James Owen of Penrhos

and his descendants
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Kindness

Mention has been made of the probably politically motivated critisisms that were for a while levelled at Timothy, some of which may have been justified, but there is no escaping the fact that he worked unstintingly and passionately for the things he believed in. He also showed great compassion as illustrated by the following instances. In 1878 he inaugurated a testimonial and collection for an elderly teacher, Mr. Fyfe of Wrexham who “had been called upon to bear a series of severe domestic afflictions”. An indication of the genuine appreciation of some of those with whom Timothy worked is refelected in the comments made by a member of the Denbighshire and Flintshire Certified Teachers’ Association: “Speaking personally of Mr Morgan Owen, he had found him the teacher’s friend, a gentleman who was most anxious to do all he could for the teacher, and a most patient and kind inspector who gave the teacher the benefit of his labours. Teachers could not help but like his methods of inspection, which entered so fully into the detail and routine of the school.” [The Wrexham Advertiser, etc., 30 March 1878]. In February 1881, local newspapers published letters from Timothy, seeking support for a fund that he had helped to instigate for the family of a headmaster who had died suddenly, leaving his wife to raise their three young children and twins who were born on the day of her husband’s funeral.

Properties

'Penbryn Hall' Timothy owned several properties including "Penbryn Hall", Church Stoke, near the England-Wales border; his younger brother Elisha lived about twenty miles away at Craven Arms. "Penbryn Hall" was a picturesque estate of approximately 170 acres with parkland, lawns and gardens, productive fields, pastures and fishing ponds; the estate included a farm and four cottages. He eventually let "Penbryn", which is when the family moved into "Maes Fron" at Trewern, north east of Welshpool. Timothy also owned, through his marriage, "Owlbury" and "Plas Madoc" at Bishop’s Castle, which included three cottages and several fields of pastureland totalling an area of 22 acres 1 rood 35 poles.

'Llwynderw', Landinam He and Emma subsequently lived at "Bronwylfa", Rhyl, from at least 1979 and continued to own it, though they were living at "Llwynderw", Landinam a less attractive, yellow-brick building in World War I. I was told they had to give up living in "Penbryn Hall", to pay the debts of their son-in-law, Maxwell Wood.