![George Owen Pembrokeshire](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ca/George_Owen_Pembrokeshire.jpg)
George Owen of Henllys (1552 – 26 August 1613) was a
Welsh
Welsh may refer to:
Related to Wales
* Welsh, referring or related to Wales
* Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales
* Welsh people
People
* Welsh (surname)
* Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...
antiquarian
An antiquarian or antiquary () is an fan (person), aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient artifact (archaeology), artifac ...
, author, and
naturalist.
Early life
George Owen was the eldest son born to Elizabeth Herbert and William Owen in Henllys of the parish of
Nevern
Nevern ( cy, Nanhyfer) is both a parish and a community in Pembrokeshire, Wales. The community includes the settlements of Felindre Farchog, Monington, Moylgrove and Bayvil. The small village lies in the Nevern valley near the Preseli Hills of t ...
, near
Newport, Pembrokeshire
Newport ( cy, Trefdraeth, meaning: "town by the beach") is a town, parish, community, electoral ward and ancient port of ''Parrog'', on the Pembrokeshire coast in West Wales at the mouth of the River Nevern ( cy, Afon Nyfer) in the Pembrokeshire ...
. William Owen ( 1486–1574) was a successful Welsh lawyer who purchased the
Lordship of Kemys. Following his father's death, he inherited the estate.
Lordship of Kemys
George Owen was educated in law at the
Inns of Court
The Inns of Court in London are the professional associations for barristers in England and Wales. There are four Inns of Court – Gray's Inn, Lincoln's Inn, Inner Temple and Middle Temple.
All barristers must belong to one of them. They have ...
in London. He spent considerable time fighting a series of lawsuits against family enemies in the county over ownership of manorial franchises.
Wales historian
During his life span he collected antiquarian information about Wales, including the
heraldry
Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, rank and pedigree. Armory, the best-known branch ...
,
genealogy
Genealogy () is the study of families, family history, and the tracing of their lineages. Genealogists use oral interviews, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kins ...
and historical buildings and structures. He also studied the
topography
Topography is the study of the forms and features of land surfaces. The topography of an area may refer to the land forms and features themselves, or a description or depiction in maps.
Topography is a field of geoscience and planetary sci ...
of the county of Pembrokeshire and other parts of Wales. During his studies he performed observations of the geology of Wales, including the strata of
limestone
Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...
and
coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen.
Coal is formed when dea ...
. Although he did not actually form geological theories about the formations of these strata, he has earned a certain reputation as the progenitor of British geology.
He was a literary man who was reflective of this period of interest in history and antiquities during the Elizabeth era. He associated with a small circle of writers in Pembrokeshire, and was the patron to numerous Welsh bards.
Pembrokeshire defence
From 1587 until 1590 he served as the Deputy Lieutenant of Pembrokeshire, and he reprised this role from 1595 until 1601. In this service he was responsible for the military defensive, including the fortification of
Milford Haven
Milford Haven ( cy, Aberdaugleddau, meaning "mouth of the two Rivers Cleddau") is both a town and a community in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is situated on the north side of the Milford Haven Waterway, an estuary forming a natural harbour that has ...
against possible Spanish invasion, and he trained the local militia for the county. He also served as the
High Sheriff of Pembrokeshire
This is a list of High Sheriffs of Pembrokeshire. The High Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the High Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the responsibilitie ...
in 1587 and 1602.
He died in
Haverfordwest
Haverfordwest (, ; cy, Hwlffordd ) is the county town of Pembrokeshire, Wales, and the most populous urban area in Pembrokeshire with a population of 14,596 in 2011. It is also a community, being the second most populous community in the county, ...
and was buried at Nevern. In the Nevern church he is commemorated as the "Patriarch of English Geologists". The
wrinkle ridge
A wrinkle ridge is a type of feature commonly found on lunar maria, or basalt plains. These features are low, sinuous ridges formed on the mare surface that can extend for up to several hundred kilometers. Wrinkle ridges are tectonic features cr ...
Dorsum Owen on the
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth (comparable to the width of ...
is named after him.
Family
In 1571 he was married to Elizabeth Phillips. The couple had eleven children, including the eldest son, Alban Owen, born in 1580.
George Owen was a son by Owen's second wife.
Bibliography
* ''A Dialogue of the present Government of Wales'', 1594.
* ''The Number of the Hundreds, Castells, Parish Churches and ffayres...in all the Shiers of Wales'' later more commonly called the ''Description of Wales'', 1602.
* ''The Description of Penbrokshire'', 1603. Reprinted i
Cambrian Register, Volume 2, 1799* a map of Pembrokeshire (1602), which was published in the sixth edition of the ''Britannia'' (1607).
* B. G. Charles, ''George Owen of Henllys: A Welsh Elizabethan'' (NLW, 1973).
See also
*
Cnapan
(alternative spellings , or ) is a Welsh form of Celtic medieval football. The game originated in, and seems to have remained largely confined to, the western counties of Wales, especially Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire. Accordi ...
References
External links
Owen manor house excavation by the University of York*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Owen, George
1552 births
1613 deaths
People from Pembrokeshire
Deputy Lieutenants of Pembrokeshire
High Sheriffs of Pembrokeshire
16th-century antiquarians
17th-century antiquarians
Welsh antiquarians
Welsh geologists
Welsh naturalists
16th-century Welsh writers
16th-century male writers
17th-century Welsh writers
17th-century male writers
16th-century Welsh scientists
17th-century Welsh scientists
Welsh cartographers