Now let us concentrate now on the Powell families who were living in the parish of Margam in the mid-nineteenth century. The four principle locations were: Eglwys Nynydd, Groeswen, Llanmihangel Farm and Llanmihangel Mill. Sadly, the first two no longer exist, but Llanmihangel Farm, sold recently, is still an active farm, and Llanmihangel Mill, although no longer operating, still exists as a small farm and private dweling.

At Eglwys Nynydd, the head of household in 1851 was now eldest son, William (#425), his parents William (#417) and Elizabeth (#418) having died in the 1840's. Second son Rees (#424) had married Frances Jane Jones of Bridgend and the couple farmed in Tythegston and Laleston before leaving, with their twelve children, for Swansea around 1860. Four of the six daughters had married local farmers William Lewis, William Williams, David Emmanuel Marendaz, and Thomas Joseph; daughter Margaret had married Coity publican William Betterton and youngest daughter Jennet had married Neath Draper and land proprietor Rees Morgan. William Powell junior (#425) had married his cousin Mary Ann Savours, of the Oxfordshire branch of his family, and the couple produced three children, William, Frederick and Mary Ann. Frederick died in infancy; Mary Ann married a surgeon from Pembrokeshire - James Mathias Phillips - and left with him to live in Cardigan; William (#513) was to inherit Eglwys Nynydd on his father's death in 1868, and continued to farm there until the 1890's. By this time he had married Sarah Anne Evans, daughter of a Denbighshire curate, they had produced two children, William (#516) and Laura (#1014), and William had become a Justice of the Peace. Before the end of the century, William retired from farming and the family retired to Pembrokeshire, bringing to an end the Powell era at Eglwys Nynydd.

At Groeswen, my great-great grandfather Rees Powell (#15) and his wife Mary Thomas raised eight children: Rees (#13), my great-grandfather, Gwilim, Catherine, Elizabeth, Thomas, Sarah, Edward and Anne. Before 1860, the family moved to Ty Draw, Pyle, taking over from Rees' brother William (#414) who had farmed Ty Draw since the death in 1837 of their father, and in 1845 of their mother. William's wife, Elizabeth had died and William left farming to run a grocery and bakery with his new wife, Fanny, in Penarth.

At Llanmihangel Mill, son James (#116) and his wife Catherine Howells, had taken over the running of the Mill and small farm on the death of Jehoshaphat in 1843. Of Jehoshaphat's other children, only eldest son, Rees had not married; he remained single and continued to work in the area as a millwright, living for the last years of his life at the "Farmers Arms", Kenfig. Daughter Mary had married George Jones, the maltster of Pyle Bridge, son of Thomas Jones and Mary Jane Lewis. Daughter Anne married local customs officer Willliam Loveluck, son of William and Isod Loveluck of Mawdlam Farm. Daughter Rachel had married Coal Shipper John Joseph. Son William (#2045) became a customs officer and married Jane Cuthbertson, daughter of Neath solicitor Alexander Cuthbertson; the couple lived in North Cornelly, Pyle, where they had eight children together. But there is much more to the story of William Powell (see Notes) - and, indeed, much intrigue and many unanswered questions relating to the Cuthbertson Family.

James and Catherine had eight children: James, Catherine, Rees, Jehoshaphat, Griffith, Elizabeth, John and Mary Ann. James senior died tragically aged only 38, and Catherine was left to run the Mill and raise her large family single-handed. This she continued to do, with the help of her sons, for a further ten years, at which time she remarried, remaining at the Mill until the mid-1860's when she and her new husband, William Rees, left the Mill and took over the Cornelly Arms in North Cornelly.

So, by the third quarter of the nineteenth century, the centre of gravity of the Powell family had shifted yet again - this time to the parish of Pyle & Kenfig.