Welsh Journals

William Powell for the excise post was not Edward Harley, brother of the 1st Earl of Oxford, and father of the 3rd Earl. Edward Harley himself held the office of Auditor of the Imprest. In 1706 he had bought the ruin of Stapleton Castle (parish of Presteigne, but technically in Hereford- shire), dismantled during the Civil War. Possibly he built the later house within its ramparts, illustrated in a drawing (dated 1850) in Robinson's Castles of Herefordshire (1869) and there spoken of as still in use as a farm.2 Before leaving William Powell the excise officer, another point should be made. On 28 Nov. 1740 he married Elizabeth Williams at Builth. The Builth PR records the baptism of two children, 12 Aug. 1721, both named Elizabeth one to Francis Williams and his wife Dorothy the other to Roger Williams and his wife Elizabeth the latter infant's mother being buried on the same day. It is reasonable to conjecture that William Powell's wife was one of these babies, and, as will be shown, it is more likely her father was Francis Williams, rather than Roger, perhaps in any case brothers. In 1763, the year after William Powell the excise officer's demise (possibly making his son's marriage financially practicable), the following bond was taken out at Hereford 10 Dec. 4 Geo. III. £ 100. William Powell of Presteigne, Farmer, and Walter Powell of the same, Farmer, for the marriage of the above-bound William Powell, Bachelor, over 21, and Ann Hunt, Spinister, of Stapleton Castle, in the parish of Presteigne, Hereford, a minor, with the consent of her father John Hunt of Stapleton Castle who personally appeared and consented.' By this time Stapleton Castle belonged to the 4th Lord Oxford, and must have been rented by the Hunts. William Powell may have come to Presteigne to begin his training for the stewardship. He was married, 11 Dec. 1763, in the presence of his father-in-law and William Stanton. In due course the following baptismal entries occur in the Presteigne PR 1778. July 22nd, Frances daughter of William and Ann Powell, Broad Heath.' 1783. July 12, William son of William and Ann Powell, Broad Heath.' 1784. December 27th, John Hunt son of William and Ann Powell, Heath, Born on ye 17th instant. 1787. August 18th, Thomas Joseph son of William and Ann Powell. Broad Heath.' Additional children to the above are named in William Powell's will. In 1780 he himself is mentioned, in connexion with Radnorshire inden- tures, in one of his brother Philip's many lawsuits.3 William Powell's Rent Book for Lord Oxford's Radnorshire estates in 1796/7 is preserved in the N.L.W.4 In the Presteigne PR his burial is recorded: 1799. April 8th, William Powell aged 57 and 6 months in ye Church.' On Wednesday, 19th April, The British Chronicle or Pugh's Herefordshire Journal noted: A few days since died William Powell, Esq., of Broad- heath, Presteigne, Radnorshire.' It should be explained that Broadheath when referring to William Powell's estate (rather than the district itself near Presteigne) means three houses (1) what is now called Broad Heath House (then apparently called Middleheath), close to the Presteigne-Combe road; (2) Upper Broad Heath, about Jm SW of that; (3) Lower Broad Heath, about Jm SE of the first. William Powell was living at the Lower Heath when his children were bom at the Upper Heath at the time of his death. The