OWEN, HUGH (1880 - 1953), historian

Born 8 May 1880 at Newborough, Anglesey, son of Hugh and Jane Owen. The family moved to Aigburth, Liverpool, in 1883. He was educated in St. Michael's Hamlet and Oulton schools, and the University of Liverpool. After gaining a teacher's certificate in 1901 he became a history teacher in London, Liverpool and Holywell schools before being appointed head of the history department at Llangefni school in 1918, a post which he held until he retired in 1944. A year after he returned to Anglesey he was elected editor of the transactions of the county's Antiquarian Society and Field Club and he was responsible for the periodical for the next twenty years. Between 1920 and 1949 he edited a number of Anglesey historical sources for inclusion in the periodical, such as the records of the Anglesey court of quarter sessions, 1768-88 (1924); Beaumaris bailiff's accounts, 1779-1805 (1929); a volume of Beaumaris borough records, 1694-1723 (1932) and the diary of Bulkeley, Dronwy (1937). He also edited Braslun o hanes Methodistiaid Calfinaidd Môn, 1880-1935 (1937); and, with Gwilym Peredur Jones, Caernarvon court rolls, 1361-1402 (1951), and he published the following books: The life and works of Lewis Morris (Llywelyn Ddu o Fôn) 1701-1765 (1951), The history of Anglesey constabulary (1952) and Hanes plwyf Niwbwrch (1952). The latter was a prize-winning essay in a competition at Dolgellau national eisteddfod, 1949, on the history of any Welsh parish. Not the least of his contributions, however, was his comprehensive index to J.H. Davies (ed.), The Morris letters (1907, 1909) which appeared in the periodical between 1942 and 1944, and his edition, Additional letters of the Morrises of Anglesey in two parts, Y Cymmrodor, 49 (1947, 1949).

The University of Liverpool awarded him a M.A. degree in 1914 for his thesis, ' Pre-Edwardian castles in north Wales '. In 1916 he was elected Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, and of the London Society of Antiquaries (F.S.A.) in 1924.

He married in 1913 Marian Owen of Bethesda, Caernarfonshire, a teacher at Bangor county school. He died 18 March 1953 at Rhosyr, Llanfair Pwllgwyngyll.

Author

• Glyn Parry

Sources

• Hugh Owen Papers at NLW
• Herald Môn, 30 March 1953
• Y Clorianydd, 31 March 1953
• Môn (1954-), 1 (1954)

Additional Links

• VIAF: 8913148947887254950005
• Wikidata: Q20733204

Published date: 2001

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