When a friend started researching her family history, she was surprised and happy to discover an ancestral line in Ireland. Her tree shows her 7X great-grandfather as Walter Poere (Power/Powers), born ca 1760 in Curraghmore, County Waterford. He emigrated to America where he married and raised a family in Maryland.

According to the Curraghmore website, “Curraghmore House in Waterford is the historic home of the 9^th Marquis of Waterford. His ancestors (the de la Poers) came to Ireland from Normandy after a 100-year stopover in Wales around 1170...”

I know nothing about British peerage so this was new territory for me. For the most part, my Irish research has dealt with famine and coffin ships. Exploring her family tree was fun until I came upon an Ancestry probate record that stopped me cold.

Surprised by what I saw, it took extra time to comprehend this probate file was for a man named Power who died in Virginia, not Maryland. He appears unrelated to my friend’s Power/Powers ancestors. This 1843 will goes on for four hand-written pages, with 23 specific bequests. Here are points 1-6:

• 1^st I direct my Executor hereafter named to pay all my just debts with as little delay as practicable and to effect this object my executors are directed to sell such of my stock or implements as will not be wanted on the farm and if a sale of any of my slaves should be necessary, I wish my woman Coeley (wife of Deed) and her children (except the boy William) first sold with her children as I do not wish them separated.
• 2^nd I give and bequeath unto my son F. W. Power my bay mare purchased of W. Mallicote, also my Boy William, son of Coeley, to him and his heirs forever. Also, if my said son wishes, that he take my single gig and put his in place of mine.
• 3^rd I give and bequeath unto my son Robert H. Power my riding horse “Harrison” and my negro Boy “Edmund” to him and his heirs forever.
• 4thly I give and bequeath unto my daughter Lucy Frances Power my negro Girl “Jane” to her and her heirs forever.
• 5thly I give and bequeath unto my daughter Mary E. Power a female servant to be selected by herself from among my negroes to her and her heirs forever.
• 6thly I give and bequeath to my daughter Laura Brown Power my negro Girl “Betsy” (daughter of Mason) to her and her heirs forever.

We look to wills for a record of family relationships. Sometimes we find other tragic history.