OWEN
,
JOHN
(
1854
-
1926
),
bishop
,
son of
Griffith
Owen
and
Ann
his wife; b. at
Ysgubor Wen
,
Llanengan, Caerns.
,
24 Aug. 1854
. Educated at
Botwnnog grammar school
, he won in
1872
, a
mathematical scholarship
at
Jesus College
,
Oxford
, and after obtaining second class honours in both classical and mathematical moderations, was placed in the second class in the final mathematical school in
1876
. He proceeded to the degree of
B.A.
in
1876
and
M.A.
in
1879
. After three years’
teaching
at
Appleby grammar school
he returned to
Wales
, in
1879
, as
Welsh professor
and
classical lecturer
at
S. David's College
,
Lampeter
. In the same year he was ordained
deacon
by
bishop
Basil
Jones
(q.v.)
, and
received priest's orders
in
1880
. He spent six years at
Lampeter
before succeeding
A. G.
Edwards
(q.v.)
as
warden
of
Llandovery College
. When his predecessor became
bishop of S. Asaph
in
1889
, he appointed
John
Owen
as
dean
; but in
1892
the
dean
returned to
Lampeter
as
principal
. In
1897
he was appointed
bishop of S. David's
, and he held the see till his death in
London
,
4 Nov. 1926
.
John
Owen
was a thorough
Welshman
, in language and sympathy. He was a vigorous controversialist but this did not impair his esteem of his opponents nor theirs of him. He was
deeply interested in the Welsh educational system and its development
, and one of his last public acts (apart from his church work) was to act as
chairman of the departmental committee
which published, in
1927
, the report on
Welsh in Education and Life
. He was also closely associated with the national eisteddfod and the
Welsh Council of the League of Nations Union
.
He m.,
1882
,
Amelia
, daughter of
J.
Longstaff
of
Appleby
, who survived him, and by her he had four sons and six daughters. He was buried at
Abergwili
, and there is an effigy of him in the
Lady Chapel
at
S. David's Cathedral
.
Bibliography:
-
The Transactions of the Honourable Society
of Cymmrodorion
,
1927
;
-
Who was who?
,
1916-28
;
-
Oxford Dictionary of National
Biography
;
- personal information.
Author:
Thomas Iorwerth Ellis, M.A., (1899-1970), Aberystwyth
