UNCONFIRMED RELATIONSHIP

Will of THOMAS POWELL3182,3183
dated 12 July 1683, probated 9 Feb 1687/8

In the name of God, Amen, the 12th day of July in the year of our Lord, 1683, according to the computation of the Church of England: I, THOMAS POWELL of the Isle of Wight County, beinge of perfict memory and rememberance, praised be God, doe make and ordaine this my Last Will and Testament in maner and form following:

First, I bequeath my soule into the hands of Almighty God, my Maker, hoping that through the meritorious death and passion of Jesus Christ, my only Saviour and Redemer, to receive free pardon and forgiveness of all my sins, and as for my body to be buried in christian buriall at the discretion of my executor, hereafter mentioned.

Item I doe give and bequeath the one-half of my land which I now enjoy and assine unto Thomas Powell, Nathaniell Powell, William Powell and John Powell to be equally divided amongst them after my decease, and I doe by these presents oblidge them and their heirs that they shall not make sale of any part or parcell of the said land to any person whatsoever unlesse it be from
the one to the other.

Item I doe give and bequeath all the rest of my lands unto my sonne William Powell whome I have hereby constituted and ordained my executor: To him and his heirs forever. I doe give and bequeath to my sonne William Powell one brass ketle and flaske, bed and what clothinge belongethe unto it, as one lott of iron weight, one cross sawe, one tenant sawe, four augers, two small chissels, and one gouge.

Item I doe give and bequeathe unto my daughter in law Elizabeth Powell one cowe.

Item I doe give and bequeathe unto my daughter in law Lucretia Corbett one cowe. I doe give and bequeathe one cowe betweene Lucretia Powell and John Powell.

I doe bequeathe one heffer of two years ould betwene Rebecca Powell and Elizabeth Powell.

I give to Thomas Powell one pair of leather breeches and blew waistcoate.

I give to Nathaniel Powell one pair of cloth breeches and a serge waistcoate.

Item I doe give unto my sonne William Powell the rest of my wearinge clothes whom I doe appointe by these presents to executor this my Last Will and Testament, performed and accomplished.

I doe give unto Thomas Powell one iron pestle and his brother Nathaniel is to have the use of it as much as himselfe.

Signed, sealed and delivered in the presents of
The mark of
Thomas Griffin
the mark of
THOMAS (TP) POWELL
(seale)
Francis FH Hutchins

Proved by Francis Hutchins in open Court
held for the Isle of Wight County February
the 9th 1687/8 to be the Will and Testament
of Thomas Powell.
Test. John Pitt, C.C.
(BG)

The following is copied from a 2012 Rootsweb posting.3184

Thomas Powell

On 6/10/1637 in the “Upper Norfolk Co, VA”. Thomas Powell patented 100 acres on the south
(east) side of the Nansemond River "50a. for his own and 50a. for the personal
adventure of a servant  (Robert Floyd)." On the same day he patented another 200
acres "about 1 mi. from plantation of said Powell," which infers he had already
settled there. It also infers that the original “plantation” was not in deeded his name. 
It also mentions a Powell's Point, Powell's Creek and being on the south side of
Dumpling Island Creek.  This land is currently located off Wilroy Road and Long Point
Lane.  Long Point originally being Powell's Point and the creek there still exist (the
land beyond the creek to the point is currently “posted”.  The original land that held the
“plantation or home” was somewhere at the north end of the current cornfield, near the
intersection of Wilroy Road and Nansemond Parkway.

  This land was sold in 1637 and all the remaining land documents are for places on the
other side of the river in what is Isle of Wight County (near the Western branch of the
Nansemond River and a Beaverdam Creek.  Also mentioned in several is an Edward Perkins
path, formally a well known Indian path  (A road with this name still exists in the area
and follows the original path).  The reason to move was most likely that being a tobacco
farmer he would have known that the land west of the river was much much better to
planting then the somewhat sandy soil of the main river banks.  This area was documented
as giving the highest quality and price in the new world.  Thomas owned 100's of acres
in the area on several different parcels of land till his death in 1687.

Most of what we know of him is from his will and the land references.  But who was this
Thomas and where did he come from?

There was no mention of Thomas' wife in his will or in any of his land deeds, so
apparently she predeceased him and this also infers that she was not in this country and
maybe in England or Wales (maybe never did either).
Half of Thomas' land in his will was bequeathed to: Thomas, Nathaniel, William, and
John with the stipulation that they not sell it except to each other. The other half of
the land went to son, William. From this we conclude the first 4 named were actually
grandsons, children of pre-deceased son, Nathaniel, rather than his own children. 
Another thing I like to quote for you from his will is the following: 

First, I bequeath my soul into the hands of the almighty God, my Maker, hoping that
through the meritorious death and passion of Jesus Christ, my only Savior and redeemer, to
receive free pardon and forgiveness of all my sins and as for my body to be buried in
Christian burial at the discretion of my executor.

Thomas would have had to have been schooled (in England or Wales), as well as been from a
family with some money to afford the passage for him and his servant (as well as 4
others).  The cost has been documented as being about $700 in today’s money for each. 
Being so successful a farmer would also would infur that he arrived with     tobacco and
farm knowledge (Note there was some Powell’s in Power in the Bahamas Island that had this
knowledge).   He would most likely not have been a judge or other “Gentleman”.
Our Thomas MAY have been one of 2 Thomas Powell's that left London, England on May
21st, 1635 on the Matthew.  This ship was considered a “Pilgrim Ship” when she departed
for St. Christopher in the Barbados's Islands.  The ship later arrived at Jamestown
and Boston, Massachusetts later that summer.  As a “Pilgrim Ship, before they were allowed
to leave England they were compelled to take an oath of allegiance that they would be true
to their mother country.  It was normal for ships heading for the new world to stop first
in the islands to get fresh water and supplies, as well as allow the sick time on dry
land.  Lots of folks died in the crossing.  Most of the persons were trades people and
framers and had never spent much, if any time, at sea.

The 2 Thomas Powell's are listed on the ship's Master's register are being 21
and 24 years old at the time of their departure.  No other information is listed.  It is
my opinion (not fact) that the 2 Thomas Powell's were related, most likely cousins or
even brothers.  It is also my opinion that one of these 2 went to Isle of Wight County, VA
and the other to Essex and Lancaster counties, VA.  This is based on some DNA and
genealogy results I have seen.  The key year here in 1635, and with our Thomas’s first
land deed documented in 1637 (most land deeds took 2 years to claim, survey, settle,
process and record).  This was also a time when great efforts were being taken to survey
and document that had what land.

 I also have seen a will of a John Powell of Ednop, Slop England (recorded in England) it
list as follows:

 John Powell, of St. Michael, Crooked Lane, London England, citizen and cloth maker.  His
will dated June 30, 1624 and proven December 1, 1624.  It notes that he once lived in
Virginia and is on record in both Virginia and England as a property owner.  His wife Ann
was named sole heir to all his lands, both in Virginian and England.  Also recorded is
birth of a Thomas, son, baptized Feb 20, 1614 at St. Michael, Cornhill London.  If the
above Thomas is the same one who arrived in 1635 and recorded a deed to a plantation he
already had, this may be some of the Virginia land his father had when he died.  There was
an early John Powell in the Jamestown records that did have land in the exact same area of
early Virginia (south of the James River). 

If our Thomas Powell was one of these 2, most likely born in 1614 to as late as 1617,
using the above ship record and knowing his death was in 1687 (making him 72 years old at
the time). 

  I have seen lots of Genealogy claiming to know who this Thomas's father was, all
were not well documented.   Some claim he was a son of the famous Capt. William Powell
(Chippokes Plantation in Surry County, VA).  Others claim he was the son of a Thomas
Powell of London, brother of Capt. Nathaniel Powell.  Others claim that William and
Nathaniel were brothers.  Capt. William is listed in the Jamestown company as being from
Wales and one of the original investors in the in the new world. 

The far and away most likely match for him that I have seen was discovered and researched
by William Moon Powell.  This Thomas is listed in the Holton St. Mary’s, Suffolk Co,
England’s Parrish records.  There is listed a Thomas Powell, born in 1597 and having 2
sons (William born 1632 and Nathaniel 1629.  His wife also lived in died in England.  All
of this would fit our Thomas:

1.      Born not in Virginia but elsewhere around the early 1600’s.
2.      Had 2 sons with the names William and Thomas, also not born in Virginia around
1630-40.
3.      Wife not listed anywhere on any document in Virginia (likely never lived there)
and died before him.  The Holton records list a Temperance Powell as wife of a Thomas
Powell being buried in 1644 in Holton.
4.      If this is our Thomas Powell, most likely born in 1597 and knowing his death was
in 1687, making him 90 years old at the time.  This is the only thing that may not fit.

 This Thomas of Holton was the son of another Thomas Powell and was most likely the older
brother of the famous Nathaniel Powell of early Jamestown fame.  Jamestown company records
and later references in Cavaliers and Pioneers, detail a Thomas Powell of Holton, Suffolk
England, yeoman, brother and lawful heire of Capt. Nathaniel Powell as getting (through
some count proceedings) conveyance of his land and holdings and seeing the same.  The
older Thomas Powell died in Holton in 1638.

 One additional fact discovered in the Holton records on Page 13, dated August 18, 1622 it
says “Powell alias Poule”.  Thus the link to the 2 different early spellings of this
family name. 

 One thing is certain, this Thomas Powell of Isle of Wight Virginia, started a large
family of Powell's throughout the southeast and beyond.  Some of his grandsons moved
to North Carolina and later others moved further south to Georgia and west to several
states.  George Travis Powell has published a large and very well documented family
history of this Thomas Powell line going from Virginia to Georgia as is a source of some
of the information detailed above.

 My family was all born and raised in Isle of Wight, Virginia down from the above Thomas
to my grandfather William.  There are numerous William’s and Thomas’s in my family line
(my great grandfather is a Thomas).  My father and I were born in the same area of
Virginia also.

WILLIAM POWELL II (Son of William Calvin Powell, Son of William Powell I, Son of Thomas Powell, Son of Joshua Powell, Son of Matthew Powell, Son of Benjamin Powell, son of William Powell, son of William Powell, son of the Thomas Powell of Isle of Wight, Virginia)
The above is all and several others have been able to find on WHO this Thomas Powell was. 
I am THINK the one from Holton is the best match.  But thinking and knowing are two
diffent things.  I would love love to see written proof for sure from anyone.  I have a
copy of William Moon Powells records from Holton.