Owen, Sir Arthur Davies (1752?-1816)
Eldest son of Owen Owen of Cefnhafodau, Llangurig (see below). He was brought up to the profession of law and became an able active magistrate, serving as Chairman of the Quarter Sessions for many years. He was one of the deputy-lieutenants of the county of Montgomeryshire and served as second in command of the Montgomeryshire Yeomanry Cavalry from its formation in 1803 until his death. He served as sheriff of the county in 1814 and was knighted in July that year. Around about 1800, Owen decided to build a new family seat on land at Lower Garthmyl in the parish of Berriew and brought in the Shrewsbury architect Joseph Bromfield, a former plasterer who had done work for the Earl of Powis. Bromfield and Owen did not have the easiest of relationships and the architect had to put up with much complaining and there were many delays before the family moved into Glansevern in 1807. Cefnhafodau was sold sold out of the family.
[DWB; MC 72; MW]
[DWB; MC 72; MW]
Owen, Rev. David (d.1829)
Second son of Owen Owen of Cefnhafodau in the parish of Llangurig (see below). He attended Trinity College, Cambridge and in 1777 became Senior Wrangler of the University. He was elected a Fellow of his college and ordained. He settled on family property at Passamaquoddy Bay, New Brunswick and died there unmarried in 1829. His body was brought home for burial at Berriew.
[MW; DWB]
[MW; DWB]
Owen, Elias (1833-99)
The son of James Owen, a farmer of Llandysilio parish, Montgomeryshire, who settled in Llanidloes. Owen was educated locally and trrained as a schoolmaster. He was appointed headmaster of Llanllechid National School and while there he began to develope his love for archaeology and local history and publishing the results of his work in Archaeologia Cambrensis and North Wales Chronicle. In 1871 he took his BA at Trinity College, Dublin and was ordained. He filled curacies at Llanwnnog and Oswestry and in 1875 was appointed inspector of schools for the diocese of St Asaph. In 1881 he was given the living of Efenechtyd, near Ruthin and in 1892 that of Llanyblodwel which he held till his death. His continued antiquarian studies saw him elected FSA and he published many articles. His best known single volume is The Old Stone Crosses of the Vale of Clwyd published in 1886.
[DWB]
[DWB]
Owen, Morris (fl.1612)
Eldest son of Richard ap Maurice ap Owen of Rhiwsaeson in the parish of Llanbrynmair who was Sheriff of Montgomeryshire in 1579. Morris Owen married into the Blayney family, another important Montgomeryshire landowning dynasty, when he married Lucy daughter of David Lloyd Blayney of Gregynog. He first served on the grand jury in 1597 and was recorded as a justice the following year. He served at least one term as Mayor of Machynlleth and was sheriff of the county in 1612 with his son Athelstan as his deputy.
[W.V Lloyd - The Sheriffs Of Montgomeryshire]
[W.V Lloyd - The Sheriffs Of Montgomeryshire]
Owen, Owen (1732-1789)
The eldest son of David Owen of Cefnhafodau in the parish of Llangurig. Owen extended the family's estates and married Anne, daughter and heiress of Charles Davies of Llifior, Berriew through whom the family also acquired the estates of Rhyd y Carw in Trefeglwys and Glan Rhiw and Tyn y Coed in the parish of Berriew. He served as Sheriff of Montgomeryshire in 1766.
[DWB; MC 72]
[DWB; MC 72]
Owen, Richard (1658-1714)
Of the Owens of Peniarth in Llanegryn parish, Merioneth. He married Elizabeth Pughe of Aberffrydlan in the parish of Llanwrin, Montgomeryshire and through her inherited this property. This qualified him for office in Montgomeryshire and he was appointed Sheriff in 1693 though living in Merioneth by licence. He was Sheriff of Merioneth in 1695 and Caernarfonshire in 1696.
[MC 63]
[MC 63]
Owen, Robert (fl.1619)
Of Woodhouse, Shropshire was the son of Edward Owen a prosperous Shrewsbury business man and member of the Draper's Company. Robert served as Sheriff of Shropshire in 1610 and Montgomeryshire in 1619. He enjoyed the support of his kinsman Rowland Owen of Machynlleth (sheriff of Montgomeryshire in 1611) and Sir Roger Owen, Lord of the Manors of Arwystli and Cyfeiliog.
[W.V Lloyd - The Sheriffs Of Montgomeryshire]
[W.V Lloyd - The Sheriffs Of Montgomeryshire]
Owen, Robert (fl.1669)
Of Woodhouse, Shropshire. His grandfather and namesake (above) served as Sheriff of Montgomeryshire in 1619. His brother was Captain Leighton Owen, a prominent parliamentarian. He was himself Sheriff of Shropshire in 1667 and Montgomeryshire in 1669.
[MC 27]
[MC 27]
Owen, Robert (1771-1858)
Robert Owen was born in Newtown in 1771, the son of a saddler in Broad Street. Although successful at school at the age of ten he insisted on leaving home, and was apprenticed to a draper in Stamford. After five years, Robert moved to a drapers in Manchester, and later switched to cotton spinning. At just 20, he was manager of a new, steam-powered mill with 500 employees. In 1796 he formed a partnership to run the Chorlton Twist Company in Manchester. In 1799, the partnership bought the extensive cotton mills and workers village at New Lanark, and Owen took over as manager. This was the biggest cotton-spinning complex in the world at the time. Once there he did much to improve the working and living conditions there, and found that production increased. He built schools, including the first infant school, and ran adult evening classes. His workers were given medical care and food at reasonable prices. He felt education was the key to all well-being and published his ideas on education in A New View of Society, which was widely read.
When peace came in 1815, there was considerable unemployment. Owen proposed building 'Villages of Co-operation' for the unemployed, but the government rejected his pleas for funding. Several “Owenite” communities were set up elsewhere, however and in 1824 he purchased the Indiana town of New Harmony for a community experiment. Private enterprise was too well established and the experiment was not a great success. Returning to England, Owen found that many small co-operative businesses had sprung up. He opened Labour Exchanges to facilitate trade between them. He fell out with his New Lanarkshire partners in 1828 and pulled out of the project.
In 1834 he headed the short-lived Grand National Consolidated Trades Union, an attempt to combine unionism with co-operative principles, which collapsed following the conviction of the Tolpuddle Martyrs. He spent the rest of his life lecturing and campaigning for social reform. His ideas of co-operative life and work were a precursor of socialist thought and Engels was quick to acknowledge his debt to Owen. Owen returned to Newtown in 1858 to die. He was buried at the old St Mary's church where his tomb is a landmark. Some of his ideas live on in the Co-operative Movement.
[DEW; MC; DWB]
When peace came in 1815, there was considerable unemployment. Owen proposed building 'Villages of Co-operation' for the unemployed, but the government rejected his pleas for funding. Several “Owenite” communities were set up elsewhere, however and in 1824 he purchased the Indiana town of New Harmony for a community experiment. Private enterprise was too well established and the experiment was not a great success. Returning to England, Owen found that many small co-operative businesses had sprung up. He opened Labour Exchanges to facilitate trade between them. He fell out with his New Lanarkshire partners in 1828 and pulled out of the project.
In 1834 he headed the short-lived Grand National Consolidated Trades Union, an attempt to combine unionism with co-operative principles, which collapsed following the conviction of the Tolpuddle Martyrs. He spent the rest of his life lecturing and campaigning for social reform. His ideas of co-operative life and work were a precursor of socialist thought and Engels was quick to acknowledge his debt to Owen. Owen returned to Newtown in 1858 to die. He was buried at the old St Mary's church where his tomb is a landmark. Some of his ideas live on in the Co-operative Movement.
[DEW; MC; DWB]
Owen, Thomas (d.1774)
On 8 December 1773 in the parish of Llansantffraid-yn-Elfael he struck Elinor Price with a 2 lb stone on the back of the head and killed her. He was tried for murder at Radnorshire Great Sessions in 1774. He was ordered to be hanged on Tuesday 29 March and his body afterwards to be hanged in chains on Evenjobb Hill, New Radnor. A paper of the Radnorshire Quarter Sessions (12 April 1774) states: "Paid £3.3.- to Thomas Onions for erecting gallows. Paid £4.19.6 to Francis West for work as smith in gaol and making iron for hanging in chains…". Hereford Journal, 31 March 1774 prints a letter from Presteigne dated 30 March: "Thomas Owen was yesterday executed at the gallows here, when he confessed the fact and seemed more desirous to die than to live. His body was afterwards hung in chains upon a gibbet erected on the most conspicuous part of Evenjobb Hill in the view of New Radnor and all the adjacent roads and villages, as an example to deter villains from perpetrating so heinous a crime".
[Mossop]
[Mossop]
Owen, William (1758-1837)
Third son of Owen Owen (above) of Cefnhafodau, Llangurig. He was educated at Warrington under his uncle Edward Owen and went on to Trinity College, Cambridge like his elder brother David (above). He was elected Fellow and became fifth wrangler. He entered the law in London and became a distinguished KC giving evidence to a Commons Committee in 1817 and 1820 which contributed towards the eventual abolition of the Welsh Courts of Great Sessions in 1837. After the death of his brother Sir Arthur (above) he inherited the Glansevern estate and settled into public life in Montgomeryshire. A Whig of some years standing he was actively involved in the agitation which led to the Reform Bill of 1832. On his death his widow Anne Warburton Owen held the estate for a further 38 years.
[MC 72; DWB]
[MC 72; DWB]