James Owen of Penrhos

and his descendants
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Timothy's Birth & Youth

Three years after James and Susannah had moved to Llanidloes and when Susannah was almost forty, she gave birth to twins, Timothy Morgan and Thomas William on Saturday, 29 July 1843. Timothy Morgan Owen MA, JP, HMI, was educated at Carmarthen Grammar School. As a young man he was a keen athlete, running the mile in 4 min 11 sec. and the 100 yards in about 11 seconds. He also enjoyed horse riding.

On 23 April 1869 at the age of twenty-five he enrolled at Trinity College Dublin (TCD); his brother Elias had enrolled six months earlier and their brother Elijah would enrol in January the following year. Elias and Elijah were thirty-four and thirty-two respectively and both had families to support so studied as 'steamboatmen'; only Timothy was a residential student. A distinction in classics at matriculation (1869) heralded an excellent university career. His Divinity prizes included a Premium, Catechetical both as a Junior and as a Senior Freshman; he was also awarded a coveted Testimonium. In History and English Literature he was outstanding and won honours and at least one prize by examination. In May 1871, the North Wales Chronicle reported that Timothy headed the first-class list in his History and English Literature Hilary term Examination. He graduated with honours in history, law and political science in 1872, the degree being conferred on 18 December. He had the distinction of becoming a Senior Moderator of the University, for which he received a gold medal; this was an honour bestowed on only a handful of students each year.

Timothy became a tutor to the heir of the Duke of Devonshire – their friendship lasted over forty years - and in 1875 he was appointed by the Duke of Richmond and Gordon as HM Inspector of Schools (the appointmnet was officially made on 17 March), firstly in Cheshire and then in Merthyr Tydfil.

He shared Elias and Elijah's interest in antiquary; he too wrote articles for newspapers and for magazines such as the Antiquary, The Antiquarian Magazine, Land and Water, Archaeologia Cambrensis and Montgomeryshire Collections. He was a member of the Cambrian Archaelogical Association (its Flintshire secretary in 1877) and a member (1876-1890) of the Powys Land Club, interested in recording life in Powys, with which Elias was involved; two of Timothy's articles were published in its journal. His membership reveals that he was living at Heol Garreg, Abergavenny in 1876, presumably when he was HMI at Merthyr Tydfal, at Owlbury, Churchstoke in 1877 and thereafter at Bronwylfa, Rhyl. He wrote one book, Early English and Welsh History (1882).