The
Owen
of
Orielton
family played a prominent part in the history of
Pembrokeshire
for nearly three centuries. The estate of
Orielton
in
Castlemartin
came into the possession of the
Owen
family by the marriage of
HUGH
to
Elizabeth
Wirriot
in
1571
.
Hugh
Owen
(he dropped the ‘ab’) was the eldest son of
Owen ap Hugh
of
Bodowen
(or
Bodeon
),
Anglesey
(see under
Owen
of
Bodeon
), who claimed to be a descendant of
Hwfa ap Cynddelw
, said to have been
steward
to
Owain Gwynedd
;
Elizabeth
Wirriot
was the daughter and sole heiress of
George
Wirriot
and his wife
Jane
, daughter of
John
Philipps
of
Picton castle
. (The
Wirriots
had been settled in
Pembrokeshire
since the
12th cent.
;
Giraldus Gambrensis
mentions a
Stephen
of that name. A
David
Wirriot
of the barony of
Pembroke
was one of the twelve jurors for the subsidy of
1292
).
Hugh
Owen
was
called to the Bar
from
Gray's Inn
and joined the
Carmarthen circuit
of the
Great Sessions
. In
1574
he was appointed
recorder
of
Carmarthen
. He served as
sheriff
of
Pembrokeshire
in
1583
and of
Anglesey
in
1608
, and was
knighted
.
Sir
Hugh
Owen
divided his estates, giving his
Pembrokeshire
property to his eldest son,
JOHN
OWEN
, and his
Anglesey
property to his second son,
WILLIAM
OWEN
.
John
Owen
m.
Dorothy
, daughter of
Rowland
Laugharne
of
S. Brides
, and
Lettice
, daughter of
Sir
John
Perrot
of
Haroldston
,
Haverfordwest
. He d. in
1612
, two years before his father.
Sir
Hugh
Owen
was, therefore, succeeded by his grandson, also named
HUGH
OWEN
, who was b. in
1604
. He represented
Pembroke borough
in the
Parliaments
of
1625-6
and
1627-8
, and
Haverfordwest borough
in the
Short Parliament
of
1640
and again
Pembroke borough
in the
Long Parliament
of that year. He was
sheriff
in the years
1634
and
1654
and was created a
baronet
in
1641
. During the
Civil War
he was an opportunist. At the outset he favoured the
Parliament
and supported his cousin
Rowland
Laugharne
(q.v.)
and
John
Poyer
(q.v.)
at
Pembroke
. He was a prisoner in the hands of
Sir
Henry
Vaughan
, when he evacuated
Haverfordwest
after the
Royalist
defeat at
Pill
(on
Milford Haven
) in
Feb. 1644
. Later he is said to have resorted to the
king
at
Oxford
and to have abandoned
Pembrokeshire
for
Anglesey
. In
1648
he is alleged to have countenanced the resistance of
Poyer
and
Laugharne
at
Pembroke
; but he appears to have made his peace with the victorious party and, as has been mentioned, he served as
sheriff
under the
Protectorate
.
Sir
Hugh
m. (1)
Frances
, daughter of
Sir
John
Philipps
,
the 1st baronet of Picton castle
, and (2)
Catherine
, daughter of
Sir
Evan
Lloyd
of
Yale, Denbs.
He was succeeded by his son,
Sir
HUGH
OWEN
,
2nd baronet
, in
1670
, who by his marriage to his kinswoman,
Anne
, heiress of
Hugh
Owen
of
Bodeon
, again united the
Pembrokeshire
and
Anglesey
estates. He was
sheriff
of
Anglesey
in
1688
and represented
Pembroke county
in the
Parliaments
of
1678-9
,
1679
,
1688-9
, and
1689-90
. He d. at
Bristol
in
Jan. 1698/9
and was buried in
S. Augustine's church
where there is a memorial to him.
His son, the
3rd baronet
,
Sir
ARTHUR
OWEN
, m.
Emma
, daughter of
Sir
William
Williams
(q.v.)
,
Speaker of the House of Commons
and ancestor of the
Williams Wynn
family of
Wynnstay
. He was member for
Pembroke county
in successive Parliaments until he was defeated by his neighbour
John
Campbell
of
Stackpole
in
1727
. He was
sheriff
of
Pembrokeshire
in
1707
and
lord lieutenant
until his death in
1753
. The family tradition that his vote and that of
Griffith
Rice
, member for
Carmarthen
, ensured the
Hanoverian
succession is based on a misconception.
He was succeeded by his son,
Sir
WILLIAM
OWEN
,
the 4th baronet
, who m. his cousin
Anne
Williams
. During his father's lifetime he had been member for
Pembroke borough
from
1722
, but in
1754
he transferred to the county. He d. in
1781
, aged 84 years.
His son,
Sir
HUGH
OWEN
,
the 5th baronet
, m.
Anne
, daughter of
John
Colby
of
Bletherston
and d. in
1786
leaving an only son,
HUGH
OWEN
,
6th baronet
, aged 4. He d., unmarried, in
1809
aged 27 — the last of the direct line of the
Owens
of
Orielton
.
The
6th baronet
had bequeathed his property to
John
Lord
, son of
Joseph
Lord
and his wife
Corbetta
, who was the daughter of
lt.-general
John
Owen
, second son of
Sir
Arthur
Owen
,
the 3rd baronet
. He took the name of
Owen
and was created a
baronet
in
1813
—
Sir
JOHN
OWEN
. The original baronetcy remained in the male line and became extinct on the death of
Sir
WILLIAM
BARLOW
,
8th baronet
, who d., unmarried, in
1851
.
The resources of the
Orielton
estate had been heavily drained by successive parliamentary
elections which were not only bitterly contested locally but were often the subject of petitions in which irregularities were alleged. The influence of the
Philippses
of
Picton castle
became powerful in the latter part of the
18th cent.
, and the
Orielton
candidate was several times defeated. Matters reached a climax in the Reform agitation. In
May 1831
Sir
John
Owen
,
first baronet of the new creation
, was opposed in the county by
Robert Fulke
Greville
(see under
Greville
,
Francis Charles
).
Sir
John
was returned, but unseated on petition. In the following Oct. he was returned by an increased majority. The expense was enormous and embarrassed both parties.
Sir
John
ceased to reside at
Orielton
for some years before it was sold in
1857
. He d. late in
1861
. (For some late
Owen
of
Orielton
Papers see
N.L.W. MSS. 1073-7
).
Emeritus Professor Sir James Frederick Rees, Ll.D., (1883-1967), Tenby
/ Cardiff
