Gabriel Powell (born c. 1655) was a British soldier, who settled on the island of St Helena in 1673 and became a leading planter. He participated in the 1684 rebellion and, during its aftermath, led the struggle against the Government until his incarceration in 1688 and his escape to Europe in 1689.
Arrival on St Helena
Nothing specific is known about Powell's life before his arrival on St Helena, but it is clear that he was one of the soldiers, who retook the island from the Dutch in May 1673. Captain Richard Munden was leading a small convoy of East Indiamen on its way back from the East, when he found the island annexed by the Dutch. Munden caught three fully loaded Dutch ships and landed a small force of marines behind Jamestown and recaptured the island on 4 May. He installed a temporary garrison to hold the island.
Gabriel Powell fought in Munden’s campaign and seems to have been one of those soldiers, who remained to hold the island while awaiting reinforcements.
After these hostilities, the East India Company found it hard to convince the English settlers, who had fled the island, to return, let alone to recruit new colonists. A range of incentives was introduced and soldiers were encouraged to 'turn planter'. Powell must have seen this as an opportunity to make a new life for himself, as he quickly sought a discharge from the army so that he could start up his own plantation. This was granted and, as a single man, he was allotted 10 acres and a cow to get started.
The beginnings of an island dynasty
In 1679 Powell married Mary Grubb, a domestic servant, who had arrived on the Johanna in 1678. They had at least three children together.
Throughout the early 1680s, Powell expanded his landholdings and established himself on the south coast at the opposite end of the island to the capital, Jamestown, where a bay, valley and point were named after the family.
Within two generations, the Powells had become the dominant planters on the island. By 1715, Gabriel Powell's eldest son and namesake was reported as having more land, cattle and slaves than any other planter. He also had one of the worst records of cruelty and greed on the island. Powell's grandson, George Powell, became Deputy Governor of St Helena in 1741 and acting Governor in the following year, but a few years later fled the island in disgrace and to avoid trial for the misappropriation of Company funds.
Complaints of violence
The St Helena Council Consultations, which are filled with the complaints and counter-claims of the islanders, contain a number of disputes in which Gabriel Powell senior features. Amongst them are two very serious complaints in which he was accused of using excessive force. The first refers to a case in which he is said to have attacked a one-legged fisherman, Thomas Palmer. A witness, Richard Harding, claimed that Powell struck Palmer 'with a boat hook so that it broke and also threw a giant stone into the boat and hit the said Palmer's wooden leg.' Palmer had a poor record himself and Powell only received a light fine.
The second altercation concerned a dispute over a cattle contract, which Powell had made with a soldier, Joseph Wilks. Powell became so violent that he was said to have tried to tear out one of Wilks' eyes. As further evidence of his temperament, his accusers said that Powell had been recently overheard to have criticised the Governor and had also kicked and beaten a visiting Dutchman. Again, Powell escaped with a small fine and a promise of good behaviour.
Convicted of trading with an interloper, July 1684
His location on the far side of the island with direct access to the sea, put Powell in a good position to be able to profit form illegal trade with non-East India Company ships. He could sell supplies at a higher price than he would have received via Jamestown. These ships – known as 'interlopers' – also benefitted, in that they avoided the heavy duties imposed by the East India Company.
In July 1684, Powell was caught and fined heavily for this offence. Hudson Janisch, summarised his case as follows.
Gabriel Powell for trading with an Interloper sending off two cows at Friars Valley and attempting to send two more at Breakneck Valley but was prevented by the arrival of a party of soldiers also receiving a black woman slave – fined £15 and cows seized.