Nicholas Owen (clergyman)
Encyclopedia
Nicholas Owen was a Welsh Anglican
priest and antiquarian
.
, Anglesey
on 2 January 1752 (where his father was the rector
of St Tyfrydog's Church, Llandyfrydog
), was educated at Jesus College, Oxford
, obtaining his Bachelor of Arts
degree in 1773 and his Master of Arts degree in 1776. He was ordained as a priest in the Church of England
and was a curate (possibly also a schoolmaster) in Winslow, Buckinghamshire
by 1779, but resigned in 1789. Cantankerous appeals to various bishops and influential layman to be given a parish in north Wales were initially unsuccessful, with Owen having to make a public apology to the Bishop of Bangor
. He was given the parish of Llanfihangel Ysgeifiog and Llanffinan in 1790, and became rector
of Mellteyrn
with Botwnnog
in 1800. He died on 30 May 1811 and was buried at Llandyfrydog.
discovered America and a biography of Edward Lhuyd
. Carnarvonshire: a Sketch of its History was published in 1792, and he may have been the author of the anonymous A History of the Island of Anglesey, with Memoirs of Owen Glendower (1775), although other names have been put forward.
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
priest and antiquarian
Antiquarian
An antiquarian or antiquary is an aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient objects of art or science, archaeological and historic sites, or historic archives and manuscripts...
.
Life
Owen, who was born in LlandyfrydogLlandyfrydog
Llandyfrydog is a village in Anglesey, in north-west Wales....
, Anglesey
Anglesey
Anglesey , also known by its Welsh name Ynys Môn , is an island and, as Isle of Anglesey, a county off the north west coast of Wales...
on 2 January 1752 (where his father was the rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
of St Tyfrydog's Church, Llandyfrydog
St Tyfrydog's Church, Llandyfrydog
St Tyfrydog's Church, Llandyfrydog is a small medieval church, in Llandyfrydog, Anglesey, north Wales. The date of establishment of a church on this site is unknown, but one 19th-century Anglesey historian says that it was about 450...
), was educated at Jesus College, Oxford
Jesus College, Oxford
Jesus College is one of the colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is in the centre of the city, on a site between Turl Street, Ship Street, Cornmarket Street and Market Street...
, obtaining his Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in 1773 and his Master of Arts degree in 1776. He was ordained as a priest in the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
and was a curate (possibly also a schoolmaster) in Winslow, Buckinghamshire
Winslow, Buckinghamshire
Winslow is a small market town and also a civil parish designated as a town council within Aylesbury Vale district in north Buckinghamshire. It has a population of about 4500....
by 1779, but resigned in 1789. Cantankerous appeals to various bishops and influential layman to be given a parish in north Wales were initially unsuccessful, with Owen having to make a public apology to the Bishop of Bangor
Bishop of Bangor
The Bishop of Bangor is the Ordinary of the Church in Wales Diocese of Bangor.The diocese covers the counties of Anglesey, most of Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire and a small part of Montgomeryshire...
. He was given the parish of Llanfihangel Ysgeifiog and Llanffinan in 1790, and became rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
of Mellteyrn
Mellteyrn
Sarn Meyllteyrn is a village and former civil parish located to the West of the Llŷn Peninsula in the Welsh county of Gwynedd. It lies 8.4 miles west of Pwllheli and 24.3 miles south west of Caernarfon. The village is often referred to simply as Sarn...
with Botwnnog
Botwnnog
Botwnnog is a village and community in Gwynedd in Wales, located on the Llŷn Peninsula. It has a population of 955.It lies between Mynytho and Sarn Meyllteyrn, and is the home to two schools, a primary Pont Y Gof Primary School, and secondary . It also has the main branch of general practician ...
in 1800. He died on 30 May 1811 and was buried at Llandyfrydog.
Works
Owen wrote on various topics from Welsh history. In 1788, his British Remains covered a number of subjects including a discussion of the claim that Prince MadocMadoc
Madoc or Madog ab Owain Gwynedd was, according to folklore, a Welsh prince who sailed to America in 1170, over three hundred years before Christopher Columbus's voyage in 1492. According to the story, he was a son of Owain Gwynedd who took to the sea to flee internecine violence at home...
discovered America and a biography of Edward Lhuyd
Edward Lhuyd
Edward Lhuyd was a Welsh naturalist, botanist, linguist, geographer and antiquary. He is also known by the Latinized form of his name, Eduardus Luidius....
. Carnarvonshire: a Sketch of its History was published in 1792, and he may have been the author of the anonymous A History of the Island of Anglesey, with Memoirs of Owen Glendower (1775), although other names have been put forward.