Nanteos and the Great War

Nanteos was  the home of the Powell family for over 250 years.  They were influential members of Parliament and played a huge part in the development of Aberystwyth and the county of Cardiganshire.  The 1911 census shows William Beauclerk Powell  (1835 – 1911), father of Captain Edward Athelstan Lewis Powell (1870 – 1930) living at Nanteos in 1911 with his wife Anna Marie Lewis and their  staff of eight servants.  

From 1901, Edward Powell became increasingly involved in the affairs of the estate but it was only yielding a net income of £2,000. So in 1909 there was a major resettlement with the principle object of ensuring the continuation of the estate in the family and of minimising estate duty.  Edward’s parents both died in 1911 and death duties of less than £6,000 had to be paid which involved the sale of Trefedlin Farm. 

Nanteos Mansion

Edward Athelstan L. Powell answered the call to arms when war broke out in 1914. He saw active service in Mesopotamia, while his nineteen year old son William  Edward George Pryse Wynne Powell  fought in France.  William had been commissioned into the Welsh Guards and by the summer of 1918 he was in command of King’s Company, 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, which was attached to the 3rd Brigade Guards Division. 

One of the last actions fought by the Welsh Guards, on  6th November 1918, was  capturing the village of Amfroipret and nearby Bavi. William was killed during the attack. He was originally buried at Buvignies, but his grave was moved after the war to Maubege-Cente-Cemetery, France. There is a memorial to the last heir of Nanteos in St. Padarn’s Church, Llanbadarn as well as one to him in Llanbadarn. 

William  Edward George Pryse Wynne Powell

Edward Powell was disconsolate after the death of his son, as a suitable heir to the estate was not available, and consequently he secured a series of legal arrangements permitting him to dispose of parts of the estate as and when he pleased. His death in 1930 brought about the final extinction of the male line of the Powells of Nanteos. 

Post by one of our project volunteers

Sources: Ancestry.com and ;Nanteos a Welsh House and its Families, edited by Gerald Morgan

Picture of William  Edward George Pryse Wynne Powell is also in NLW Aberystwyth