The Powers

Michael Powers was a carpenter from Ireland. He, his wife Elizabeth, and probably several children, came to America around 1850. It is said that Eliza could tell where in Ireland someone was from by hearing them speak.

Most Powers families were from County Waterford in Ireland, where the Powers were once a very influential Norman family, but we have no evidence to indicate where in Ireland our Powers emigrated from.

 

Troy, New York

ca. 1849 - 1875

Michael and Elizabeth Powers appear to have settled in Rensselaer County, New York soon after arriving in America from Ireland. They were in Troy by the time their daughter Delia was born (about June 1858), and perhaps they had been in Troy since arriving in Rensselaer County. They were still in Troy by June 1865, and were probably still there five to ten years later (we couldn't find them in Grant County, WI). They had left for Wisconsin by 1877.

Michael and Elizabeth Powers are thought to have had eleven children. The known children were:

  1. Margaret (b. ca. 1845-6, Ireland?). Disappeared between June 1860 and June 1865 (at marrying age).
  2. William (b. ca. 1847-9, Ireland?). Considering his age, William may have made a life for himself in New York and remained there instead of moving to Wisconsin.
  3. George Patrick "Pat" (b. ca. 1850-1, Rensselaer Co., NY). In Elkhorn Township, Plymouth County, IA in 1885. Sponsored the baptism of George Patrick Donlin in 1887.
  4. Mary (b. ca. 1855, Rensselaer Co., NY). Appears to have been a witness at her sister Delia's wedding on Christmas Eve, 1877. Married Patrick (or Rupert?) Hynes in Grant County, WI on 21 April 1879 [4] (just before the Donlins, and presumably the Powers, left for Iowa). Later moved to Montana.
  5. Elizabeth "Eliza" (b. ca. 1857, Rensselaer Co., NY). One Lizzie V. Powers married one Rollin C. Fennel in Grant County, WI on 23 December, 1885. Note that the Donlins (and we presume the Powers) had been in Plymouth County, Iowa for over four years at that time. We have no proof that Eliza came to Wisconsin from New York, but it seems likely, given that she was about 18 in 1875.
  6. Delia H. (b. 19 June 1859 [5], Troy, Rensselaer Co., NY).
  7. Michael (Jr.) (b. ca. 1860-1, Troy, Rensselaer Co., NY). Appears to have been a witness at his sister Delia's wedding on Christmas Eve, 1877 [3]. Delia was known to have had a brother "Mike". [2]
  8. Alice A. (b. 19 July 1864, Troy, Rensselaer Co., NY). Married William "Will" Geary in June 1881 and died in 1951.
  9. Nancy "Nan" (b. after June 1865). Gene Donlin is known to have had an "Aunt Nan" [1]. Other than that, we have no indication that a Nan Powers ever existed.

Michael and Elizabeth had two children before 1860 that we have not been able to account for.

 

Grant County, Wisconsin

ca. 1875 - 1879

We don't know when Michael Powers Sr. died, so we don't know whether he ever made it to Wisconsin. We can only say that he died sometime between June 1865 and June 1885. As for the Powers family, we can say they were in Grant County, Wisconsin as early as 1877, because that was the year Delia Powers married Mike Donlin.

 

 

Plymouth County, Iowa

from ca. 1879

The Donlins moved to Iowa in the Autumn of 1879, but we are not sure the Powers moved at the same time. We know that Alice Powers was in Plymouth County by June 1881, when she married Will Geary. We know that Eliza Powers was in Plymouth County by June 1885, as she was listed in the 1885 Iowa Census. Pat Powers was with Eliza in the 1885 Census, but he also appears repeatedly in the Donlin family Bible as a baptism sponsor. The baptisms for which Pat served as a sponsor place him in Plymouth County from early 1882 to early 1887. Given all this, we can safely say that the Powers were in Iowa by June 1881, and we have no reason to believe they didn't move with the Donlins in 1879.

 

Return to [Donlin Roots] [Michael Patrick Donlin]

 

Research Notes

Recorded events that may or may not relate to our Powers family

One Margaret Power married one Daniel Campbell in Albany County, NY on 18 March 1861. This is probably not our Margaret, as she was quite young at the time, and the wrong variant of the Powers name is used.

One William Powers married one Bridget Holoway at St Pat's Church, Askeaton, Brown, Wisconsin on 10 Feb 1879. This is not near Grant County, WI.

 

Sources

 

[1] Interview with Claire (Donlin) Sweeney.

[2] Interview with Vince Donlin.

[3] Marriage certificate for Michael Donlan and Delia Powers.

[4] Grant Co., WI marriage records, Bk. 9, Pg. 54.

[5] Obituary of Delia (Powers) Donlin.