James Power (empresario)

Was part of the Mexican national era Power was born either in 1788 or 1789 at the small rural village of Ballygarrett in County Wexford, Ireland.

During his time in New Orleans, Power met with Stephen F. Austin, who notified him of the land grant (empresario) offerings from the Mexican government.

During his stay in Saltillo, he was employed in the mining equipment industry and entered into a partnership[2] with merchant and fellow Irishman James Hewetson.

The next year, Power and Hewetson requested more land and their holdings were extended west to the Nueces River, which included Nuestra Señora del Refugio Mission.

Ownership disputes with other empresarios forced Power and Hewetson to cede some land east of the Guadalupe River and the new eastern boundary was drawn at Coleto Creek.

In 1834, he sailed with his nephew Thomas O'Connor, from Ireland to Texas and was able to have the newly formed independent Republic of Mexico granted them access to the country's unpopulated northern lands.

During the convention, he convinced his fellow members to seat Sam Houston as president, and helped draft the Constitution of the Republic of Texas.