For several years I have been attempting to trace the genealogy of my line of the Power and Weise family branches in Argentina, Australia, Canada, England, Ireland, Germany and Wales. The english branch is very extensive and contains all the descendants of Mathew Power and Elizabeth Fisher, my great great great grandparents. Their descendants are now spread out in three different continents. I have been able to put together 8 generations (oops! sorry the 9th generation started in Chile with an 8 pound girl on December 21, 1997). 

The following is an outline of my reasearch: 

• My reasearch starts in Chile with my great grandfather Thomas Mathew Power, son of Thomas Power and Elizabeth Jeffery (see England below).
• I know I have Power relatives in Canada but haven't been able to locate them them yet.
• In England, my reasearch goes back to my great-great-great grandparents Mathew Power and Elizabeth Fisher, who got married in October 28, 1807,  in the Parish of Northam, North Devon, England.  Recently,  I've added Elizabeth's parents and grandparents going back to 1750 in North Devon, England. I have contacted two 3rd cousins with whom I maintain regular contact. I am now concentrated in finding out the origins of Mathew Power.
• In Germany, I recently located ( thanks to my wonderful friend Andrea) my great-great-great grandparents, Christian Gottfried Weise and Johanna Christiane Ulrich, who got married in December 05, 1812, Ebersbach, Sachsen, Germany.
• In New Zealand and Australia, I've recently contacted my 3rd cousin Warren Power and developed a great friendship.
• In Argentina, I've established a very warm contact with the descent of my great-granduncle Roger Vaughan, native of Wales.
• In Wales, I've  located my great-great-grandfather Evan Samuel and wife unk. Williams. I've also located Edward Samuel and Charlotte Vaughan, my maternal great-grandparents.

MY CURRENT RESEARCH

Nowadays, I'm mainly concentrated in finding out the origins of my "evasive" great-great-great grandfather Mathew Power. The following is the information about Mathew and wife Elizabeth that I have been able to put together:

• My great-great-great grandfather, Mathew Power, was a  Mariner who traded possibly between Waterford, Ireland, and North Devon, England.
• The only concrete information that I have about him is from a copy of his marriage certificate to Elizabeth Fisher. They married in October 28, 1807 in the Parish of Northam, North Devon. John Fisher (apparently Elizabeth's older brother) and Mary Symons (friend?) as the witnesses. Unfortunately the certificate does not give neither the names of his parents nor his date and place of birth. 
• The March 1851 census, (Plymouth Charles Martyr, (1878 310 33)) shows Elizabeth Power (nee Fisher) as a widow at 6 North St:

WESTERN William, Head, Married, Age 28, Taylor, Born Plymouth, Devon.
WESTERN Elizabeth, Wife, Married, Age 30, Domestic, Born Plymouth, Devon.
WESTERN Jessie, Daughter, 4 months, Infant, Born Plymouth, Devon.
At the same address is
WESTERN Grace, Mother, Widow, Age 78, Domestic, Born Yealmpton, Devon.
WESTERN Lavinia, Daughter, Unmarried, Age 40, Dressmaker, Born Plymouth,
Devon.
WESTERN Mary, Daughter, Unmarried, Age 28, Laundress, Born Plymouth, Devon.
WESTERN Elizabeth, Daughter, Unmarried, Age 35, Laundress, Born Plymouth,
Devon.
"POWER Elizabeth, Visitor, Widow, Age 64, Domestic, Born Applerose, Devon".
"POWER Justina, Visitor, Unmarried, Age 24, Dressmaker, Born Plymouth, Devon".

• Then, it follows that Mathew was dead by March 1851, but when did he die? where? Their oldest son Thomas was born in 1819, so Mathew died between 1819 and 1851. How do I prove this?
• Who was Justina? Youngest daughter of Mathew and Elizabeth perhaps? A friend? A relative? I haven't been able to find any information about her. How could I find and obtain a copy of Justina's birth certificate?

Mathew and Elizabeth had three children, Mary (b.Feb-22-1808) , Elizabeth (b. 9-30-1810), both baptized in the Parish of Northam, and Thomas (b.1819) born in Plymouth, South  Devon. Thomas, my great-great grandfather, became a qualified Master Mariner  and captain of the iron sailing Barque, "WORRALL" trading out of Liverpool round Cape Horn to Valparaiso, Chile. He was also the Master or Mate of several other ships. Thomas married Elizabeth JEFFERY in August 12, 1839 in the Parish of Stoke Damerel, Devon.   They had five children:  Thomas Mathew, my great-grand father (b. July 13, 1843 in Plymouth); Norah Kathleen Power (b. Nov. 29, 1849 in Plymouth); Frederick Ernest Power (b. 1854 in Plymouth); Harry Bailey Power (b. 1857 in Toxteth) and Hyram Alfred Jeffery Power (b. 1858 in Toxteth). The Plymouth census of 1851 shows Elizabeth at home with young Thomas Mathew, then 7 years old, and Norah, then 1 year old. Thomas was away at sea. 

     Thomas Mathew (my great-grandfather) was established by his father as a business agent in Valparaiso, Chile sometime between 1861 and 1866. Thomas Mathew was later reunited with his sister, Norah, after a voyage she made to Chile aboard the "Worrall" in 1866 where Thomas (her father) was the Master. She kept a diary (we have a copy of it ) of this trip. A few days after arriving in Valparaiso she wrote: Thomas Mathew arrived in Valparaiso to meet us aboard the "Panama" from an unknown place up North. Where was the Panama coming from? Nortehrn Chile, Peru? Ecuador?

Thomas Mathew married Aurora Ponce de Leon in Valparaiso.  Their first child (my grandfather) Tomas Alfonso Power was born in 1884. This is the beginning of the Power descent in Chile.

As indicated above, I am now concentrated in obtaining information about Mathew Power and Elizabeth Fisher. I just have a copy of their marriage certificate, but unfortunately neither his parents are listed nor his place or date of birth to allow any further research. I would like to find out his place and date of birth to proceed with my research.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Ariel B. Power