David Powel

David Powel (1549/52 – 1598) was a Welsh Church of England clergyman and historian who published the first printed history of Wales in 1584.

Powel was born in Denbighshire and commenced his studies at the University of Oxford when he was 16, sometime between 1566 and 1568. Whilst his initial college membership is not known, it is known that he moved to Jesus College when it was founded in 1571. He obtained his B.A. degree on 3 March 1573 and is thought to have been the college's first graduate. He obtained his M.A. on 6 July 1576. Before Powel graduated, he had been named as vicar of Ruabon, Denbighshire and rector of Llanfyllin, Montgomeryshire. He became vicar of Meifod in place of his Llanfyllin position in 1579, and was also the holder of two prebends at St Asaph Cathedral. After further study, he obtained degrees of B.Th. on 19 February 1583 and D.Th. on 11 April 1583. He was then private chaplain to Sir Henry Sidney, president of the Council in the marches of Wales, from about 1584 to 1586. He died in 1598 in Ruabon, where he was buried. One of his sons was Gabriel Powell, also a clergyman, and a strident anti-Catholic.

Powel made a significant contribution to developing and preserving Welsh culture and to the growth of Protestantism in Wales. He was a supporter of William Morgan's efforts to translate the Bible into Welsh. He kept the Privy Council informed about illegal books circulating amongst Roman Catholics in Wales.

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