entered the Navy as a boy in 1750, and was at Plassey (1757) and at the taking of Pondicherry (1760) while still a midshipman; he became captain c. 1770. He had two sons, who attained high rank in the navy:
(a) admiral Sir EDWARD CAMPBELL RICH OWEN (1771-1849),
who took part (as commander) in the Walcheren expedition of 1809, was knighted in 1815, was vice-admiral on the East India Station, 1828-32, and in the Mediterranean, 1841-5, became admiral in 1846, and d. 8 Oct. 1849.
(b) viceadmiral WILLIAM FITZWILLIAM OWEN (1773-1857),
who was in the ‘First of June’ action of 1794 and at the Spithead mutiny of 1797, after which he was commissioned. In the 1803-15 war he fought in many actions (he was prisoner of war 1808-10), but both then and afterwards, he was chiefly famed as a hydrographer; his charts were of high repute. He carried out surveys in many parts of the world. In 1847 he was given flag rank, and in 1855 retired, as vice-admiral. He d. 3 Nov. 1857, in New Brunswick, which had long been his ‘shore’ residence, as he had acquired the lands there which belonged to his cousin David (1 (b) above).