The name of Abraham Powell was inserted on the list of U. E. Loyalists by special Order-in-Council, 13th January, 1807. At that time he had been living in Windham for eight years. On the 7th February, 1809, he was granted two hundred acres in Charlotteville, and on the 20th October of the next year one of his sons, Jacob, also received two hundred acres. The other sons received further grants in Windham at a later date.

It is said that Mr. Powell opened the first store in Windham, at a place which afterwards received the name of Powell’s Plains.

In 1804 he was appointed Road Commissioner for Norfolk County, and subsequently held other municipal appointments.

One of his sons, Israel, was the Norfolk representative in the Dominion Parliament from 1841 to 1848; he was also warden of his county for some time. The family has always taken a prominent part in municipal politics.