John Powell was one of twelve children that were born to Evan and Margaret Powell. Evan Powell was born in Breconshire in about 1855 and his wife was born in Llanfabon parish in about 1861. From the twelve children, three are known to have died prior to 1911 as well as Margaret herself. Their children I can find were:

Margaret Ann, b 1877
George, b 1878
Amelia, b 1879
John, b 1881
Thomas, b 1885
Mary, b 1886
William, b 1887 and
Morgan who was born in 1890

Evan and Margaret had also adopted a boy called John Powell who had been born in 1879.

John’s sister Margaret Ann Powell married a Daniel Miles at Merthyr Tydfil in 1897. From this marriage came a daughter Amelia Avarina Miles who was born in 1898. Daniel Miles had died before 1911 since Margaret is shown as a widow, living with the family at Greenhill Cottage, Nelson in 1911. Who is missing from this household is John Powell.

John Powell had been married to an Annie in about 1908 and they were living at 27 Hollybush Terrace, Nelson with their two children, Ivor who was 2yrs and Margaret who was eight months old.

John’s brother George Powell is also known to have served in the war, having enlisted into the 20th Battalion, Welsh Regiment in April 1916 as Private 50337 and later transferred to 2/5th Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers as Private 4367. Towards the end of the war he again transferred to the 306th Protection Company and was involved in guarding prisoners of war. While doing this (and in 1919) he was found guilty of neglect in that he ‘allowed prisoners of war to damage a tree’ and was sentenced to 4 days of Field Punishment No2.

News:

April 21^st 1917.

Killed in action.

Official notice has been received by Mrs Powell, 27, Hollybush Terrace that her husband, Private John Powell, Welsh Regiment was killed in action in France on or about 10^th July 1916.
Private Powell had previously been officially reported missing and it is presumed that he met his death in Mametz Wood where a large number of Nelson boys were killed and wounded.
He enlisted early in the war and had been over a year at the front. In his last letter home he stated that he expected to come home on rest leave in a few days. Prior to enlisting he worked in Treharris Colliery. He was a son of Mr Evan Powell, contractor, Greenhill Cottages.

This makes the 18^th Nelson soldier officially reported killed in action.

[Source: Merthyr Express]