Born 9 Jan 1779 Caswell County, North Carolina
Died 11 July 1849 College Mound, Macon County, Missouri
This
Peter Powell is identified in many data bases at Ancestry.com as being a son of
John Powell and Margaret McDaniel of Caswell County, North Carolina. Although
The Sister’s DNA confirms a connection between our Charles Powell ancestral
line and Peter Powell, it is just not possible he is a son of John Powell. John
Powell’s Caswell County will dated, 17 Dec 1786, names 3 sons, John, James, and
Charles. All three sons are adults in 1786. If there had been a minor son less than 10
years of age, John Powell would have made previsions for his upkeep in this
will.
In 2012, we contacted a descendant of Peter Powell and paid for his YDNA test at Family Tree DNA. Dennis Powell was his name. His line back to Peter Powell is:
Dennis Powell b. 1936 > Carlos Monroe Powell 1908-1983 > Edgar Richard Powell 1869-1959 > Thomas Monroe Powell 1845-1928 > Brazellia Powell 1805-1874, Peter Powell 1779-1849.
Dennis
Powell’s DNA placed him in haplogroup J-M267.
Our brother’s haplogroup was at that time R1b1. Over the years haplogroup names have been
refined so that now brother’s DNA is haplogroup R-U198. We are R, Dennis is J. That means these two do not share a direct line
YDNA ancestor within thousands of years ruling out a common YDNA ancestor in
the 1700’s. Dennis and Clayton could not possibly both descend from Charles
Powell that died in 1744 in Stafford County, Virginia thru a father to son, to son, to son YDNA.
Our
brother’s YDNA has one 37 marker exact match to a male Powell descendant of
Charles Powell and Leah Goldman. He has no other tested exact matches at FTDNA.
Dennis
Powell has nine 37 marker exact matches to the Graham surname. All these Grahams, as far as can be
determined, are closely related. Dennis
Powell’s YDNA points to his Y male ancestor in the 1700’s being a man of the
surname Graham.
Living
close by John Powell on Hogan’s Creek, Caswell County, North Carolina was one
William Graham. It is likely that one of
William Graham’s sons was the father of Peter Powell, and that one of John
Powell’s daughters was the mother of Peter Powell. Peter Powell descendants share DNA connections
to many Powell cousins, and yet his YDNA is not shared with any tested Powell
YDNA that we can find.
Elvin
Myers, a 3rd great grandson of Peter Powell, had early genealogy data
for Peter, to include letters from one of Peter’s son William B. Powell in
Missouri to another son, Henry A. Powell in Caswell County, North Carolina written
in 1839, shortly after Peter and sons moved to Macon County, Missouri. Elvin had
stories about Peter Powell saying his father died when Peter was very young. Peter’s mother then married a man by the
surname of Lyon. Peter’s mother was know
as Old Granny Lyon. She was noted for
saying she raised a pack of Lyons.
Peter Powell of Caswell County, NC bought land on Moons Creek and 1 negro for $787, Caswell County, NC in 1814 from the estate of Robert Lyon of Caswell County. This only actually proves that Peter Powell and this Robert Lyon both lived in Caswell County and were likely neighbors. John Powell [son of John Powell] and Joseph McClain were also on this same list as purchasing property from the Robert Lyon estate. This Robert Lyon’s son, William Whitlock Lyon’s wife was Martha Lyon. William Whitlock Lyon died in 1820 in Caswell County. His widow, Martha Lyon, is listed on many records as inheriting his estate. One John Powell is among the signers of the bond Martha Lyon posted for her husband’s estate. This John Powell is a son of John Powell and Margaret McDaniel of Caswell County.
The YDNA
of J-M267, Caswell County records, and family stories points to Peter Powell
being a grandson of William Graham of Hogan’s Creek. We believe his mother was Martha
Powell, a daughter of John and Margaret Powell of Hogan’s Creek, Caswell
County, North Carolina. Many others disagree, and believe Peter is a son of
John Powell and Margaret McDaniel. We do not believe John Powell, who made a
will shortly before he died, could have possibly failed to provide for the
future security of a minor son upon his death.
