OWEN, THOMAS ELLIS (1764 - 1814), cleric

Born at Conway 5 December 1764, but not christened till 25 March 1765; son of William Owen, draper and tax-collector, and his wife Elizabeth Ellis of Glan-y-wern, Mochdre, daughter of John Ellis, a lawyer. He went up from Westminster School in 1785 to Christ Church, Oxford, graduating in 1789. In 1790 he was given the college living of South Stoke, Oxfordshire, but on 10 December 1794 became rector of Llandyfrydog with Llanfihangel-tre'r-beirdd, Anglesey; from the end of 1812 he was also perpetual curate of Penmynydd - he lived at Beaumaris. He died 1 December 1814, and was buried at Llanfair-is-gaer, where there is a tablet in his memory. He is best known as the author of two anti-Methodist pamphlets, Hints to Heads of Families, 1801 (two ed., a 3rd in 1802), and Methodism Unmasked (etc.), 1802; the former drew a retort, The Welsh Methodists Vindicated, 1802, from Thomas Charles and Thomas Jones, and a furious attack in verse, 'Cân ar Berson Paris ' (Llandyfrydog is near Parys Montain) from Thomas Edwards (Twm o'r Nant), 1802.

Author

• Emeritus Professor Robert Thomas Jenkins, (1881 - 1969)

Sources

• Bangor Manuscript at University College North Wales Library, Bangor 6455 at U.C.N.W.
• D. E. Jenkins, Life of Thomas Charles (Denbigh 1908), ii, 391, and chapter 38
• id., introduction to his 1905 reprint of the Hints to Heads of Families (1801, 1905)

Additional Links

• VIAF: 66023189
• Wikidata: Q18757146

Published date: 1959

Article Copyright: http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/