Old Burying Ground, Littleton, Massachusetts
POWERS walter historical markerPowers
Rev. Grant Powers of Goshen, Ct., has left a manuscript record, from his grandmother, the widow of Capt. Peter Powers of Hollis, N. H. that Walter landed at Salem in 1654, and that he married the daughter of a London tailor, which is probably correct, and that she was born at Weymouth, Massachusetts.
At the time of their marriage, Walter and his wife settled on a tract of land in or near Concord, which took the name of Concord Village, now in the town of Littleton, and adjoining the Indian town of Nashobe. In 1694, Walter Power bought of Thomas Waban, and other Indians, one-fourth part of the township of Nashobe. His remains were buried in the old Powers' burying ground, as were those of his wife.
[THE POWERS FAMILY: Genealogical and Historical Record of Walter Power and some of his descendants to the ninth generation, Amos H. Powers, Fergus Printing Co., Chicago, Il. 1884]"Walter Power is first of record in Concord, Mass., in 1654, when he gave testimony and stated his age as 14 years. The surname was usually spelled Power in the first two generations, thereafter, Powers. Abstracts of Middlesex County Court records (1:126; 2:24) show that on 2 Apr 1661 Walter confessed miscarriage with Tryal, daughter of Deacon Shepherd, "my now wife"; and on 2 Sept 1666, Tryall, wife of Walter Power, petitioned in favor of her husband" in duress," the circumstances of which we have not learned.
"Walter Power of Concord purchased on 9 May 1694 (from Thomas Waban, an Indian, for 15 pounds, the east half of the west half of Nashoba village. This strip was about a mile wide and four miles long] part of Nashoba village, originally established for the Indians and later a township was established which was incorporated in 1714 and the name changed to Littleton on 3 Dec 1715. In 1704, having already conveyed certain lands to his son, Jacob, Walter deeded his homestead to his son Jacob, who was to maintain Walter and this wife Triall for life (Middlesex County Deeds)."
"William, the eldest son of Walter, seems to have remained here in the Concord region and probably lived on a part of that strip of the Nashoba land his father purchased from the Indians. We find him mentioned in connection with Walter, Daniel and Walter, Jr. in the division of that strip after the quarrel between the town of Groton and the Power family in 1701. In the will of Walter, Sr., in 1704, we find the home place deeded to Walter, Jr., partly on condition that he settle by writing with his brothers William and Jacob. Sometime before this Walter had given William part of the home place across the old Concord road where the old mill stood.
[The Shepard Families of New England, Vol. 1]
found on ancestry.com
Powers Lineage - text from pdf file
Powers Lineage
This genealogy of Walter Powers is a compilation of various sources based on the listing received from Grace Guyer Hooper who, in turn, received it from Winn Powers.
Besides these two, Roy Edward Hazelton, Mary Margaret Randall Acker, Earl Vernon Acker, Iola Bullard Hutto Hazelton, Pearly May Hazelton Jones, Titus Oliver Archer, and many others of the descendents have helped enormously.
On 29 Nov 1966, at the Los Angeles Public Library, in researching the Powers lineage, the following reference was found which coincides with the Winn Powers research: Gen R 974.7 R462-1 v.3 Reynolds, Guyler Hudson-Mohawk Families - New York
The family name Power, or Powers, is from the only Norman name ‘le Poer’, and in England is as old as the time of William the Conqueror, one of whose followers bore that name at the Battle of Hastings, and is found on the roll of Battle Abbey. From that time onward the name holds an honorable place in English history.
There seems to be no positive record where the American founder of the family came from. One writer says the New England family originated in Essex County, England. The name Walter Powers appears on the records of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, of 1654, as a ‘boy of 14 years’, and that he married on ‘ye Eleventh daye of the first month 1660’, Trial, daughter of Deacon Ralph Sheppard, who came from Stepney Parish, London (in Essex),1635, with his wife Thankes, and first settled in Weymouth, later in Malden, where he died aged ninety years.
Huge trees now grow in the raceway of the old Powers sawmill, and the site of the ‘old Powers Graveyard’ may be found, but badly treated by vandals who used the grave stones to make a fence.
“Walter Power born 1639, died 22 Feb 1708, married 11 Mar 1661, Trial, daughter of Deacon Ralph and Thankes Sheppard, born 10 1641. Little is known of his parentage or early life. His wife, Trial, seems to have been a woman of education, and from the position the sons took in the town it is likely they were fairly well educated for those early times.
After his marriage in 1661 he settled upon a tract of land in or near Concord (then Concord village, now Littleton), Massachusetts, adjoining the Indian town of Nashobe, which Deacon Ralph Sheppard owned. He built his house on the south side of the Quagany Hill, about a half a mile from the garrison house.
In 1694 he bought of Thomas Waban and other Indians one-fourth part of the township of Nashobe.
His remains were doubtless buried in the old ‘Powers burying ground’, as also were those of his wife, who survived him many years. “The sons were all land owners, farmers, and men of importance in the town, and seem at different times to have added the final ‘s’ to the original Power.”
It would appear, from the research done by Winn Powers, (b.1881), that “Lord Arid Powers married Lydia of the House of Robert Bruce of Scotland. Their son came to Salem, Massachusetts in 1639.”
In yet another account, it states that “Walter Power(s) came to America in 1653, at age 14 (b. 1639), married 11 Mar 1660, Triall, daughter of Ralph and Thankeslord Shepard. Ralph Shepard of Malden came to America in 1635, age 29, with wife Thankslord, age 23, and a daughter, Sarah. Ralph died 20 Aug or 11 Sep 1693, at age 90. Triall, born 19 Oct 1941, in Weymouth, Massachusetts, married 11 Jan 1660 Walter Powers.”
The difficulty at this point seems to be:
(1) That the son (no name given) of Lord Arid Powers came to America in 1639;
(2) That Walter Powers came to America in 1653(4) at age 14;
(3) That Walter Powers appears on the records of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, as a boy of 14, giving no account of parentage or arrival in the Now World, or if he were born in England or America. Because of the scarcity of people in America at that time, the writer hesitates to make one more suggestion - that Lord Powers or the son who came to America in 1639, might not have any connection with the Walter Powers who just happened to be born in 1639 and only appears on official rolls in 1653
(4) I inherited this work from my aunt, Lois P. Rimmer Oberg (dau. of Pearly May Hazelton Jones). It is my intentions to try to clear up some of the mysteries of the Power(s) lineage and add to where I can. Remember that this is a work in progress. I am documenting where I can, but mistakes can and will be made. If you find something you think is wrong, please don’t hesitate to bring it to my attention.
NancyFloradded this on 25 Oct 2010
source is pdf file from attached story "POWERS LINEAGE."
found on ancestry.com
Powers questions
, CA
The family name Power, or Powers, is from the only Norman name ‘le Poer’, and in England is as old as the time of William the Conqueror, one of whose followers bore that name at the Battle of Hastings, and is found on the roll of Battle Abbey. From that time onward the name holds an honorable place in English history. There seems to be no positive record where the American founder of the family came from. One writer says the New England family originated in Essex County, England. The name Walter Powers appears on the records of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, of 1654, as a ‘boy of 14 years’, and that he married on ‘ye Eleventh daye of the first month 1660’, Trial, daughter of Deacon Ralph Sheppard, who came from Stepney Parish, London (in Essex),1635, with his wife Thankes, and first settled in Weymouth, later in Malden, where he died aged ninety years. Huge trees now grow in the raceway of the old Powers sawmill, and the site of the ‘old Powers Graveyard’ may be found, but badly treated by vandals who used the grave stones to make a fence. “ Walter Power born 1639, died 22 Feb 1708, married 11 Mar 1661, Trial, daughter of Deacon Ralph and Thankes Sheppard, born 10 1641. Little is known of his parentage or early life. His wife, Trial, seems to have been a woman of education, and from the position the sons took in the town it is likely they were fairly well educated for those early times. After his marriage in 1661 he settled upon a tract of land in or near Concord (then Concord village, now Littleton), Massachusetts, adjoining the Indian town of Nashobe, which Deacon Ralph Sheppard owned. He built his house on the south side of the Quagany Hill, about a half a mile from the garrison house. In 1694 he bought of Thomas Waban and other Indians one-fourth part of the township of Nashobe. His remains were doubtless buried in the old ‘Powers burying ground’, as also were those of his wife, who survived him many years. “ The sons were all land owners, farmers, and men of importance in the town, and seem at different times to have added the final ‘s’ to the original Power.” It would appear, from the research done by Winn Powers, (b.1881), that “Lord Arid Powers married Lydia of the House of Robert Bruce of Scotland. Their son came to Salem, Massachusetts in 1639.” In yet another account, it states that “Walter Power(s) came to America in 1653, at age 14 (b. 1639), married 11 Mar 1660, Triall, daughter of Ralph and Thankeslord Shepard. Ralph Shepard of Malden came to America in 1635, age 29, with wife Thankslord, age 23, and a daughter, Sarah. Ralph died 20 Aug or 11 Sep 1693, at age 90. Triall, born 19 Oct 1941, in Weymouth, Massachusetts, married 11 Jan 1660 Walter Powers.” The difficulty at this point seems to be: (1) That the son (no name given) of Lord Arid Powers came to America in 1639;(2) That Walter Powers came to America in 1653(4) at age 14;(3) That Walter Powers appears on the records of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, as a boy of 14, giving no account of parentage or arrival in the Now World, or if he were born in England or America.
Because of the scarcity of people in America at that time, the writer hesitates to make one more suggestion - that Lord Powers or the son who came to America in 1639, might not have any connection with the Walter Powers who just happened to be born in 1639 and only appears on official rolls in 1653.
This was found on line and there is still no proof as of now. Any corrects are welcomed.
SandyCarneiro74added this on 8 Feb 2011
The Powers Lineage found in the Los Angeles Public Library
found on ancestry.com
Walter Powers (1639-1708)
From the website:
http://www.powershistory.com/powers/walter.shtml
BORN: c. 1639 - Waterford, Ireland (or, Bedford, Essex County, England)DIED: 22 Feb 1709 - Littleton, Middlesex, Mass.AGE AT DEATH: 70 years, 2 months, 22 daysMARRIED: Trail Shepard - MAR 11 1660 - Malden, Middlesex, Mass.OCCUPATION: Millowner, farmerBURIAL: Power Burying Ground, Littleton, Middlesex, Mass.
Walter Powers is a key figure in the North American branch of the Powers clan, as many can trace their lineage back to him. He was 14 when he left the Old World in 1654, and settled on land in Concord Village, now within the town of Littleton, Mass., adjoining the Indian plantation of Nashoba. He is listed in the Middlesex County, Mass., records in 1654 as a boy of 14 years of age. Although I have not been able to locate a birth certificate to unquestionably place his birth in Waterford, Ireland, it appears more than likely that Walter was an indentured servant who escaped famine in Ireland to settle in the New World. The reason this is fairly certain is because "Powers" is very much an Irish name (please see the Powers History page), and the ship Goodfellow sailed from Waterford in 1654 (the same year Walter landed in the New World), along with many other Irish refugees. Unfortunately, a roster listing those who sailed the Goodfellow that year also has not been located.
After settling in Concord Village (now Littleton, Mass.), Walter worked for Ralph Shepard, a Puritan minister who escaped religious persecution in England. After six years (about the time it took to work off the cost of forced transportation from Ireland), Walter married his master's daughter, Trial Shepard. County records list the date on "ye eleventh day of ye first month, 1660, to Trial, daughter of Deacon Ralph and Thankes."
Because the Town of Littleton, and the Shepard family, have very strong ties to Essex, England, and because of the documented Powers that begin to appear in English records around the time of the Norman invasion in 1066, there is some speculation that Walter was born in Bedford, England, and not Ireland. A very interesting account of early colonial life that addresses this issue can be found in Thomas Kree's historical account of the origin of Powers and Kree families (many thanks to Lorrie Scott for making this work available).
At any rate, we do know that Walter and his new bride, Trial, established a large family of seven sons and two daughters, many of whom lived in and around the Littleton, Mass., area for nearly five generations, with very active involvement in the civic and economic activities of their communities. Walter established a family household and sawmill on a tract of land that consisted of one fourth of the Indian village of Nashoba. Walter obtained this land from his former master and now father-in-law, Deacon Ralph Shepard, who purchased the whole village of Nashoba from Thomas Waban and other Indians.
The land and timber served as an economic opportunity for Walter, an uneducated Irish immigrant. He and his sons built the Powers homestead with hard work, clearing the land, farming and establishing a sawmill to help build houses and other structures for their fast-growing colonial town. The house was built on the north side of Quagony Hill, which was near Magog Pond, an ideal location for a sawmill. Trial, his wife, appears to be a woman with some education, and from the positions their sons took in the developing township, we can presume they were fairly well educated for their times. Their son, Isaac, served as the moderator of the very first town meeting of Littleton.
The old Powers homestead is no longer standing, and the old Power burying ground has been robbed and converted into a field, with the old stone markers removed and used in a stone fence. However, many of the tombstones, including Walter's, have been relocated to a nearby cemetery. He died at home on the family homestead on 22 Feb 1709. Walter's will is recorded in the book of the Register of Deeds, Middlesex County, Mass.Descendants William Powers Born: MAR 16 1661 Mary Powers Born: c. 1663 Isaac Powers Born: c. 1665 Thomas Powers Born: MAY 25 1667 Jeremiah Powers Born: c. 1710 Jeremiah Powers Born: c. 1730 Polly Powers Born: c. 1756 Daniel Powers Born: MAY 10 1669 Increase Powers Born: JUL 16 1671 Walter Powers, Jr. Born: JUN 28 1674 Jacob Powers Born: DEC 15 1679 Jonas Powers, Sr. Born: JUL 19 1719 Jonas Powers, Jr. Born: JUN 13 1742 Esther Powers Born: c. 1773 Jerusha Powers Born: c. 1774 Reuben Harmon Powers Born: c. 1775 Oliver Powers Born: c. 1776 Jonas Harmon Powers Born: c. 1778 Eunice Powers Born: SEP 25 1791 John Powers Born: APR 12 1793 Preston (Pressley) John Powers Samuel Powers Forrest Meaker Powers Born: SEP 24 1794 Nancy Powers Oliver Powers Frances Powers Born: c. 1818 Jonas Powers Born: c. 1821 Sallie Powers Born: c. 1827 Rachel Powers Born: FEB 28 1828 George Washington Powers Born: DEC ? 1831 Lucy Jane Powers Born: JAN ? 1854 Reuben Harmon Powers Born: JUN 26 1855 Frances (Fanny) Powers Born: c. 1857 Mary (Polly) Powers Born: c. 1859 Henry Hobart Powers Born: OCT 27 1861 Robert Powers Born: OCT 8 1867 Rachel Powers Born: c. 1868 Joseph Draper Powers Born: c. 1833 Wade Harmon Powers Born: c. 1838 Jonas Harmon Powers, Jr. Born: APR 15 1799 James Powers Born: JUN 26 1801 Henry Powers Born: FEB 5 1808 Wesley Powers Born: JUN 25 1810 Francis Asberry Powers Born: NOV 20 1818 Sarah Powers Born: FEB 8 1683 GREAT GREAT GREAT GREAT GREAT GREAT GRAND CHILDREN GREAT GREAT GREAT GREAT GREAT GRAND CHILDREN GREAT GREAT GREAT GREAT GRAND CHILDREN GREAT GREAT GREAT GRAND CHILDREN GREAT GREAT GRAND CHILDREN GREAT GRAND CHILDREN GRAND CHILDREN CHILDREN Notes:
William Powers was born 16 Mar 1661 in Littleton, Middlesex, Mass., and died 16 Mar 1710. He married Mary Bank. Being the oldest son, William inherited the family homestead and sawmill operations until his death when his brother, William, Jr., inherited them.
Mary Powers was born c. 1663 in Littleton, Middlesex, Mass. She married Joseph Wheeler on 1 Jan 1680 in Concord, Middlesex, Mass.
Isaac Powers (Capt.) was born c. 1665 in Littleton, Middlesex, Mass, and died in 1724. He married a widow, Mary Poulter, on 14 Apr 1701. Isaac was a leader and prominent citizen. He was a captain in the military, petitioner for town incorporation, moderator of the first town meeting, held several town offices, and was twice elected to great and general court. In 1723, Isaac's pew place, which reflected the amount of pew tax he paid, was by the "right hand side of the south door."
Thomas Powers was born 25 May 1667 in Concord, Middlesex, Mass. He first married Elizabeth, who died May 1698, then married Mary Howard, b. 5 Feb 1676. Thomas moved from Littleton, first to Wellington, then Hardwick, Quobbin, Greenwhich and Woodstock, VT. In all of these places he owned land and was a man of some note. His most famous descendant was Hiram Powers, a neoclassical sculptor, born in Woodstock, VT, in 1805.
Daniel Powers was born 10 May 1669 in Lancaster, Worcester, Mass., and was christened 16 Jul 1671 in Concord, Middlesex, Mass. He married Elizabeth Whitcomb on 8 Apr 1702 in Lancaster, Worcester, Mass., and Martha Bates in 1711. He died in 1730. He lived on the westerly side of Littleton, and all of his children were probably born there, although some of them are recorded in Groton, Mass. He owned a tract of land one mile wide and extending the length of the township of Littleton.
Increase Powers was born 16 Jul 1671 in Concord, Middlesex, Mass. He married Hepzibah Sawyer.
Walter Powers, Jr. was born 28 Jun 1674 in Concord, Middlesex, Mass., and died in 1700. He married Rebecca Barrett. He located in the northern part of town after the death of his father, and after his brother, William, died, Walter inherited the family homestead and sawmill. In 1723 in awarding the pews, the second pew place was awarded to him as paying the next to largest pew tax.
Jacob Powers was born 15 Dec 1679 in Concord, Middlesex, Mass. He married Sarah Meriam on 18 Sep 1703 and Edith Gould Adams in 1711. He located his farm in Littleton on the south side of Harvard Rd. near the town line and adjoining that of Jonathan Adams, whose daughter he married for his second wife. He held some of the minor town offices.
Sarah Powers was born 8 Feb 1683, and married Moses Brown on 8 Apr 1702.
found on ancestry.com
Walter Powers bio
Walter Powers-"LePoer":The name Power or Powers is believed to be of Norman origin. In early times it was variously spelled LePoer, LaPuher and LePoher. The Dutch version of the name is Power. It is said that one of the family went to England as an officer in the forces of William the Conqueror in 1066. One, Richard Poer, was High Sheriff of Gloucestershire in 1187. Another of the family, Roger LePoer, held a high command under King Henry, II, when that monarch invaded Ireland in 1171. For his services at that time he was given large grants of land in the County of Waterford. Some authorities claim that King Henry, II granted to Robert LePuher in 1177: "The City of Waterford, Ireland, adjacent provinces". In 1222 there is a record of William and Walter Poer (also spelled at the time as Power) as possessing large landed estates in England. One of the Waterford line, Walter Powers, settled in Concord Village, (now Littleton, MA) in 1654. He married Trial Shepard in 1661 and had by her nine children: William, Mary, Isaac, Thomas, Daniel, Increase, Walter, Jacob, and Sarah. Almost all of these children married and brought up their families in the same vicinity in which they were born and which their father had chosen as his home when he first emigrated to America. (Taken from a Geneology on the Oliver Titus Powers branch of the family.) From LRC letter of 2-14-1998 See: The Powers Family by Amos H. Powers. More notes: From WFT CD Volume 12, Tree # 1365 The following was copied from: The Powers Family by Amos H. Powers Printed in 1884 At this time, Little is known of Walter Power, but probably he had not received advantages of much early education, but depended upon strong sinews (strength) and sterling good sense to establish a home for himself and his family. Trial, his wife, seems to have been a woman of some education, and from the position which his sons took in the affairs of the town, etc., we may presume they were fairly educated for the times. At the time of their marriage, Walter and his wife settled on a tract of land in or near Concord, which took the name of Concord Village, now in the town of Littleton, and adjoining the Indian town of Nashobe, which Deacon Ralph Shepard bought of Lieut. Joseph Wheeler, and built his house on the north side of Quagany Hill, about half a mile from the garrison house, and less distant than that from Nagog pond, the site of which may still be discovered by the slight depression of the cellar. In 1694, Walter Power bought of Thomas Waban, and other Indians, one-fourth part of the township of Nashboe. His remains were doubtless buried in the old "Powers burying-ground", as also were those of his wife, who survived him many years, but how long is not known. Other Sources: Middlesex County, MA Court Records Genealogical Dictionary of New England Families by Savage Littleton Town Records The Powers Family by Amos H. Powers The Abridged Compendium of American Genelogy by Virkus VOL VII Early Settlers of the West Dunstable by Spaulding GR 929.274Z S73 More About Walter Powers-"LePoer":Fact 1: Buried at Powers Burying Ground, Malden, MA.More About Tryall (Trial) Shepard:Fact 1: Buried in "Powers Burying Ground, Malden, MA Children of Walter Powers-"LePoer" and Tryall Shepard are: i. William Powers, born March 16, 1660/61 in Littleton, Middlesex Co., MA; died March 16, 1709/10 in Littleton, Middlesex Co., MA; married Mary Banks January 01, 1688/89 in Nashobak, Middlesex Co., MA; born January 07, 1669/70; died WFT Est. 1712-1765. More About William Powers:Fact 1: Buried at Littleton, MA. ii. Mary Powers, born 1663 in Littleton, Middlesex Co., MA; died April 05, 1740 in Littleton, Middlesex Co., MA; married Lieut. Joseph Wheeler January 01, 1681/82 in Littleton, Middlesex Co., MA; born 1660 in MA; died 1706. iii. Isaac Powers105, born 1665 in Malden, Middlesex Co., MA; died June 01, 1735 in Nashobak, Middlesex Co., MA; married Mary Russell Poulter Winship April 14, 1701 in Cambridge, Middlesex Co., MA; born April 09, 1665 in Medford, Middlesex Co., MA106; died February 09, 1742/43. iv. Thomas Powers107, born May 25, 1667 in Littleton, Middlesex Co., MA108; died January 21, 1733/34 in Littleton, Middlesex Co., MA; married (1) Elina or Elizabeth 1691; born WFT Est. 1650-1675; died May 25, 1698 in Littleton, Middlesex Co., MA; married (2) Mary Harwood October 28, 1702 in Woburn, Middlesex Co., MA; born February 05, 1676/77 in Concord, Middlesex Co., MA; died WFT Est. 1713-1772. Notes for Thomas Powers:Thomas Powers seems to have located on the north and westerly border of the adjoining Harvard. He was the ancestor of the large family of the name in Greenwich, Enfield, Pittsford, VT, and of perhaps the most noted of the descendants of Walter, viz: Hiram Powers, the sculptor. He removed from Littleton, first to Wellington, from there Hardwick, to Quobbin, to Greenwich, in all of which places he seems to have owned land and to have been a man of note.
found on ancestry.com
Rev. Grant Powers of Goshen, Ct., has left a manuscript record, from his grandmother, the widow of Capt. Peter Powers of Hollis, N. H. that Walter landed at Salem in 1654, and that he married the daughter of a London tailor, which is probably correct, and that she was born at Weymouth, Massachusetts.
At the time of their marriage, Walter and his wife settled on a tract of land in or near Concord, which took the name of Concord Village, now in the town of Littleton, and adjoining the Indian town of Nashobe. In 1694, Walter Power bought of Thomas Waban, and other Indians, one-fourth part of the township of Nashobe. His remains were buried in the old Powers' burying ground, as were those of his wife.
[THE POWERS FAMILY: Genealogical and Historical Record of Walter Power and some of his descendants to the ninth generation, Amos H. Powers, Fergus Printing Co., Chicago, Il. 1884]"Walter Power is first of record in Concord, Mass., in 1654, when he gave testimony and stated his age as 14 years. The surname was usually spelled Power in the first two generations, thereafter, Powers. Abstracts of Middlesex County Court records (1:126; 2:24) show that on 2 Apr 1661 Walter confessed miscarriage with Tryal, daughter of Deacon Shepherd, "my now wife"; and on 2 Sept 1666, Tryall, wife of Walter Power, petitioned in favor of her husband" in duress," the circumstances of which we have not learned.
"Walter Power of Concord purchased on 9 May 1694 (from Thomas Waban, an Indian, for 15 pounds, the east half of the west half of Nashoba village. This strip was about a mile wide and four miles long] part of Nashoba village, originally established for the Indians and later a township was established which was incorporated in 1714 and the name changed to Littleton on 3 Dec 1715. In 1704, having already conveyed certain lands to his son, Jacob, Walter deeded his homestead to his son Jacob, who was to maintain Walter and this wife Triall for life (Middlesex County Deeds)."
"William, the eldest son of Walter, seems to have remained here in the Concord region and probably lived on a part of that strip of the Nashoba land his father purchased from the Indians. We find him mentioned in connection with Walter, Daniel and Walter, Jr. in the division of that strip after the quarrel between the town of Groton and the Power family in 1701. In the will of Walter, Sr., in 1704, we find the home place deeded to Walter, Jr., partly on condition that he settle by writing with his brothers William and Jacob. Sometime before this Walter had given William part of the home place across the old Concord road where the old mill stood.
[The Shepard Families of New England, Vol. 1]
found on ancestry.com
Powers Lineage - text from pdf file
Powers Lineage
This genealogy of Walter Powers is a compilation of various sources based on the listing received from Grace Guyer Hooper who, in turn, received it from Winn Powers.
Besides these two, Roy Edward Hazelton, Mary Margaret Randall Acker, Earl Vernon Acker, Iola Bullard Hutto Hazelton, Pearly May Hazelton Jones, Titus Oliver Archer, and many others of the descendents have helped enormously.
On 29 Nov 1966, at the Los Angeles Public Library, in researching the Powers lineage, the following reference was found which coincides with the Winn Powers research: Gen R 974.7 R462-1 v.3 Reynolds, Guyler Hudson-Mohawk Families - New York
The family name Power, or Powers, is from the only Norman name ‘le Poer’, and in England is as old as the time of William the Conqueror, one of whose followers bore that name at the Battle of Hastings, and is found on the roll of Battle Abbey. From that time onward the name holds an honorable place in English history.
There seems to be no positive record where the American founder of the family came from. One writer says the New England family originated in Essex County, England. The name Walter Powers appears on the records of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, of 1654, as a ‘boy of 14 years’, and that he married on ‘ye Eleventh daye of the first month 1660’, Trial, daughter of Deacon Ralph Sheppard, who came from Stepney Parish, London (in Essex),1635, with his wife Thankes, and first settled in Weymouth, later in Malden, where he died aged ninety years.
Huge trees now grow in the raceway of the old Powers sawmill, and the site of the ‘old Powers Graveyard’ may be found, but badly treated by vandals who used the grave stones to make a fence.
“Walter Power born 1639, died 22 Feb 1708, married 11 Mar 1661, Trial, daughter of Deacon Ralph and Thankes Sheppard, born 10 1641. Little is known of his parentage or early life. His wife, Trial, seems to have been a woman of education, and from the position the sons took in the town it is likely they were fairly well educated for those early times.
After his marriage in 1661 he settled upon a tract of land in or near Concord (then Concord village, now Littleton), Massachusetts, adjoining the Indian town of Nashobe, which Deacon Ralph Sheppard owned. He built his house on the south side of the Quagany Hill, about a half a mile from the garrison house.
In 1694 he bought of Thomas Waban and other Indians one-fourth part of the township of Nashobe.
His remains were doubtless buried in the old ‘Powers burying ground’, as also were those of his wife, who survived him many years. “The sons were all land owners, farmers, and men of importance in the town, and seem at different times to have added the final ‘s’ to the original Power.”
It would appear, from the research done by Winn Powers, (b.1881), that “Lord Arid Powers married Lydia of the House of Robert Bruce of Scotland. Their son came to Salem, Massachusetts in 1639.”
In yet another account, it states that “Walter Power(s) came to America in 1653, at age 14 (b. 1639), married 11 Mar 1660, Triall, daughter of Ralph and Thankeslord Shepard. Ralph Shepard of Malden came to America in 1635, age 29, with wife Thankslord, age 23, and a daughter, Sarah. Ralph died 20 Aug or 11 Sep 1693, at age 90. Triall, born 19 Oct 1941, in Weymouth, Massachusetts, married 11 Jan 1660 Walter Powers.”
The difficulty at this point seems to be:
(1) That the son (no name given) of Lord Arid Powers came to America in 1639;
(2) That Walter Powers came to America in 1653(4) at age 14;
(3) That Walter Powers appears on the records of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, as a boy of 14, giving no account of parentage or arrival in the Now World, or if he were born in England or America. Because of the scarcity of people in America at that time, the writer hesitates to make one more suggestion - that Lord Powers or the son who came to America in 1639, might not have any connection with the Walter Powers who just happened to be born in 1639 and only appears on official rolls in 1653
(4) I inherited this work from my aunt, Lois P. Rimmer Oberg (dau. of Pearly May Hazelton Jones). It is my intentions to try to clear up some of the mysteries of the Power(s) lineage and add to where I can. Remember that this is a work in progress. I am documenting where I can, but mistakes can and will be made. If you find something you think is wrong, please don’t hesitate to bring it to my attention.
NancyFloradded this on 25 Oct 2010
source is pdf file from attached story "POWERS LINEAGE."
found on ancestry.com
Powers questions
, CA
The family name Power, or Powers, is from the only Norman name ‘le Poer’, and in England is as old as the time of William the Conqueror, one of whose followers bore that name at the Battle of Hastings, and is found on the roll of Battle Abbey. From that time onward the name holds an honorable place in English history. There seems to be no positive record where the American founder of the family came from. One writer says the New England family originated in Essex County, England. The name Walter Powers appears on the records of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, of 1654, as a ‘boy of 14 years’, and that he married on ‘ye Eleventh daye of the first month 1660’, Trial, daughter of Deacon Ralph Sheppard, who came from Stepney Parish, London (in Essex),1635, with his wife Thankes, and first settled in Weymouth, later in Malden, where he died aged ninety years. Huge trees now grow in the raceway of the old Powers sawmill, and the site of the ‘old Powers Graveyard’ may be found, but badly treated by vandals who used the grave stones to make a fence. “ Walter Power born 1639, died 22 Feb 1708, married 11 Mar 1661, Trial, daughter of Deacon Ralph and Thankes Sheppard, born 10 1641. Little is known of his parentage or early life. His wife, Trial, seems to have been a woman of education, and from the position the sons took in the town it is likely they were fairly well educated for those early times. After his marriage in 1661 he settled upon a tract of land in or near Concord (then Concord village, now Littleton), Massachusetts, adjoining the Indian town of Nashobe, which Deacon Ralph Sheppard owned. He built his house on the south side of the Quagany Hill, about a half a mile from the garrison house. In 1694 he bought of Thomas Waban and other Indians one-fourth part of the township of Nashobe. His remains were doubtless buried in the old ‘Powers burying ground’, as also were those of his wife, who survived him many years. “ The sons were all land owners, farmers, and men of importance in the town, and seem at different times to have added the final ‘s’ to the original Power.” It would appear, from the research done by Winn Powers, (b.1881), that “Lord Arid Powers married Lydia of the House of Robert Bruce of Scotland. Their son came to Salem, Massachusetts in 1639.” In yet another account, it states that “Walter Power(s) came to America in 1653, at age 14 (b. 1639), married 11 Mar 1660, Triall, daughter of Ralph and Thankeslord Shepard. Ralph Shepard of Malden came to America in 1635, age 29, with wife Thankslord, age 23, and a daughter, Sarah. Ralph died 20 Aug or 11 Sep 1693, at age 90. Triall, born 19 Oct 1941, in Weymouth, Massachusetts, married 11 Jan 1660 Walter Powers.” The difficulty at this point seems to be: (1) That the son (no name given) of Lord Arid Powers came to America in 1639;(2) That Walter Powers came to America in 1653(4) at age 14;(3) That Walter Powers appears on the records of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, as a boy of 14, giving no account of parentage or arrival in the Now World, or if he were born in England or America.
Because of the scarcity of people in America at that time, the writer hesitates to make one more suggestion - that Lord Powers or the son who came to America in 1639, might not have any connection with the Walter Powers who just happened to be born in 1639 and only appears on official rolls in 1653.
This was found on line and there is still no proof as of now. Any corrects are welcomed.
SandyCarneiro74added this on 8 Feb 2011
The Powers Lineage found in the Los Angeles Public Library
found on ancestry.com
Walter Powers (1639-1708)
From the website:
http://www.powershistory.com/powers/walter.shtml
BORN: c. 1639 - Waterford, Ireland (or, Bedford, Essex County, England)DIED: 22 Feb 1709 - Littleton, Middlesex, Mass.AGE AT DEATH: 70 years, 2 months, 22 daysMARRIED: Trail Shepard - MAR 11 1660 - Malden, Middlesex, Mass.OCCUPATION: Millowner, farmerBURIAL: Power Burying Ground, Littleton, Middlesex, Mass.
Walter Powers is a key figure in the North American branch of the Powers clan, as many can trace their lineage back to him. He was 14 when he left the Old World in 1654, and settled on land in Concord Village, now within the town of Littleton, Mass., adjoining the Indian plantation of Nashoba. He is listed in the Middlesex County, Mass., records in 1654 as a boy of 14 years of age. Although I have not been able to locate a birth certificate to unquestionably place his birth in Waterford, Ireland, it appears more than likely that Walter was an indentured servant who escaped famine in Ireland to settle in the New World. The reason this is fairly certain is because "Powers" is very much an Irish name (please see the Powers History page), and the ship Goodfellow sailed from Waterford in 1654 (the same year Walter landed in the New World), along with many other Irish refugees. Unfortunately, a roster listing those who sailed the Goodfellow that year also has not been located.
After settling in Concord Village (now Littleton, Mass.), Walter worked for Ralph Shepard, a Puritan minister who escaped religious persecution in England. After six years (about the time it took to work off the cost of forced transportation from Ireland), Walter married his master's daughter, Trial Shepard. County records list the date on "ye eleventh day of ye first month, 1660, to Trial, daughter of Deacon Ralph and Thankes."
Because the Town of Littleton, and the Shepard family, have very strong ties to Essex, England, and because of the documented Powers that begin to appear in English records around the time of the Norman invasion in 1066, there is some speculation that Walter was born in Bedford, England, and not Ireland. A very interesting account of early colonial life that addresses this issue can be found in Thomas Kree's historical account of the origin of Powers and Kree families (many thanks to Lorrie Scott for making this work available).
At any rate, we do know that Walter and his new bride, Trial, established a large family of seven sons and two daughters, many of whom lived in and around the Littleton, Mass., area for nearly five generations, with very active involvement in the civic and economic activities of their communities. Walter established a family household and sawmill on a tract of land that consisted of one fourth of the Indian village of Nashoba. Walter obtained this land from his former master and now father-in-law, Deacon Ralph Shepard, who purchased the whole village of Nashoba from Thomas Waban and other Indians.
The land and timber served as an economic opportunity for Walter, an uneducated Irish immigrant. He and his sons built the Powers homestead with hard work, clearing the land, farming and establishing a sawmill to help build houses and other structures for their fast-growing colonial town. The house was built on the north side of Quagony Hill, which was near Magog Pond, an ideal location for a sawmill. Trial, his wife, appears to be a woman with some education, and from the positions their sons took in the developing township, we can presume they were fairly well educated for their times. Their son, Isaac, served as the moderator of the very first town meeting of Littleton.
The old Powers homestead is no longer standing, and the old Power burying ground has been robbed and converted into a field, with the old stone markers removed and used in a stone fence. However, many of the tombstones, including Walter's, have been relocated to a nearby cemetery. He died at home on the family homestead on 22 Feb 1709. Walter's will is recorded in the book of the Register of Deeds, Middlesex County, Mass.Descendants William Powers Born: MAR 16 1661 Mary Powers Born: c. 1663 Isaac Powers Born: c. 1665 Thomas Powers Born: MAY 25 1667 Jeremiah Powers Born: c. 1710 Jeremiah Powers Born: c. 1730 Polly Powers Born: c. 1756 Daniel Powers Born: MAY 10 1669 Increase Powers Born: JUL 16 1671 Walter Powers, Jr. Born: JUN 28 1674 Jacob Powers Born: DEC 15 1679 Jonas Powers, Sr. Born: JUL 19 1719 Jonas Powers, Jr. Born: JUN 13 1742 Esther Powers Born: c. 1773 Jerusha Powers Born: c. 1774 Reuben Harmon Powers Born: c. 1775 Oliver Powers Born: c. 1776 Jonas Harmon Powers Born: c. 1778 Eunice Powers Born: SEP 25 1791 John Powers Born: APR 12 1793 Preston (Pressley) John Powers Samuel Powers Forrest Meaker Powers Born: SEP 24 1794 Nancy Powers Oliver Powers Frances Powers Born: c. 1818 Jonas Powers Born: c. 1821 Sallie Powers Born: c. 1827 Rachel Powers Born: FEB 28 1828 George Washington Powers Born: DEC ? 1831 Lucy Jane Powers Born: JAN ? 1854 Reuben Harmon Powers Born: JUN 26 1855 Frances (Fanny) Powers Born: c. 1857 Mary (Polly) Powers Born: c. 1859 Henry Hobart Powers Born: OCT 27 1861 Robert Powers Born: OCT 8 1867 Rachel Powers Born: c. 1868 Joseph Draper Powers Born: c. 1833 Wade Harmon Powers Born: c. 1838 Jonas Harmon Powers, Jr. Born: APR 15 1799 James Powers Born: JUN 26 1801 Henry Powers Born: FEB 5 1808 Wesley Powers Born: JUN 25 1810 Francis Asberry Powers Born: NOV 20 1818 Sarah Powers Born: FEB 8 1683 GREAT GREAT GREAT GREAT GREAT GREAT GRAND CHILDREN GREAT GREAT GREAT GREAT GREAT GRAND CHILDREN GREAT GREAT GREAT GREAT GRAND CHILDREN GREAT GREAT GREAT GRAND CHILDREN GREAT GREAT GRAND CHILDREN GREAT GRAND CHILDREN GRAND CHILDREN CHILDREN Notes:
William Powers was born 16 Mar 1661 in Littleton, Middlesex, Mass., and died 16 Mar 1710. He married Mary Bank. Being the oldest son, William inherited the family homestead and sawmill operations until his death when his brother, William, Jr., inherited them.
Mary Powers was born c. 1663 in Littleton, Middlesex, Mass. She married Joseph Wheeler on 1 Jan 1680 in Concord, Middlesex, Mass.
Isaac Powers (Capt.) was born c. 1665 in Littleton, Middlesex, Mass, and died in 1724. He married a widow, Mary Poulter, on 14 Apr 1701. Isaac was a leader and prominent citizen. He was a captain in the military, petitioner for town incorporation, moderator of the first town meeting, held several town offices, and was twice elected to great and general court. In 1723, Isaac's pew place, which reflected the amount of pew tax he paid, was by the "right hand side of the south door."
Thomas Powers was born 25 May 1667 in Concord, Middlesex, Mass. He first married Elizabeth, who died May 1698, then married Mary Howard, b. 5 Feb 1676. Thomas moved from Littleton, first to Wellington, then Hardwick, Quobbin, Greenwhich and Woodstock, VT. In all of these places he owned land and was a man of some note. His most famous descendant was Hiram Powers, a neoclassical sculptor, born in Woodstock, VT, in 1805.
Daniel Powers was born 10 May 1669 in Lancaster, Worcester, Mass., and was christened 16 Jul 1671 in Concord, Middlesex, Mass. He married Elizabeth Whitcomb on 8 Apr 1702 in Lancaster, Worcester, Mass., and Martha Bates in 1711. He died in 1730. He lived on the westerly side of Littleton, and all of his children were probably born there, although some of them are recorded in Groton, Mass. He owned a tract of land one mile wide and extending the length of the township of Littleton.
Increase Powers was born 16 Jul 1671 in Concord, Middlesex, Mass. He married Hepzibah Sawyer.
Walter Powers, Jr. was born 28 Jun 1674 in Concord, Middlesex, Mass., and died in 1700. He married Rebecca Barrett. He located in the northern part of town after the death of his father, and after his brother, William, died, Walter inherited the family homestead and sawmill. In 1723 in awarding the pews, the second pew place was awarded to him as paying the next to largest pew tax.
Jacob Powers was born 15 Dec 1679 in Concord, Middlesex, Mass. He married Sarah Meriam on 18 Sep 1703 and Edith Gould Adams in 1711. He located his farm in Littleton on the south side of Harvard Rd. near the town line and adjoining that of Jonathan Adams, whose daughter he married for his second wife. He held some of the minor town offices.
Sarah Powers was born 8 Feb 1683, and married Moses Brown on 8 Apr 1702.
found on ancestry.com
Walter Powers bio
Walter Powers-"LePoer":The name Power or Powers is believed to be of Norman origin. In early times it was variously spelled LePoer, LaPuher and LePoher. The Dutch version of the name is Power. It is said that one of the family went to England as an officer in the forces of William the Conqueror in 1066. One, Richard Poer, was High Sheriff of Gloucestershire in 1187. Another of the family, Roger LePoer, held a high command under King Henry, II, when that monarch invaded Ireland in 1171. For his services at that time he was given large grants of land in the County of Waterford. Some authorities claim that King Henry, II granted to Robert LePuher in 1177: "The City of Waterford, Ireland, adjacent provinces". In 1222 there is a record of William and Walter Poer (also spelled at the time as Power) as possessing large landed estates in England. One of the Waterford line, Walter Powers, settled in Concord Village, (now Littleton, MA) in 1654. He married Trial Shepard in 1661 and had by her nine children: William, Mary, Isaac, Thomas, Daniel, Increase, Walter, Jacob, and Sarah. Almost all of these children married and brought up their families in the same vicinity in which they were born and which their father had chosen as his home when he first emigrated to America. (Taken from a Geneology on the Oliver Titus Powers branch of the family.) From LRC letter of 2-14-1998 See: The Powers Family by Amos H. Powers. More notes: From WFT CD Volume 12, Tree # 1365 The following was copied from: The Powers Family by Amos H. Powers Printed in 1884 At this time, Little is known of Walter Power, but probably he had not received advantages of much early education, but depended upon strong sinews (strength) and sterling good sense to establish a home for himself and his family. Trial, his wife, seems to have been a woman of some education, and from the position which his sons took in the affairs of the town, etc., we may presume they were fairly educated for the times. At the time of their marriage, Walter and his wife settled on a tract of land in or near Concord, which took the name of Concord Village, now in the town of Littleton, and adjoining the Indian town of Nashobe, which Deacon Ralph Shepard bought of Lieut. Joseph Wheeler, and built his house on the north side of Quagany Hill, about half a mile from the garrison house, and less distant than that from Nagog pond, the site of which may still be discovered by the slight depression of the cellar. In 1694, Walter Power bought of Thomas Waban, and other Indians, one-fourth part of the township of Nashboe. His remains were doubtless buried in the old "Powers burying-ground", as also were those of his wife, who survived him many years, but how long is not known. Other Sources: Middlesex County, MA Court Records Genealogical Dictionary of New England Families by Savage Littleton Town Records The Powers Family by Amos H. Powers The Abridged Compendium of American Genelogy by Virkus VOL VII Early Settlers of the West Dunstable by Spaulding GR 929.274Z S73 More About Walter Powers-"LePoer":Fact 1: Buried at Powers Burying Ground, Malden, MA.More About Tryall (Trial) Shepard:Fact 1: Buried in "Powers Burying Ground, Malden, MA Children of Walter Powers-"LePoer" and Tryall Shepard are: i. William Powers, born March 16, 1660/61 in Littleton, Middlesex Co., MA; died March 16, 1709/10 in Littleton, Middlesex Co., MA; married Mary Banks January 01, 1688/89 in Nashobak, Middlesex Co., MA; born January 07, 1669/70; died WFT Est. 1712-1765. More About William Powers:Fact 1: Buried at Littleton, MA. ii. Mary Powers, born 1663 in Littleton, Middlesex Co., MA; died April 05, 1740 in Littleton, Middlesex Co., MA; married Lieut. Joseph Wheeler January 01, 1681/82 in Littleton, Middlesex Co., MA; born 1660 in MA; died 1706. iii. Isaac Powers105, born 1665 in Malden, Middlesex Co., MA; died June 01, 1735 in Nashobak, Middlesex Co., MA; married Mary Russell Poulter Winship April 14, 1701 in Cambridge, Middlesex Co., MA; born April 09, 1665 in Medford, Middlesex Co., MA106; died February 09, 1742/43. iv. Thomas Powers107, born May 25, 1667 in Littleton, Middlesex Co., MA108; died January 21, 1733/34 in Littleton, Middlesex Co., MA; married (1) Elina or Elizabeth 1691; born WFT Est. 1650-1675; died May 25, 1698 in Littleton, Middlesex Co., MA; married (2) Mary Harwood October 28, 1702 in Woburn, Middlesex Co., MA; born February 05, 1676/77 in Concord, Middlesex Co., MA; died WFT Est. 1713-1772. Notes for Thomas Powers:Thomas Powers seems to have located on the north and westerly border of the adjoining Harvard. He was the ancestor of the large family of the name in Greenwich, Enfield, Pittsford, VT, and of perhaps the most noted of the descendants of Walter, viz: Hiram Powers, the sculptor. He removed from Littleton, first to Wellington, from there Hardwick, to Quobbin, to Greenwich, in all of which places he seems to have owned land and to have been a man of note.
found on ancestry.com
Fabulous! Thank you for all the time and effort you have put into this blog. Absolutely tremendous and such a valuable resources for researchers.
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