George Owen of Henllys (1552 – 26 August 1613) was a Welsh antiquarian, 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 ...

, 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 Pembrokesh ...

. 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,

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 kin ...

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 sc ...

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 ...

. 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 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 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).

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