James Owen of Penrhos

and his descendants
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Reginald Wynn Owen (1876-1950)

Reginal Wynn Owen My grandfather Reginald Wynn Owen was Elijah and Elizabeth’s sixth child. He was born in Wexham Street, Beaumaris, Anglesey, on 23 July 1876, not long after Elijah had given up teaching and become a curate. He was christened at Llanfaes, Anglesey, on 29 September 1876 by the Rev. Warren Trevor who was later to work closely with Elijah in the Ministry. By the time Reginald was two, the family had moved out of Beaumaris to the lovely Rhos Cottage and some time after 1881 to Llangoed Vicarage.

Rev Elijah Owen & family Reginald was born with a deformed eye and it was removed when he was a baby. He grew up with an open eye socket; he did not even wear an eye patch and in this early family photo (right) and in this photo taken when his sister, Mary, was married in 1890, he has his face turned side-on to the camera to hide the disfigurement. He suffered terrible teasing from children at school.

Beaumaris School Like his brothers he went to Beaumaris School which involved a walk of about 3 kilometres, partly along the coast, uplifting in summer with its magnificent views across the Menai Straits but bleak and windswept in winter. Whilst living in Anglesey, Reginald and his brothers Frank and Eyton and their friend Johnny Morgan would hire Dunoon Line yachts with cabins and sail up the coast to Liverpool and Dunoon. Reginald and his friend Dr. John Owen (no relation and later to be godfather to Reginald's daughter, Elaine) used to sail along the Welsh and Scottish coast up at least as far as the Clyde.

Despite his disability Reginald was a keen sportsman. When he moved to Liverpool he belonged to the same tennis club as Lily Mabel Tomkinson who later became his second wife. At this club he was still known as "one eye".