First Sightings of the Owens

This branch begins with the birth of one David Owen in 1802 in a small village named Eglwys-Fach (today, Eglwys-Bach) in Denbighshire. The village lies just off the road to Llandudno, and the surrounding hillsides cannot have changed too much from the days of the early nineteenth century, and the very obvious dependence of the local economy on sheep.

The Church in Eglwys-Bach

Eglwys-Fach to the north, Llanrwst to the south. From: http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/4047

David married Ann Williams, also of Eglwys-Fach, and they had at least three children, whose births are all recorded in Llanrwst, just to the south. It would seem then that around the beginning of the nineteenth century, these Owens, most likely farming folk made their way down from the Welsh hills and into relatively more metropolitan areas, there to seek a better living.

Llanrwst is named after the 5th- to 6th-century Saint Grwst, and the main source of its income traditionally was wool although it also became famous for clocks and harps, as well as its bards. The Parish Church of St Grwst, supposedly houses the stone coffin of Llywelyn the Great, who famously seized the town and declared it independent in 1276. In celebration of this, it is claimed though not proven that the Town Council in 1947 cheekily applied for a seat on the UN Security Council as an independent state.

The three children of David Owen and Ann Williams, who were all born in Llanrwst were:

i. David Owen (1826-1892)
ii. Samuel Owen (1829-????)
iii. Martha Owen (1833-????)

These children were all baptized at the Llanrwst Seion Welsh Calvinistic Methodist Church, in other words as what would later be called Welsh Presbyterians. At this time, the Calvinistic Methodist movement was a relatively new one, and in both origin and spirit it is the only denomination that is truly Welsh in origin and character. As the Owen family were therefore converts to a new religious movement, it may be taken that they took their observances fairly seriously.

The rebuilt Llanrwst Seion Welsh Calvinistic Methodist Church today

There is no information that has been located about Martha Owen, but the two brothers both have lines that can be followed.