John Powell (1645–1713)

John Powell (1645–1713), of Gloucester, was an English politician and lawyer.

He was elected as Member (MP) of the Parliament of England for Gloucester in 1685.

He was appointed as a Baron of the Exchequer in 1691, and transferred to Common Pleas in 1695 and then to Queen's Bench in 1702.[1] He was the judge at one of England's last witchcraft trials, that of Jane Wenham in 1712. He demonstrated scepticism regarding the accused's alleged supernatural activities,[2] but the jury convicted her anyway. She received a pardon.

Legacy

Powell was unmarried and left most of his estate to a niece. He had property at Deerhurst where he reportedly discovered Odda's Dedication Stone, now in the Ashmolean Museum.[3]

He has a memorial in Gloucester Cathedral sculpted by Thomas Green of Camberwell.[2]

References

  1. ^ POWELL, John (1645-1713), of Gloucester and the Inner Temple.
  2. ^ a b "Judge John Powell - Gloucester Cathedral". Professor Moriarty. 6 November 2011.
  3. ^ "The Ashmolean Latin Inscriptions Project".
Parliament of England
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Gloucester
1685–1689
With: John Wagstaffe 		Succeeded by


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