On this page we hope to gather information on as many family crests and mottos relating to the POWER family, and derivative names, as possible.
Do you have a story to share ? please contact us and we’ll add your information to our site.
The crest seen opposite is the accepted form of the Power Family crest and shows a quarter length black jagged pattern on a white field. It is one of the more plain Irish Clan coats of arms but an unmistakable one all the same.
The family motto is Per Crucem ad coronam – “By the cross, to a crown” …
We would love to hear from other Power families, Powers, Poher or any derivation of the name to see and hear their family stories.
per crucem ad coronam. It means ‘By the cross to a crown’
I thought I read somewhere it was the exclusive motto of the Right Honourable the Lord John Power, Boron of Tyrone.
I thought the motto was “for my county, always”
No, ‘per Crucem ad Coronam’! “Crucem’ (excuse spelling) is Latin for ‘cross’; coronem, Latin for ‘crown’; per: via, from. Per crucem ad Coronem, ‘From the Cross to the Crown’. That’s what I reckon, anyway.
regards
B.
I am interested in the Power family tree.
Send me an email, Laura and I’ll send you the ‘Dropbox’ link.
W. P.
Who is Laura Power?
I have been researching the genealogy of the (Irish) Power family since 1964 and in the book Morgan and a History of the Power Family, I’ve outlined the descendants from Sir Robert and Sir Roger Poer, de La Poher, whatever (c.1170) from a variety of souces, though primarily those of the work of Gabriel O. C, Redmond from his book (published c.1891) ‘The Family of Poher Poer or Power’. Also, as far as records can provide, I’ve shown a possible line of descent
of the name from Merovigian king, Clovis. I’ve provided a copy of this book to Conan Power who is part of the organising committee for the coming reunion.
To William Power .Where can I get a copy of the two books you mentioned above. I am so happy to find people that have looked back , like I have been trying to do for years. Janell Thank you for any help you can give me.
Hi Janell. I have downloaded my books: ‘Morgan and a History of the Power Family’, and ‘A History of the Power Family of Ireland’ to the internet programme Dropbox, and made them available to a member of the Power reunion organizing commitee, Conan Power. I can provide them via cd or send you the Dropbox link. My email address is power.w@bigpond.com.
Hello William,
From the Power Clan in St. John’s, Newfoundland, I would be very interested in reading your works. Could I get your link to dropbox also.
rgds
Vaughn Power
Hi Vaughn. I can only do that if you provide me with an email address; ‘The Power Family Gathering 2013’ is not sufficient for the purpose. Failing that, if you log into the facebook page, ‘Powers of the World’ and scroll down to the red PDF symbol for the book Morgan and a History of the Power Family, you should be able to download it. Also, if you click on ‘Files’ – next to Members, Events, Photos; top of that page under members photos, you’ll see it and from there you should be able to download it.
Regards Bill.
My family is from Bell Island, Nfld. We live in Ontario now. I would also like to track my family history. Can I get the drop box link?
Hi Vaughn
The only way I can send it, Vaughn, is if I have an email addy. I’ve tentatively left my email add.
on this page somewhere, if you can find it send me an email.
William,
I have a fairly limited knowledge of my family’s history in that I know where we are from and have only visited the family land (not in the family anymore) once. I am very interested in learning as much as is available and would be thrilled to read your books. If you could tell me where I could buy them I will gladly do so.
I did include an email address above but, mind you, my research over the years concentrated more on the origins of the name and the descent of the family that led to my Australian ancestors. I’ve made both books available to one of the organisers of the Waterford Power Family reunion, Conan Power (see the Power Facebook page). I don’t know if he’ll be making it available or not but try him first.
W. Power.
I thought that the motto was “Pro Patria Semper”
That was the one used by the Powers of Newlands Manor, Roger. A very early one dating from 12th century was Soli Deo Gloria, which was also used by the Eustace family of Newstown. Another was Cur me Persequentis, which was the motto of Eustace of Baltinglass. Another still was used by James Power esq., M. P. of Edermine Co. Wexford but I’ve misplaced that one.
The stags head beween the antlers was the emblem of Saint Eustace, formerly patron saint of hunters, however he’s been droped from the list of saints as they now believe he was only a myth, or legend, but I believe they are mistaken. The symbol is also displayed on the frontispiece of Curragmore House but Lord Waterford has a different story of its origin.
In fact the stags head and crucifix is a fairly common emblem, if my memory serves me correctly it also appears on the gates to the palace where Mary Queen of Scots was held under house arrest in Edinburgh, Scotland, right near the castle.
It is thought that the Powers, or Pours, or Le Poer built a Castle at what is now Powerscourt in County Wicklow. In the calendar of state papers for 1296, it is stated that Eustace le Poer was allowed to have six Stags and six hinds in the Royal Forest of Powerscourt (now Glencree Forest). In 1327, at the end of the reign of Edward II in Alan’s “Blackbook” we read that “The heir of Eustace le Powere holds one carucate of land at Stamelyn (Stagonil). Alan notes that this was in his time commonly called Powerscourt. The Powerscourt lands were subsequently granted to Sir Richard Wingfield by James I in 1609. Eustace Le Poer became Viscount Baltinglass at some date and the Power use of the Stags Head in the Crest may come from the Powerscourt link. (This from A Description and History of Powerscourt by Viscount Powerscourt published in 1903 and downloadable as a PDF)
Hi; this is janell kozak in USA. I would love the family tree information but I have never heard of “Dropbox” before .i need more information please.
Hi Janell. Dropbox is, well, a programme in cyberspace where you can ‘drop’ stuff in for whoever you select to pick it up. It’s quite safe, and the best way to get an idea of what it’s about is to ‘Google’ it, or type it into your search-engine. Once you’re happy with it let me know and I’ll send you the link (via email) so you can access the item(s).
Hi Janell,
I’m in the USA also and have been researching my Mom’s family. She was a Powers who lived in Washington state. Do you have any family from there?
Mary
Hi Mary; my family is the Poors of Andover, Mass. They came from England in 1630′s. Before that these Poors built the cathedreal at Sarm in the 11-1200′s. I want to go back farther and the Powers could be the original name before it was Poore. If I can be of help let me know, but we pretty well stayed in the northeast , except one member going to the goldfields in California in 1840′s.. Jsk
William, I was under the impression the Powers were from Scotland? I don’t know where I got that idea but it looks like they were from Ireland?
Some may have moved to Scotland, Mary, in fact it would be surprising if none did between the years 1170 and now, but their original migration from England in (c) 1170 was to Ireland, although it’s possible there were indiginous ‘Powers’ in Ireland long before 1170.
I have recently did a little research on my Power roots as I am descended from an Andrew Power born in Cork, Ireland in 1782. Andrew Power came to America & married Margaret Gainer in Arlington, VT in 1809. We don’t know anything about his family in Ireland. Andrew Power moved to Canada ca 1827 with his wife & 4 boys. I understand that Power is a Protestant name in Ireland which makes sense as my folks were Methodists. I presume that my ancestor got on a passenger ship to Boston and made his way to upstate New York.
I am just a California Canadian trying to figure out where my people came from. My great grandmother was a Power.
The predominant religion in Ireland has, since the advent of Saint Patrick, been Roman Catholic, and my branch, who originate from County Wicklow, have been Catholic for as far back as I can trace, and that’s to the mid 1700s. However, branches of my family here in Australia have drifted off to other denominations, so I guess we belong to many and varied persuasions.
That is interesting as I had never heard this before. My ancestor Andrew Power (1782-1864)was a founder of the United Methodist Church in New York State in the 1820s. He held the Sunday service in his house. I presume that he brought his religion with him from Ireland. This period of 19th Century American Protestantism was known as the SECOND GREAT AWAKENING. It was a primitive faith based on the bible alone which promised a way to side step the competing claims of many denominations available at the time. They were able to find assurance of being right without the security of an established national church. This was a period of Methodist circuit riders who went from town to town in NY state, Ohio, etc, held camp meetings. The most well known of these circuit riders of the 19th Century was REV Chas Grandison Finney. The US during this period was pristine, undefiled which was the perfect place to recover pure & original Christiantiy. The tradition bound European churches seemed out of place in this new setting. I was always fascinated by my ancestor’s strong religious beliefs and how they survived in the way that they did.
Another point I want to bring up besides our religious heritage is the fact that I believe that the Power clan possess special genes and DNA that gave us longevity. As I did a study of my Power ancestors and they were living well into their 90s back in the 19th Century America & Canada. Afterall, these Irish ancestors of ours survived the Black Plague & the Bubonic Plague so therefore our Power ancestors gave us the gift of longevity among other gifts. I wonder if the rest of you are now finding this out now too? This is the subject of medical research and science today.
Ref: The History of Washington County New York 1878.
Yes you are right Bill – Power is today at least, very much a Roman Catholic name – and has been for as long as any records I’ve seen.
Doug, ah, I beg to differ with you again but without specific evidence to as to ‘our’ longevity I can’t agree that the Power family have any special claim to ‘supa-dupa’ DNA by which they can claim extra years of life beyond the norm. The fact that my (Power) ancestors’ life-spans over the last 150 years include short, normal and long lived individuals maybe superfluous to the argument, nevertheless, my father died aged 86, his brother, late 50s (one aged 21 in the WW2, not counted, of course), his father 60ish, his uncles late fifties early 60s, great, grandfather died 73, his brothers mid 70s, great, great, grandfather 78. But then my great aunt died 105! One out of a dozen might make it into their 90s and rarely 100s. However, medical science now-a-days means we all (or most of us) live longer – without it I’d've died at 19 from a ruptured spleen, and then at 67 from a mitral valve prob. – but I very much doubt there is any evidence to suggest our DNA provides us with a longer life than the rest of the population.
Oh, I forgot, there is a record of at least one dying during the plague years, and I’m sure many more of the family did also. There simply is no record of names or numbers by which we can check.
You are obviously not a medical professional or educated in the sciences and are not aware of recent scientific findings regarding DNA etc. In the more recent medical research doctors have found for example that people from northern Europe are immune from certain viruses. This new information has now come to light in regard to the HIV virus research in recent years. The T cells are unique and possess certain characteristics in people of different ethnic backgrounds. This also relates to cancer research. I understand you have given the Catholic viewpoint but not everybody thinks that way.
No, no, you’re dead right, I’m certainly no a medical expert, I never indicated in anyway, shape or form that I was. If your genetic hypothesis is right perhaps I can now look forward to reaching the ripe old age of 120 plus! Dunno if I wanna live that long.
The Catholic viewpoint! What the hell is that? I just presented you with a few minor historical facts which were supported by ‘The Power Clan Gathering’ (see comment above). Believe what you like my friend, I couldn’t care less!
Hello I recently found this place. Anyways I have been trying to find my family and I can’t find anything. I am from the USA. My mother’s maiden name is Power. Can I have some help gathering info on the Power clan?
any idea where in Ireland her folks came from Dama ?
My mother is still digging for info. So far all I know is we are from southern Ireland
Just Southern Ireland really isn’t much to go on, do you have any idea from which county they originated?
I’m sorry I wish I had more to go off of. there is literally nothing but the name and stories of how my family ended up in America. I know mother’s dad is Walter Power and I was told that the family was banned from Ireland because we were on the wrong side of the crown. I also know that we were called ” Black Irish” because of that and were taken in by the Scottish. But other than that I know so little because the history and family tree has been lost and possibly destroyed.
Sorry for the double post I forgot about one thing, that we were also Scott-Irish.
Hi Dama. To the best of knowledge and belief, the term ‘Black Irish’ referred to the olive skinned blue, though sometimes brown, eyed children of Irish, Spanish parents. Catholic Spain was sympathetic to Catholic Ireland during the periods it suffered persecution from protestant England; the (Spanish) invasion of 1601 at Kinsale was a typical example, though the Spanish were hopelessly defeated by the British led by (I think) Lord Sydney. Mind you, I might stand corrected there, my Irish history is vague at times, someone might have a more accurate definition of the term ‘Black Irish’. Sorry I can’t be of more help as to your Irish origins.
Bill
Well I know we aren’t Spanish but our eyes do change between green and brown. Thank you though. Knowing that the Power Clan isn’t dying off makes me feel better. I am sorry I don’t have more knowledge of my family. Though one more thing. Are there any relations to the druids? I know my family has strong roots with the druids too.
Hello everyone. My daughter Dama Forsberg has been on here helping me dig up my family line. I was never told much But she has shared most of what we have. I have been given the following area as our roots. It would be from Limerick across to Gorey and South. This is the best I have for area. I wish I was given one town but my dad and uncle mentioned many. They were twins.
Hi Anea, Your daughter might be able to get an inclination as to your particular branch of the Power family of Ireland from my research outlined in the book obtainable through this site. It will still leave you with a lot of questions, but you never know, there might just be a clue there. Family History research will lead the dedicated researcher up a lot of blind alleys but occasionally, just occasionally, a clue will present itself; a line worth further pursuing. It can be very frustrating, and many times over the years I was ready to give up altogether; to surrender to “it just aint worth the time and effort!” but then, a touch of gold emerges from all the musty old papers, documents, register entries, etc. – a clue you recognise, a snippet that connects, and that’s very rewarding. I’m still at it; still have heaps of questions; am still uncertain. The fact that official (Irish) registers of births, deaths and marriages did not begin in Ireland until, for Protestants, 1840, Catholics, 1845; and the devastating fire in the Dublin (I think it was Dublin) library in 1922 and the fire that destroyed Powerscourt manor and most of what was in it in 1974 doesn’t help matters one bit.
So, Keep at it, it really is worth the effort.
Regards.
B.
You can be sure of one thing, Dama, the ‘Power clan’ aint dying off – there’s thousands of us! Mind you, individual families here and there may struggle to produce an ‘heir’ capable/willing to carry the ‘Power’ name, but overall we’ve thrived from way back when. Dama, look, you could try the Internet genealogy site, Ancestry.com; they do charge a joining fee but they also offer a 14 day free trial, and that may be worth your while checking out. Also, by way of getting a bit of the Power historical background, you could download my book on the family through Drop0box. If you have a problem with that, let me know.
regards
Bill
Errr, Dama, it’s not DropObox, it’s Dropbox (typing error), a programme available through Google or your Search Engine. As I said, if you have problems, mention it here and we’ll sort it out.
I thank you for suggesting ancestry.com I have already tried there and found dead ends which is why when I found this place I was excited. I would be glad to download your book though. It would be nice to know of more about my family. Thanks again for your help. I am proud be apart of the Power Clan and do have plans to remove Forsberg.
Hi Dama, I suggested it to Conan Power, of the Power reunion organising committee, to attach it to this page (above, under “Power History”) but for reasons known only to himself, it’s never happened. Nevertheless, I took the (somewhat foolish) step of inserting my email address in one of the messages above and I also attached the book to the reunion’s facebook page, which you can ‘click’ on and download directly once you download the programme ‘Dropbox’ via your search-engine, ‘Google’ in most cases. If you have any difficulty, drop me an email or simply insert a message on this page; you see, for me to send it to you direct, I’ll need your email address.