Major Major Powers

Major Powers BIRTH 1753 Goochland County, Virginia, USA DEATH Apr 1788 (aged 34–35) Harrison County, West Virginia, USA BURIAL Non-Cemetery Burial, Specifically: Family farm burial likely.

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Reference is made of Major Powers being an Indian scout. From Just a Family History by Glenn L. Bower.

Date of birth remains unverified due to lack of church records, likely destroyed. Location of birth is likely at Goochland county, Colony of Virginia where Major's son William Johnson Powers was married to Molly Slayden in 1795 and where the Powers family have existing land records; or, perhaps, at Louisa County, Virginia where the same son William is mentioned in a county land transfer from William Slayden, Molly's father, to grandchildren James and Nancy Slayden Powers. Both James and Nancy were married at Louisa county, VA in March 1822 before migrating to Randolph county, VA where they raised their children.

Parents of Major Powers are uncertain due to the loss of church records. Judith Mattison (1726-1806) of Goochland county, Virginia has been suggested as his mother in some public trees without evidentiary source. Judith Mattison and William Powers had a son Major, born in 1773 at Goochland county, VA according to church records. His more likely parents are William's brother, MAJOR F. POWERS (ca 1727 - 1791) and wife DOROTHEA MATHISON (ca 1732 - )(dtr of Henry) of Goochland, Virginia, suggested as Major's parents but without direct evidence.

Members of the Powers family have numerous public records at Louisa County, VA and church records at Goochland, VA during this era.

The date of Major Powers' death is estimated from the probate date, April 1788, of his will seen in Harrison county court records.

Burial was likely to have been on his plantation along Ann Moore Run in Harrison county (WV) as described in deed records and in his last will (as "Nanny More's Run") published in court records there. [See map.] He also had another plantation in Monongalia county (now Marion County, WV) listed in his will where his children lived until about 1823. The probate at Harrison county provides the location of his last residence and the likely place of his death.

Husband of MARY PETTYJOHN (ca 1757 - 1830), the daughter of William (1716 - 1799) of Sussex, in Delaware Colony. Marriage Jan. 17, 1776, possibly at Goochland County, VA where their first child, William was likely born 14 Oct. 1776 or perhaps at Monongalia County (WV) where Mary's family members migrated and owned property. (See maps in "Dawes-Gates Ancestral Lines", 1931, vol.2) Major Powers and his family of five are listed in their home at Monongalia county, Virginia on the 1782 federal census.

As verified by the "Family Record of Powers Ancestors", 1965 by Delores Powers McIntire, the CHILDREN of Major and Mary Pettyjohn Powers are as follows: William Powers (1776 - 1862) Naomi Powers Roby (1779 - 1866) Nehemiah Powers (1782 - 1846) John Powers (1784 - 1841)

The homes of these children are seen in the US censuses of 1810 and 1820 at Monongalia county, VA. Brice P. Powers, the son of Nehemiah has a biography that dates their 1823 move to Wayne county Indiana followed five years later to Henry county, IN where many family members died and are buried. Some migrated to Iowa, Missouri, California, Oregon and other parts west as the USA expanded.

"Genealogical and Personal History of Upper Monongahela Valley" by J. Callahan, vol.1, pub.1912, (in the section describing the Jones family history) is written that William Powers and his second wife Rebecca Jones, dtr of Jacob, lived at Fairmont, on Booth's Creek, now Marion County, WV before moving to Indiana.

MAJOR4 POWERS (JOHN3, WILLIAM2, HERBERT1) was born 1753 in Frederick Co.Va. or Harrison Co. Morgantown, VA/WV, and died 1797 in Harrison Co.Va. or Taylor County, VA/WV.He married MARY PETTYJOHN January 17, 1776.She was born 1758 in Monongalia Co. Va/WV. Notes for MAJOR POWERS: Harrison W.Va. Co. Court Minuets Vol #1- 784-1792 Page 311 Apr. 21 1788 That THOMAS NUTTER, JOHN WOLF, JACOB WOLF And WILLIAM HAYMOND or Any Three Of Them They Being First Sworn Do Appraise The Personal Estate Of MAJOR POWERS Deceased And Slaves If Any There Be And Make Return Thereof To Next Court. Chronicles of Border Warfare: Page 366. Major Powers: There Was indeed An Alarm of The Indain of Simpson's Creek In 1783, But It Soon Subsided; And The Circumstance Which Gave Rise To It Was General Attributed To A White Man. ( It Was The Discharge Of A Gun At Major Powers ) That Caused It All. More About MAJOR POWERS: Burial: 1797, Harrison Co.Va. or Taylor County, VA/WV Confirmation: 1783, Indians Upset, Gun Fired At Major Powers

Preemption Warrant, Number 2,065 issued 02 April 1782. Survey 18 March 1799. Land Grant 04 March 1801. William POWERS, Naomey ROBEY, Nehemiah POWERS, and John POWERS, heirs and representatives of Major POWERS deceased, 200 acres in Harrison County "... on Amaziah DAVISSONs Mill run adjoining on the Easterly side of a Survey made in the name of the said Major POWERS ... the said tract of land with its appurtenances to the said William POWERS, Naomy ROBY, Nehemiah POWERS and John POWERS ..." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Transcribed from image: Virginia Land Grants Book 47, p. 479-480. http://image.vtls.com/LONN/LO-3/113/113_0495.tif http://image.vtls.com/LONN/LO-3/113/113_0496.tif Library of Virginia ~~ http://www.lva.lib.va.us

Town of Clarksburg, WVA..Major William Powers who resided on Hacker's Creek was conversant with affairs in the early settlement of Harrison County, stated that at a meeting of the settlers one of the Shinn's suggested that the town be named after General Clark, which was assented to and the few log cabins clustered together were christened Clarksburg.

This event must have occurred between the years 1778 and 1781 as General Clark was not generally known until the former year, and the plats of the surveys of Daniel and Andrew Davisson made in the latter year recorded in the surveyor's office of Monongalia County both refer to Clarksburg, it follows that the date of naming the town must have been between those years.

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