Powell Families
of Southeast Alabama and West Florida
The original purpose of this research was to find Powells who might be related to the Elijah who was married to Nancy Caroline Cox. He is widely reported to have been from North Carolina, and there is some evidence to support this: his three oldest children, Martha Jane, William and Daniel, all reported in 1880 that their father was born in NC, but this is not consistent in other census years. William and his sister Mary also reported NC in 1900, but John, the youngest, consistently reported Georgia in census years 1900, 1910 and 1920.
Since known offspring lived in Geneva County and had appeared in Pike and Coffee, the search began there. However, there were so many unidentified Powells who had ties into neighboring counties that soon it became necessary to widen the search. In the end, I spent over a year documenting every Powell I could find in Barbour, Bullock, Pike, Dale, Coffee, Covington and Geneva counties in Alabama, as well as Holmes County, Florida, with many references into Henry and Houston counties in Alabama, and Escambia, Santa Rosa, Walton, Okaloosa and Jackson counties in Florida.
Many of these Powell families show no indication of being related to the others. These family groupings are built primarily from census entries augmented by cemetery listings, marriage and death records, land patents, WWI draft cards and miscellaneous records found, all of which are documented here on this website. Some family groupings and attributes may not be absolutely accurate, but are presented as probable families for research. They are all included here to further the possibility of contact with other researchers who may have information that could shed light on possible connections.
From North Carolina:
- Benjamin Powell (b. c1800) and Matilda - NC > Laurens County, Ga 1850 > Dale 1860 > Geneva 1870. This is the family of Almarine, Ferdinan, Fernie, etc.
- Daniel Powell (c1800) and Sarah - NC > Pike 1840-1850 > Santa Rosa Co, Fl, 1860. Possibly parents of Jacob M and Alice C.
- Decatur Powell (b. c1814) and Emeline - NC > Coffee 1850 > Geneva 1870.
- Elijah Powell (b. c1786) and Nancy Caroline Cox - NC > Georgia > Pike, Al 1830? > Washington Co, Ga, 1840. These are the reported parents of Martha Jane Powell Owens and Daniel Franklin Powell of Geneva County.
- George C Powell (15 Jul 1800 - 5 Aug 1869) and Orphie Starling - NC > Pike 1840-1869
- Isaac Powell (b. c1810) and Mary - NC > Pike 1840 adj Richard > Coffee 1860
- Jacob Powell (b. c1812) and Emily - NC > Coffee 1850 > Crenshaw 1870
- Jacob M Powell (b. c1822) and Mary A - NC > Pike 1850 > Butler 1870 - possibly son of Daniel and Sarah, but could be son of William. Probably brother of Alice C Powell White.
- Richard Powell (1782 - 1863) and Charlotte (Griffin?) - NC > Horry Dist, SC 1820-30 > Pike 1840 adj Isaac
- Wright Powell (b. c1780) and Martha - NC > Washington Co, Ga 1830 > Dale Co, Al 1850 > widow in Covington 1860. This is the family of Napoleon Bonaparte Powell, half-brother of Riley Barnes, also of Dale and Covington. Wright Powell's wife Martha was also Riley Barnes' mother.
From South Carolina
- Abraham Powell (b. c1805-10) and Lithie/Lecia - SC > Dale, Al 1850 > Barbour, 1870 > Coffee, 1900 > Geneva. Probably related to David.
- Abraham C Powell (1827 - 1896) and Sarah E - SC > Bullock, Al 1870 > Santa Rosa Co, Fl, 1880; adjacent Sweet Powell in Santa Rosa 1885.
- David Powell (b. c1801) and Eady - SC > Barbour 1840. Probably related to Abraham who married Lithie. This is the family of Ransom Powell who migrated from Barbour County to Dale to Holmes County, Florida.
- Eliza C Powell (b. c1825) and Irvin Griffin - SC > Pike 1850. Parents unknown. Could be dau of Daniel and Sarah or George C and Orphie or Richard and Charlotte (Griffin) or William.
- George Powell (b. c1802) and Bersheba - SC > Barbour 1840-1850. Parents of Larkin W.
- Jacob C Powell (b. c1784) and Mary Elizabeth Conley - SC > Dale 1860. Presumed father of Jacob and James E; brother of William C; probably related to Abraham.
- Jacob Powell (b. c1831) and Josephine Coe - SC > Dale 1860 > children to Geneva County 1900. Presumed son of Jacob C and brother to James E; probably related to Abraham.
- James E Powell (b. 1813) and Betsy J Ezell - SC > Dale 1850. Presumed son of Jacob C and brother to Jacob; probably related to Abraham.
- North Gano Powell (b. c1827 ) and Elizabeth Barron - SC > Pike 1860. Probably related to George C or Richard.
- Sweet Powell (b. c1818 ) and Susan Jones - SC > Pike 1850 > Santa Rosa Co, Fl 1860. Possibly son of Richard and Charlotte, but could be son of William.
- William C Powell (b. 1794) and Martha/Mary - SC > Dale 1850. Brother to Jacob C; presumed uncle to James E and Jacob.
From Georgia
- Alice C Powell (1828) and Kinion White - Ga? > Coffee 1850 > Walton Co, Fl, 1860 > Butler Co, Al, 1870 > Santa Rosa Co, Fl, 1880 > Escambia Co, Al, 1900 > Escambia Co, Fl, 1910. Aunt of Asa M Powell, probably sister of Jacob M and Elvina and possibly dau of Daniel and Sarah, but could be dau of William.
- Calvin Coleman Powell (b. c1814) and Sarah Browder - Ga > Pike 1840 > Butler 1850 > Walton Co, Fl, 1870. Enumerated on same page as Richard and Isaac in 1840. Possibly son of Richard.
- Daniel Powell (c1810) and Harriett - Ga > Coffee 1850 > Calhoun Co, Fl, 1860-1870
- George B I/J Powell (Bet. 1807 - 1810) and Mary Ann - Ga > Dale 1850 > Covington 1860
- John R Powell (1826 - abt 1913 ) and Edie Everett - Ga > Barbour 1850 - 1910
- John Powell (c1805 - ) and Mary - Ga > Coffee 1850 > Dale 1860
- John Powell (d. 1854) and Prudence Rebecca Brown - Ga > Pike 1860 > Bullock 1870
- Richmond Powell (c1813) and Elza/Eliza - Ga > 1860 Dale > Coffee 1866? > Pike 1870
- Samuel Richard Powell (c1835 - 1863) and Mary Jane Coon - Ga > Pike 1854 > Covington 1860-1920
- William Powell (b. Mar 1827) and Sarah Ann Favors - Ga >Barbour/Bullock 1860-1900. This strongly appears to be the William Hanson Powell reported to be son of Elijah Powell and Nancy Caroline Cox.
- William B Powell (b. abt 1826) and Elizabeth McMurray - Ga or NC >Barbour 1850 - often confused with son of Elijah and Nancy Caroline.
- William S Powell (b. 1829) and Ann J & Elizabeth - Ga>Dale 1860
Born in Alabama - family not identified
- Allen Powell (b. Feb 1866) and Cleo Haynes - Coffee 1900. Married in Barbour Co, Allen lived in Grant's Precinct in Coffee County, SW of Daleville. Many of Abraham and Lithie's descendants lived there about the same time.
- Andrew T Powell (b. 29 Apr 1843) and Mary L Braddy - Santa Rosa Co, Fl, 1880 > Covington Co, Al, 1900. Possibly son of Jacob and Emily of Coffee Co, Al.
- Asa M Powell (b. Jan 1852) and Mary E - Pike, 1900 > Escambia Co, Fl, 1910. Nephew of Alice C Powell White and probably son of Jacob M, but not proven.
- Elvina Powell (b. abt 1835) and Daniel D Wise - Walton Co, Fl, 1860 > Coffee 1870-80 > Walton Co, Fl, 1885-1910. Probably sister of Alice C Powell White and Jacob M Powell.
- Galvester (Mannie) L Powell (b. May 1872) and Emma - Geneva, 1900 > Houston 1910-1930.
- Jacob Powell (b. May 1862) and Emma Windham - Dale 1900-1910 > Holmes Co, Fl, 1920-1930. Possibly son of James E of Dale County.
- James Henry Powell (1869-1946) and Lou Emma Green - Covington 1920-1930. Buried at Cool Springs Cemetery, same as Mary Jane Coon Powell and son William David. These people are from Clay Co, Al, and are latecomers to Covington Co. They do not appear to be connected to other SE Alabama Powells.
- James Marshall Powell (1881 - 1962) and Ella Raybon - Covington 1910. Probably grandson of George B J Powell (Ga), but which son was his father?
- James Riley Powell (c1842 - aft Apr 1910) and Mary J Cutts? - Al > Santa Rosa 1880 > Escambia, Fl 1900 > Santa Rosa 1910. Now identified as son of Calvin Coleman.
- John C C Powell (b. c1868-73) and Martha - Geneva 1900
- William L Powell (b. c1838) and Sarah Ann - Coffee 1860. Probably son of Isaac and Mary (NC).