Cylchgronau Cymru

Chwiliwch trwy dros 450 o deitlau a 1.2 miliwn o dudalennau

collections are signed by Owen Owens (and others) as an "Assessor"5. The 1688/9 collections include 11/- collected from him in Brithdir. We have records of the children of Owen Owens of Brithdir (Thomas 1690/1, John 1691, Jane 1694, Anna 1697, Elizabeth 1698) but we have not traced the birth of a son Owen.6 Under date 1702, we have a register entry (which we give in full):- "Owenus Owen de Brithdir plebeus sepult 16th April". (Note the emphasis on his plebian origin). The records of New Inn Hall, Oxford, for the first half of the eighteenth century are no longer extant but the Assistant Archivist of New College has found a record of the matriculation of Owen Owens, son of "Owen Owens of Berriew, pleb." on 18th March, 1707/8 aged 18 which seems to put his ancestry beyond doubt and he was born in 1689 or 1690. We do not know where he graduated but it seems to have been quite usual in the eighteenth century for men to matriculate at one college and graduate at another. For example, Thomas Jones of Berriew, who made a great name for himself, matriculated at St. John's but graduated at Trinity. Going back to the registers we find recorded the baptism of Owen, son of Owen Owens, clerk, on 9th February 1713/4. It seems safe to assume that he was the grandson of the first Owen Owens. The archivist of Balliol College, Oxford has found for me the matriculation of Owen Owens, son of Owen of Berriew, clerk on the 19th February 1723/3 aged 19 at Jesus College: again we do not know where he graduated. Two men named Owen Owens matriculated at Jesus on 19th February 1732/3 and one Owen Owens graduated from Jesus in 1736: which we do not know. The St. Asaph records for the period 1725-1750 are very deficient. We have, however, found what appears to be a sort of day book8 which includes what seems to be a copy-letter which starts "Thomas by Divine permission Lord Bishop of Saint Asaph To our beloved in Christ Owen Owens Clerk Health". It states that following the resignation of John Skye Clerk, the Bishop "do charitably Collate and give and (sic) you Vicar of the said parish Church of Berriew" and after references to the oath of loyalty and other routines, goes on to say "also of making your personal residence in and upon the said Vicarage unless otherwise it shall be with you lawfully dispensed". This certainly reads just like a letter of appointment at a distance. Other references in the day book read as the following-- "3rd June 1732 Thomas Parry colled. ad Rectoriam de Manavon" and seems to imply a visit to Manafon. No similar reference to Berriew has been found. Records between 1734 and 1753 when, on 19th March, we read that "Mr. Owen, late Vicar died 16th March" was interred, are not always certain of interpretation because also living in Berriew at this time was the Revd. Thomas Owen, Vicar of Bettws, who was the Berriew schoolmaster.9 Many entries of baptisms quote his first name so that we are sure that Mary (1744), Thomas (1747/8) and George (1750) were his children. What, however, are we to make of:- Catherine, daughter of Owen Owens offic baptised 6.5.1749? This entry does seem clear. 'Mont. Coll. 72, p 27. 6However there are no baptisms in the Bishop's Transcripts between March 1688/9 (Margery Blayney, 9th February) and March 1689 (NS) during which period we think his son Owen was born. 1Mont. Coll. 70, p 126. "NLW Ref. SA/MB/16-18. Won/. Coll. 70, p 126.