Individual Details
Justice Thomas Owen
(Abt 1538 - 21 Dec 1598)
[[Category: Lincoln's Inn]]
[[Category: Members of Parliament, England]]
[[Category: Members of Parliament, Shrewsbury]]
== Biography ==
Thomas Owen, born at Condover, Salop, the son of Richard, a Shrewsbury merchant of old descent, was 'for some time conversant among the Muses either in Broadgates Hall or in Ch. Church. From thence (having first taken a degree in Arts, as it seems [B.A. April 17,1559]) he retired to Lincoln's Inn, where by his unwearied industry, advanced by a good natural genie and judgment, he became a noted Councellour and much resorted to for his advice. In 25. Elizab. dom. 1583. he was elected Lent-Reader of that house [Treasurer 1589-1598], in 1590 he was by Writ called to the degree of Serjeant at Law, and about that time [1594] made the Queen's Serjeant, and at length one of the Justices of the Common Pleas [1594], which last place he executed for 5 years with great integrity, equity, and prudence. He was a learned man, and a great lover of learning and those that professed it. He dying 21. Decemb. in fifteen hundred ninety and eight, was buried on the S. side of the Choire (1) of St. Peter's Church in Westminster. Over his grave was soon after erected a noble monument of Alabaster, Marble, and divers coloured stones, adorned with Arms, and gilt with Gold, with his Image in scarlet robes lying thereon which remains to this day. He left behind him a Son named Roger, who was a Knight, and [Camden writes] for his manifold learning, a right Worthy Son of so Good a Father. This Sir Roger2, who had been a great Friend to the Clergy, by vindicating them when aspersed in open Parliament, n Jac. I. dyed in a distracted condition to their great reluctancy, 29. May, being Holy Thursday, in 1617.' Nothing is extant of Thomas Owen's but his Reports in the Common Pleas.
1 West of the transept, next the bust of Pasquale da Paoli.
The inscription is as follows:—
Deo Trino Et Vni Sacrum.Secundum Christi Redemptoris adventu sub hoc tumulo expectat Thomas Owen, Arm. filius Richardi Owen ex Maria altera filia et haerede Thomae Oteley de comitatu Salbpiae arm. Qui ab adolescentia studiis juris municipalis Angliae innutritus ita industria ingenio et judicio claruit ut primum electus fuerit Dfiae Reginae Elizab. serviens ad legem inde in consessum Justiciariorum Communium placitorum co-optatus, inter quos cum quinq; annos singulari intcgritatis aequitatis et prudentiae laude sedisset, et ex Sara uxore charissima filia et una haeredum Humfredi Baskerville.quinq; filios et tolidem filias suscepisset, Alicia fideli uxore secunda superetite, pie in Christo obdormivit xvi die Decemb. A3o Salutis M. D. xcviii.Rogerus Owen filius maestissimus patri optimo et charissimo officiosae pietatis et memoriae ergo hoc monumentum posuit.Below on either side: 'Justorum animae in manu Dei sunt * and 'Spes vermis et ego.'
Owen married twice, (1) Sarah, sister of Sir Humphrey Baskerville, (2) Alice, widow of Mr. Elks, mercer and alderman of London. She endowed a hospital at Islington for ten poor women, and a school for thirty boys, in grateful remembrance of her escape in childhood, when an arrow pierced her hat. To Bodley*s library in 1606 she gave /Cioo. The estate of Condover is still in the Owen family.
He was M.P. for Shrewsbury and for Shropshire, and sheriff. Another son, Richard, was also a lawyer.
=== Other Notes ===
Thomas Owen was bequeathed £100 by Thomas (Customer) Smythe in the will of the latter made in 1591Will of Thomas Smythe of London. 29 Oct 1591. PROB 11/78/226. National Archives.. The Testator referred to him as "my lovinge ffreinde Thomas Owen Seriannt at Lawe".
Thomas was also noted in the will of Alice Smythe, the wife of Customer Smythe, the will made in 1592Will of Alice Smythe, Widow of London. 11 May 1598. PROB 11/91/377. National Archives.. She bequeathed "Master Sariannte Owen for a Ringe, three Poundes".
In the visitation of Shropshire in 1623Visitation of Shropshire Taken in the Year 1623. Edited by Grazebrook G and Rylands JP 1889. The Publications of the Harleian Society Vol 29. Thomas was recorded as the father of Roger, Thomas, Richard, Peter, William, Elizabeth (wife of Henry Smith), Jane (wife of Bonham Norton), Sarah (wife of John Newton), Mary (wife of Edward Kynaston) and Margaret (wife of Richard Mitton).
== Sources ==
* Oxford Historical Publications, Volume 33, A History of Pembroke College, Oxford, p. 90 Free eBook available from Google Books.
* The Dictionary of National Biography, Volume 42, p. 455
By Sir Sidney Lee Free eBook available from Google Books.
* [http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1558-1603/member/owen-thomas-1598 Owen, Thomas (d.1598), of Lincoln's Inn, London; later of Condover, Salop.] Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1558-1603, ed. P.W. Hasler, 1981
* [http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~engwales/judge%20owen's%20will.html Will of Thomas Owen]
* [http://www.westminster-abbey.org/our-history/people/thomas-owen Thomas Owen. Westminster Abbey website]
[[Category: Members of Parliament, England]]
[[Category: Members of Parliament, Shrewsbury]]
== Biography ==
Thomas Owen, born at Condover, Salop, the son of Richard, a Shrewsbury merchant of old descent, was 'for some time conversant among the Muses either in Broadgates Hall or in Ch. Church. From thence (having first taken a degree in Arts, as it seems [B.A. April 17,1559]) he retired to Lincoln's Inn, where by his unwearied industry, advanced by a good natural genie and judgment, he became a noted Councellour and much resorted to for his advice. In 25. Elizab. dom. 1583. he was elected Lent-Reader of that house [Treasurer 1589-1598], in 1590 he was by Writ called to the degree of Serjeant at Law, and about that time [1594] made the Queen's Serjeant, and at length one of the Justices of the Common Pleas [1594], which last place he executed for 5 years with great integrity, equity, and prudence. He was a learned man, and a great lover of learning and those that professed it. He dying 21. Decemb. in fifteen hundred ninety and eight, was buried on the S. side of the Choire (1) of St. Peter's Church in Westminster. Over his grave was soon after erected a noble monument of Alabaster, Marble, and divers coloured stones, adorned with Arms, and gilt with Gold, with his Image in scarlet robes lying thereon which remains to this day. He left behind him a Son named Roger, who was a Knight, and [Camden writes] for his manifold learning, a right Worthy Son of so Good a Father. This Sir Roger2, who had been a great Friend to the Clergy, by vindicating them when aspersed in open Parliament, n Jac. I. dyed in a distracted condition to their great reluctancy, 29. May, being Holy Thursday, in 1617.' Nothing is extant of Thomas Owen's but his Reports in the Common Pleas.
1 West of the transept, next the bust of Pasquale da Paoli.
The inscription is as follows:—
Deo Trino Et Vni Sacrum.Secundum Christi Redemptoris adventu sub hoc tumulo expectat Thomas Owen, Arm. filius Richardi Owen ex Maria altera filia et haerede Thomae Oteley de comitatu Salbpiae arm. Qui ab adolescentia studiis juris municipalis Angliae innutritus ita industria ingenio et judicio claruit ut primum electus fuerit Dfiae Reginae Elizab. serviens ad legem inde in consessum Justiciariorum Communium placitorum co-optatus, inter quos cum quinq; annos singulari intcgritatis aequitatis et prudentiae laude sedisset, et ex Sara uxore charissima filia et una haeredum Humfredi Baskerville.quinq; filios et tolidem filias suscepisset, Alicia fideli uxore secunda superetite, pie in Christo obdormivit xvi die Decemb. A3o Salutis M. D. xcviii.Rogerus Owen filius maestissimus patri optimo et charissimo officiosae pietatis et memoriae ergo hoc monumentum posuit.Below on either side: 'Justorum animae in manu Dei sunt * and 'Spes vermis et ego.'
Owen married twice, (1) Sarah, sister of Sir Humphrey Baskerville, (2) Alice, widow of Mr. Elks, mercer and alderman of London. She endowed a hospital at Islington for ten poor women, and a school for thirty boys, in grateful remembrance of her escape in childhood, when an arrow pierced her hat. To Bodley*s library in 1606 she gave /Cioo. The estate of Condover is still in the Owen family.
He was M.P. for Shrewsbury and for Shropshire, and sheriff. Another son, Richard, was also a lawyer.
=== Other Notes ===
Thomas Owen was bequeathed £100 by Thomas (Customer) Smythe in the will of the latter made in 1591Will of Thomas Smythe of London. 29 Oct 1591. PROB 11/78/226. National Archives.. The Testator referred to him as "my lovinge ffreinde Thomas Owen Seriannt at Lawe".
Thomas was also noted in the will of Alice Smythe, the wife of Customer Smythe, the will made in 1592Will of Alice Smythe, Widow of London. 11 May 1598. PROB 11/91/377. National Archives.. She bequeathed "Master Sariannte Owen for a Ringe, three Poundes".
In the visitation of Shropshire in 1623Visitation of Shropshire Taken in the Year 1623. Edited by Grazebrook G and Rylands JP 1889. The Publications of the Harleian Society Vol 29. Thomas was recorded as the father of Roger, Thomas, Richard, Peter, William, Elizabeth (wife of Henry Smith), Jane (wife of Bonham Norton), Sarah (wife of John Newton), Mary (wife of Edward Kynaston) and Margaret (wife of Richard Mitton).
== Sources ==
* Oxford Historical Publications, Volume 33, A History of Pembroke College, Oxford, p. 90 Free eBook available from Google Books.
* The Dictionary of National Biography, Volume 42, p. 455
By Sir Sidney Lee Free eBook available from Google Books.
* [http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1558-1603/member/owen-thomas-1598 Owen, Thomas (d.1598), of Lincoln's Inn, London; later of Condover, Salop.] Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1558-1603, ed. P.W. Hasler, 1981
* [http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~engwales/judge%20owen's%20will.html Will of Thomas Owen]
* [http://www.westminster-abbey.org/our-history/people/thomas-owen Thomas Owen. Westminster Abbey website]
Events
| Birth | Abt 1538 | Shrewsbury, Shropshire | |||
| Death | 21 Dec 1598 | London | |||
| Reference No | 5310936 | ||||
| Reference No | 5453653 | ||||
| Reference No | 60 |
Families
| Father | Richard Owen (1514 - 1552) |
| Mother | Mary Ottley (1515 - ) |
| Sibling | Richard Owens II (1555 - 1595) |