th year. He had been an invalid for many years, and the news of his decease was not surprising. His remains were brought into Aberystwyth from London on Thursday evening, and will be interred in the family vault on Saturday. The funeral, it is believed, will be strictly private, as far as the family is concerned, but it is expected that a large number of the deceased gentleman's tenants, and many others from Aberystwyth will follow him to the grave. The news was sorrowfully received at Tregaron and Aberystwyth, where Colonel Powell held extensive property. At the latter place shutters were put up, and flags at the pier head, and on the ships in the harbour, hoisted half-mast high. His loss will be deeply felt at Tregaron, where he was always ready to aid the people in every improvement, whether it concerned their private or public life. Colonel Powell for six years represented the county of Cardigan in Parliament. He was first elected M.P. for his native county in 1859, but retired at the General Election of 1865. Colonel Powell was a J.P. and D.L. for the county of Cardigan Captain inthe 37th Regimennd Lieutenant- Colonel in the Cardigan Militia. He was eldest son of the late William Edward Powell, Esq., of Nan- teos, M.P. for the county of Cardigan from 1816 to 1854, and for many years Lord Lieutenant, by Laura Edwina, daughter of James Sackville T. Phelp, Esq., of Coston House, Leicestershire. He was horn at Swansea, 4th August, 1815 educated at Westminster School; married 1839, Rosa Edwyna, daughter of George Cherry, Esq., of Buckland, Herefordshire, and has surviving issue one son, George Ernest J. Powell. He succeeded on the death of his father, 1854.
Funeral of William Thomas Rowland Powell
The Aberystwith Observer
25th May 1878
Funeral of the Late Colonel Powell. On Saturday morning the last remains of the late Colonel Powell were conveyed from Nanteos to Llanbadarn Fawr Church and deposited in the family vault. At about eleven o’clock the mourning cortege left Nanteos, and slowly wended its way along the beautiful country road, over which the departed had so many times travelled in the full enjoyment of health, strength, and manly vigour. The order of the procession was:- Undertaker; tenants; hearse, containing the body, drawn by four horse; two mourning coaches; Mr Parry, Mr G. T. Smith, Mr J Jenkins (registrar of County Court), Mr J. F. Hickling, walking; Sir Pryse Pryse’s carriage, Mr Vaughan Davies’s carriage Mr. Loxdales’s carriage, Mr J. G. W. Bonsall’s carriage; Mr J. Parry’s (Glanpaith) carriage, Miss Davies’s (Cwmedwig) carriage, Mrs Lewis’s (Glanaeron) carriage, Mr Morris Davies’s (Ffosrhydgaled) carriage, two mourning coaches, Mr L. P. Pugh’s (Abermaide) carriage, Mrs Parry’s (Llidiade) carriage, carriage containing Messrs J. D. Williams (Tregaron) Joseph Arch (Strata Florida) J. Rowlands (Ystrad), carriage containing B. H. Oakes, H. Hughes, jun., and B. E. Morgan. All along the route there were crowds of people, who swelled out the ranks of the procession, so that when it arrived at Llanbadarn churchyard it had assumed gigantic proportions. At the railway crossing the cortege was met by the officers of the militia, of which the deceased was for many years Lieut-Colonel. The officers were Colonel Lloyd Phillips, Captain Williams (Wallog), Captain D. Thomas, Captain Williams, Surgeon-major Morris Jones, Captain and Adjutant G. Wid, Lieutenant Leir, Lieutenant Bonsall and Lieutenant Winwood. At the churchyard gate the body was met by the Rev. John Pugh vicar if Llanbadarn who, in solemn cadence, read a portion of the beautiful and impressive service of the Church of England. Arrived inside, the coffin was placed on a bier and covered with a Union Jac, the corners being held by the officers. The remainder of the service was then gone through, and the coffin placed in the family vault. The coffin, which was polished oak and mounted with brass, bore the plate of the following inscription
Lieut- Colonel
William Thomas Rowland Powell,
Died 13th May 1878,
Aged 62.
The pulpit, reading desk, and harmonium were draped in black. On entering and leaving the church Mr Jones played the ‘Dead March on Saul’ in a most impressive manner. The church was crowded with people of all ages and sexes, who listened with marked silence to the words that fell from the lips of the vicar.
The mourners were Mr G. E. J. Powell, son of the deceased; Major Phelps; Mr Cornelius Le Brun Powell, and Mr Athelstan Charles Powell, nephews of the deceased; Dr Jackson; Mr H. E. Taylor, Chester; Mr Todd, the family solicitor.
Among these present who had assembled to pay the last tribute of respect to their departed friend we noticed Sir Pryse Pryse, Bart.; Revs. Canon Phillips; O. Davies, Tregaron; J. Jones, Ystrad Meurig; J. Rees, Bangor; and T. A. Penry; Major Bassett Lewis; Drs Gilbertson, C. Rice Williams, T. D Harris, J. Roberts, and J. M. Jones; Alderman Thomas Jones; Messrs Morris Davies; Vaughan Davies; J. T Morgan; E. Jones, Gwynfryn; H. J. Parry, Rhydyfelin; F. Temple; D. Roberts, mayor; F. R. Roberts, Clerk of the Peace; A. J. Hughes; J. M. Davies, coroner, Antaron; Jones, Llanrhystud; Roderick Richardes, Penglais; H.E. Taylor; Lewis Williams; Capt. G. F. Hughes; Davies, Rhiwlas, D. H. Evans; Edward Cole; William Morgan; J. Morgan, Pier Street; E. P. Wynne; J. Evans, Pier Street; J. J. Davies; E. Owen; R. Williams; J. James, Dolau; J. R. J. R. Jones; G. Jones, Northgate House; J. Richards, Market Street; R. Jones, agent; G. H. Thomas, Penparke; J. Griffiths; R. Hughes, chemist; J. Jones, Bridge End; J. Morgan, Gwarallt; Thomas Powell, William Julian; G. Careswell; Thomas Abbott; Supt. J. Lloyd; Edward Jones’s school. The body lay in state on Friday and Saturday in the Dining room at Nanteos. The undertakers were Messrs W. Garstin and Sons, 5, Welbeck-street, Cavendish Square, London, W.
A posse of police, under the command of Supt. J. Lloyd, were on the spot to maintain order, and it is worthy of remark, that, notwithstanding the large crowd of persons assembled in the church, churchyard, and street, amongst whom there was naturally a great number of children, proverbial for their mischievous propensities on any and every occasion, there was not the least disturbance, in fact, the silence and reverence was not marked, showing to what a great extent was the reverence felt by all ages for the departed gentleman.
