Notes for William POWELL

VanGundy Family Tree


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Notes for William POWELL

William was described as a man of character and worth, a gentleman ofgreat name and fortune, a trusted friend of John Smith, one of thelargest planters in the colony.

Residences & events:

Wales/England

12/19/1606 Blackwell, Eng. William sailed aboard ship with Capt.John Smith either on the Godspeed, Discovery, or the Sarah Constant,there was a William Powell on each of them.

4/20/1607 Chesapeake, VA, just below Jamestown. The ship arrived inAmerica.

Another source states: "Capt Powell and his first wife, ElizabethWelles, came to America aboard the ill-fated "Sea Venture" which wasshipwrecked in Bermuda in 1609. The ship became wedged between tworocks that kept it from sinking. From the wreckage and from timberfrom the island, they were able to construct two smaller ships andcontinue on to Virginia in 1610." It is difficult to say whatactually took place considering the next item.

1611 Apparently William crisscrossed the ocean often. He returned toAmerica with Sir Thomas Gates on the Sea Venture.

1617 He was a Capt of the Governor's Guards, Lt Gov and commander atJamestown.

7/30/1619 He sat in the first House of Burgess Assemby as arepresentive of James City Co, the same year Nathaniel Powell was 1stActing Gov of VA and 1st Pres of the Assembly Council. He was thefirst to learn of the Indian's plot to massacre the colonists thissame date.

He owned a "200 acre tract in the Territory of Tappahannock(Rappahannock?) over against James City, VA," and another 550-600acres in the same vicinity. His plantation across the river fromJamestown was called Chipokes and is now a state park with some
original buildings still standing.

From history is the following:
"Captaine William Powell prefented to the Affembly a petition tohave juftice againft a lewde and trecherous servante of his who byfalfe accufation given up in writing to the Governor fought not onlyto gett him depofed from his government of James citty and utterly(according to the Proclamation) to be degraded from the place andtitle of a Captaine, but to take his life from him alfo. And fo outof the faid Petition fprang this order following: 'Captaine WilliamPowell prefented a Petition to the generall Affembly againft oneThomas Garnett, a servant of his, not only for extreame neglect of hisbufineff to the great loft and prejudice of the laid Captaine, and foropenly and impudently abufing his house, in fight both of Mafter andMiftreffe, through wantonnes with a woman fervant of theirs, awiddowe, but alfo for falfely accufing him to the Governor both ofDrunkenes & Thefte, and betiides for bringing all his fellow fervantsto teftifie on his side, wherein they juftly failled him. It wasthought fitt by the general affembly (the Governor himfelfe givingfentence), that he should ftand fower dayes with his eares nayled tothe Pillory, viz: Wednesday, Aug. 4th, and fo likewife Thurfday,fryday, and Satturday next following, and every of thofe lower dayesshould be publiquely whipped. Now, as touching tim neglecte of hisworke, what fatisfaction ought to be made to his Mr for that isreferred to the Governour and Counfell of Eftate.'"

And again:
"This day alfo did the Inhabitants of Pafpaheigh, alias Argall'stowne, prefent a petition to the general affembly to give them anabfo-lute difchardge from certaine bondes wherin they ftand boung toCaptina Samuell Argall for the paymt of 600G, and to Captin Williampowell, at Captaine Argall's appointment, for the paymt of 50G more.To Captaine Argall for 15 fkore acres of wooddy ground, called by thename of Argal's towne or Pafpaheigh; to Captaine Powell in respect ofhis paines in clearing the grounde and building the houfes, for wchCaptaine Argal ought to have given him fatisfaction. Nowe, thegeneral affembly being coubtful whether they have any power andauthority to difchardge the Faid bondes, doe by there prefents (attime Inftance of the laid Inhabitants of Pafpaheighs, alias Martin'shundred people) become molt humble futours to the Trefurer, Confelland Company in England that they wilbe pleafed to gett the faid bondesfor 600G to be cancelled; forasmuche as in their great comiffion theyhave expreffly and by name appointed that place of Pafpaheigh forparle of the Governor's lande. And wheas Captain William Powell ispayde this 50G wch Captain Argall enjoined the faide In-habitantes toprefente him with, as parte of the bargaine, the general affembly, attheir intreaty, do become futours on their behalfe, that CaptaineArgall, by the Counfell & Company in England, may be compelled eitherto reftore tim laid 50G from thence, or elfe that reftitu-tion therofbe made here out of the goods of the laid Captaine Argall."

1622 He was sent out on an expedition to revenge the massacre of GovNathaniel Powell and wife, being killed himself in 1623. At the timehe was acting administrator of Nathaniel's estate, leaving settlementto others.

Upon William's death a younger brother, also named William, filed apetition from England to claim the Capt's estate but it wasn't until1650 when Capt William's son, George, died that the younger Williaminherited anything. (The younger William's last name was Powerr inthe original petition.)

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