Topics this issue include;
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| 1. Apologies Having let you know in the last two eNewsletters about the birth of our new granddaughter (Aimee
Grace) I thought that I'd better let you know that the main reason for my silence over the past month
(leading to a lack of replies to emails, not having updated the website etc) has principally been due
to our daughter, Kris, having been very ill post-birth. Unfortunately, whilst having her baby by
caesarean means, an internal organ was cut in error, leading to her being in 'theatre' for over
1½ hours, and although the baby has always been OK, there was an occasion when we nearly 'lost'
our daughter.
Although Kris did appear to improve at one stage, during early to mid November she spent a lot of
time in the Casualty department of our local hospital, as she was in great pain, so much so, that
she had difficulty in walking, and was unable to hold her baby. Fortunately within the past couple of
weeks she has improved considerably, and (hopefully) is on the road to full recovery.
Because of all the above, plus extra Josh-sitting duties etc, my being able to sit at the computer to
update the website, reply to emails, and so much more, has had to be put on the 'back-burner' .
Furthermore, apart from my having an idea for the design of the 2005 Powditch Christmas card,
plus trying to sort out the exact routes etc for the 2006 Powditch Family Gathering, and a few other
matters, to say that I am a couple of months behind in everthying, is putting it rather mildly, although
I am determined to finish and send out this year's card etc, before Christmas 2005
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| 2. One issue - two months OK, so I'm cheating a little this month, by presenting you with a combined November/plus-a-little-bit-
of-December eNewsletter, but (if you'll forgive me, and as mentioned in the last item) I'm trying to
design, print, finish and post all the Powditch Christmas cards and annual newsletters so that you'll
receive a copy before Christmas! With just over 2½ weeks to 'the' day, I certainly have to pull my
finger out (not much change there then!!!)
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| 3. More exciting News Having written last month about being contacted by an Italian researcher with an interest in the
Earthquake/Tsunami which 'hit' Valparaiso in 1835, around mid November I received a just-as-
interesting email from an Australian researcher who is doing his "PhD at La Trobe, on the first
phase of company gold mining in Australia, looking at all the London-based 'gold bubble'
companies plus a number formed in Australia".
Whilst the latter doesn't have a direct bearing on the Powditch family, that my contact (John
Woodland) is "researching John Diston Powles and his entrepreneurial activities as part of
my PhD thesis" and that he is "interested in any information about his promotion and
management of Latin American companies, including the Mexican and South American
Company", might be of great interest to the Chilean branch of the Powditch family, as well as to
others who have family connections with Chile, for the following two reasons.
Firstly, because within "Some Notes on the Family of Powditch" (Chile,1939) recorded family
memories by John Thomas Gray Powditch make mention that "Mr John Diston Pole [sic; Powles],
Chairman of the Mexican and South American Coy, knew my great grandfather well, and
spoke of him highly as a Merchant on the Russia Walk." - his 'great grandfather' being Thomas
Powditch (d.1804) of North Shields, Durham and Peckham (London).
Secondly, John Thomas Gray Powditch's father's (Thomas Powditch bo.1826 d.1904) own written
memoirs, record that; "In 1847 Alison Cumberlege +Co failed. Meanwhile Mr Alison had come
out to Establish a smelting works in Coquimbo (Herradura bay) + I was engaged by him as
general Clerk to the Mexican + South American Comp of which he was Manager. About the
end of 1847 I took my post as Bookkeeper Cash Keeper sampler +c +c. I was then 21½ years old.
I remained in this capacity - second in authority till the year 1852 when in September I took a trip
to London: the Company had agreed to put up other smelting works in Caldera of which I was to
be the General Manager. The trip home was to confer with the Directors + sign the Contract."
John Woodland's "interest in John Diston Powles goes back some years, for he had been a
geologist before his retirement in 1999, and for about 20 years prior to this, he had been involved
in exploration and gold mining in Victoria - including work at the town of Clunes. This was the site
of the Port Phillip and Colonial Gold Mining Company's highly successful gold mine between
1857-91. The Port Phillip Company was the only success story out of about 70 London-based
companies floated during the 'gold bubble' of the early 1850s".
After retiring John decided to "put some of his knowledge to use, so he wrote a book on the
company, published in mid-2001 to coincide with the 150th anniversary of gold discovery in
Victoria. At the same time he completed an M.A. in history at La Trobe University - this is
accessible online at www.lib.latrobe.edu.au/thesis/public/adt-LTU20041222.162756/ "
"The Powles connection is that J.D.Powles promoted the Port Phillip Company, and became its
chairman and a major shareholder until his death in 1867. He was the uncle of Rivett Henry
Bland, who was the Australian director of the company, and directly responsible for its success
here. Powles promoted/chaired/directed and was a major shareholder in at least 15 other
companies, (John is still coming across them!) many in Latin America, between 1824 and about
1860. They included the English and Australian Copper Company, formerly [Low's] Patent
Copper Company which operated the Spitty smelters before moving to Burra, South Australia;
and the St. John d'el Rey Mining Company, which developed one of the world's biggest gold
mines at Morro Velho, Brazil. John keeps coming across links between J.D.Powles and other
companies, and fellow directors such as Henry William Schneider [Barrow-in -Furness] and
James Vetch [Real del Monte, Mexico]. My present references to the Mexican and South
American Company are largely letters written to The Times and the [London] Mining Journal
by one of Powles critics, Christopher Richardson."
John Woodland intends to use J. D. Powles "to illustrate the role played by 19th century company
promoters and directors". To this end, he is "seeking any information he can get on him,
especially anything that will give him a feel for J.D.Powles as a person".
Sorry about the length of the above, but there is a lot to try to explain! Should any of the persons,
and/or Companies ring a bell with you within your own family's history, or should you be able to help
John Woodland in any other way re his search, please can you let me know, as he would be most
grateful for any help.
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| 4. Welcome A big welcome is given to the following, who have contacted me since the last issue of the
eNewsletter.
a. Cathrynne Selma Rees Powditch, from Bristol, who is the daughter of Haydn and Sue, and
granddaughter of Margy Powditch from Hedgerley in Bucks.
Cathrynne wrote to say; "I am the grand-daughter of Thomas Rees Powditch who was
born in Splott, Cardiff in 1919. You already have my photo, sent to you by my father,
Haydn, who is in contact with you. I was just wondering whether you had any information
on my Grand-father. For I never met him as he passed away 4 years before I was born.
Any information would be greatly appreciated."
b. Marjorie Powditch (from Cardiff, South Wales), whose late husband was Ron Powditch.
Marjorie wrote to say "I must say you work very hard on getting all the information that you
do".
Apologies to Cathrynne and Marjorie (as well as to anyone else waiting to hear from me!) for my
silence (or rather, in not having replied to emails), but 'circumstances' over the past couple of
months (as mentioned above) have meant that I haven't been able to get on the computer so
frequently. I do hope however to be in touch as soon as poss'.
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| 5. Website updates Since the last eNewsletter (No.27, for October 2005), changes to the website have included the
following;
Amendments and Updates
 the homepages section had 25 new 'links' () added on 9 November, full details of which, are shown on the www.powditch.plus.com/homepages/links.htm page, and included;-1. The Family Records Centre (London)
2. Helm's Genealogy Toolbox
3. Soundex
4. The Genealogy Homepage
5. What's Really New in WWW Genealogy Pages
6. The Office for National Statistics
7. The History of the Workhouse
8. English Heritage and Royal Commission for Historic Buildings in England
9. National Monuments Record
10. Family History online
11. Norfolk Censuses Information
12. The National Army Museum
13. The Royal Naval Museum
14. The Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars
15. The National Maritime Museum (UK)
16. The Ordnance Survey website
17. History etc books
18. The General Registration Office (GRO)
19. Wisbech and the Fenlands
20. The Victoria and Albert Museum
21. The Royal AirForce Museum
22. Museums around the UK
23. Norfolk Family History Society
24. Newspapers in the British Library Catalogue
25. The FamilyChest
- for full details of the above, please check them out via the Links page, at
the homepages section - guest book entries - has also had several new guests, added (q.v. www.powditch.plus.com/homepages/entries.htm) the 'Latest News' page (www.powditch.plus.com/News/latest_news.htm) has been updated since last month. the Powditch website's Home page (www.powditch.plus.com/ ) has had more 'tweaks', although it still remains best viewed at 800 x 600 pixels (for the moment)New Pages
the October eNewsletter has been added , and is now accessible either from the News index page at www.powditch.plus.com/News/index.htm or directly, from www.powditch.plus.com/News/enewsletter_october_2005.htm Hopefully I'll have been able to update, amend and create more pages by next month's eNewsletter!
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| 6. Powditch Gathering 2006 Hopefully by the time I send out this year's Christmas card and Newsletter, it will include the full
programme for the second Powditch Family Gathering, which has been planned for the period
Thursday 14 September to Sunday 17 September 2006.
Although I am awaiting some replies from 'suppliers', etc, and so can't say much more than that at
the moment, the event will comprise (as before) two Coach tours of Norfolk (visiting Powditch
Villages and Churches), plus Family Meals, plus talks and other items of interest, including a return
visit to Creake Abbey Farm for Afternoon Tea. We will also have, on the Sunday, a Family Service
at Morston Church, although I can't promise the Bishop, etc on this occasion. Anyway, all available
details will be sent to you soon.
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| 7. The Powditch Family Prayer With Christmas fast approaching, and families gathering together for the festive season, I thought that
I would include a copy of The Powditch Family Prayer which was written especially for the Powditch
Family's Church Service at Morston Church in 2004, just in case you would like to say it on the day,
or at any other time.
O Lord, we thank you for watching over our Powditch Family throughout all ages. We
thank you too, that in time of plague or war or personal troubles, as also in times of
happiness, that you are always there to listen to our pleas and thanks.
O Lord, forgive us for doubting your love, or misunderstanding your reassurances, in our
times of stress when we have prayed to you, especially for loved ones departed this life
or those who left our homes without word, or when families’ have parted or gone far away.
That we of the worldwide Powditch Family are gathered here today in your sight, is
testament to our faith we each have in you. We thank you for watching over each of us this
day, and for watching over our ancestors *[who worshipped here before us], who, through
your daily guidance were led from strength to strength, so that we too might know and
enjoy that same love.
We pray for all those of our Powditch Family who have gone before us, that their love and
character will remain with us. We pray too for those of our family unable to be with us
today, hoping that next time they will be able to be part of our special family gatherings.
O Lord, hear our prayer.
Amen
N.B. Re * When the Prayer is read in a place other than a Church, the words "who worshipped here before us" are to be omitted. (Words were by John and Angela Algar, and kindly edited by Joc Wingfield (Morston))
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| 8. ......and finally! Because the December eNewsletter won't see the light of day until early January 2006 (whoops,
just wrote 2005 until I corrected it!) Ang, her sisters and I would like to wish you and your family, a
very happy and enjoyable Christmas, and we all hope that 2006 will bring you and yours, good
health and much happiness - and if it's at all possible for you to make it, we hope that you'll be able
to come to the Second Powditch Family Gathering, which again is being held in Norfolk, in
September 2006 (dates and other details, together with registration forms, are online at
www.powditch.plus.com/2006_gathering.htm ). Besides the latter, you will be receiving a
hard copy of all the details with your Christmas card etc. Hope you'll like the topic of this year's
offering.
As ever, I do thank you ever so much for being a reader of this eNewsletter, and moreso, for being
either a Powditch or a Powditch-descendant.
If I owe you an email reply, or if I haven't been in contact with you for a long while, I do hope to as
soon as possible in the near future. In the meantime, I do hope that you and your family are all
keeping well, and I look forward to hearing from you sometime, especially if you have any news
(either for the website or for the Powditch Archive).
Have a great Christmas and a wonderful 2006,
John
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