Sir John Owen, 1st Baronet

Sir John Owen, 1st Baronet (1776 – 6 February 1861),^[1] born John Lord, was a British Tory, later Conservative Party, politician from Wales who was a Member of Parliament (MP) for over fifty years.

He changed his name to John Owen in about 1809 on inheriting the estate of Sir Hugh Owen, 6th Baronet,^[2] who he also succeeded as MP for Pembroke Boroughs in 1809. He held that seat until the 1812 general election, when he was also elected for Pembrokeshire.^[1] He chose to sit for the county, and held that seat until 1841,^[1] when he was returned to the House of Commons for Pembroke Boroughs from 1841 until his death in 1861,^[3] aged 84.^[1]

He was Lord-Lieutenant of Pembrokeshire from 1824 until his death,^[2] and was made a baronet on 12 Jan 1813, of Orielton, Pembrokeshire.^[4] He was succeeded in the baronetcy by his son Hugh Owen Owen.^[2] In 1836 Sir John Owen fought a duel at Gumfreston Hall near Tenby with William Richards, a former mayor of the town who was badly wounded in the event. Fought with pistols, it is the last known duel to have taken place in Wales.^[5]

Restoration Home

Restoration Home, a BBC programme shown in August 2011, investigated the history of "Big House", the ruins of a mansion that had once been owned by Sir Owen. According to the programme, Owen had built the house using proceeds from his successful coal business. However, debts incurred from running for Parliament and losses caused by an explosion in one of his coalmines meant that he had to sell the house to avoid bankruptcy. The explosion killed 40 miners, some of whom were female - despite it being against the law to employ women in mines at the time.^[6]

References

The mine was flooded and the miners drowned, not killed by an explosion.

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by sir John Owen