5/31/14 FINDING--POWERSCOURT--IRELAND

My great grandfather Edward F. Beale published a book in 1943 which outlines the history of the Beale family.

Title: A CHRONICLE OF THE FAMILY OF EDWARD F. BEALE OF PHILADELPHIA

Edward's mother was Mary Anna Tillinghast, her father (Joseph Leonard Tillinghast) had married Rebecca Power, daughter of Nicholas Power of Providece, RI.--CHRON. p.104

This book states the Power family went back to "Sir Robert La Poer came over in 1150 with the son of Henry II from Normandy, and landed at Waterford of which the King gave him dependence."

"Powers Court, County Wicklow, derives its name from a de la Poer or Power who came into possssion of this magnificant seat by marriage."

"De la Poer, an Anglo-Norman knight obtained possession of these lands and built a castle there."---CHRON. p.132

Views of Powerscourt castle and grounds:

My findings on google:

"We now return to Sir Robert de Poher, son of Bartholomew de Poher, Lord of Blackborough. He was Knight Marshal of Ireland, and in A.D. 1177 (Henry II) was granted that portion of the present Co. Waterford extending from the river Suir to the sea, excepting the City and the Cantred of the Danes, a district thence called `The Poer or Powers Country'. He was Governor of Waterford and Wexford, and was, A.D. 1179, joined in Commission with Lord Hugh de Lacy in the Government of Ireland. (Power family pedigree)

Waiting for John [Henry II's son] to grow up meant that some strong royal representative had, in the interim, to control affairs in Ireland. Fitz Audelin, who had taken over from Raymond le Gros in April 1176, was replaced after the council of Oxford [1177] by Hugh de Lacy, with the title of `procurator'. Leinster was divided into three `custodies' under de Lacy at Dublin, fitz Audelin at Wexford, and Robert le Poer at Waterford.

Henry made a number of sweeping land-grants and gave powerful offices to a small number of ambitious settlers. This represented the second stage of Anglo-Norman colonisation in Ireland. The most notable beneficiaries were Hugh de Lacy, Robert fitz Stephen, Miles de Cogan, Philip de Braose, and Robert le Poer. Each person to whom grants were made at the council had to do homage and take an oath of fealty to John, as well as to Henry himself."---dna#16, p.129

"The estate of Powerscourt near Enniskerry, in County Wicklow, was originally held by Simon Poer, believed to be another of Sir Bartholomew's sons, who also came to Ireland during the anglo-Norman invasion. It's believed he built the original (not the existing one) castle early in the 12th century on the sight of the present building." --dna#16, p.130

COINCIDENCES:

1)- see 12/17/13 Findings--Hugh de Lacy's barons in Ireland included Tuite, Hussey and Nugent. Descendants of these three men were on St Croix, where ancestor George Beale managed a plantation for Tuite.

2)- see 12/1/12 Findings---the handwriting on the back of the Mary Queen of Scots ribbon appears to match Edward Beale's mother--she was a Power.

3)- very unusual that I'm finding the Power and Beale families go back to the same place (Normandy/England/Ireland)