Sir Hugh Owen (14 January 1804 – 20 November 1881) was a pioneer of higher education in Wales. He was the main founder of the

University College of Wales Aberystwyth University ( cy, Prifysgol Aberystwyth) is a public research university in Aberystwyth, Wales. Aberystwyth was a founding member institution of the former federal University of Wales. The university has over 8,000 students studying ...

Aberystwyth Aberystwyth () is a university and seaside town as well as a community in Ceredigion, Wales. Located in the historic county of Cardiganshire, means "the mouth of the Ystwyth". Aberystwyth University has been a major educational location i ...

Life

He was born in

Llangeinwen Llangeinwen is a village on the island of Anglesey in the community (Wales), community of Rhosyr. It is the location of St Ceinwen's Church, Llangeinwen. Welsh educator and founder of Aberystwyth University, Hugh Owen (educator), Hugh Owen was ...

, on

Anglesey Anglesey (; cy, (Ynys) Môn ) is an island off the north-west coast of Wales. It forms a principal area known as the Isle of Anglesey, that includes Holy Island across the narrow Cymyran Strait and some islets and skerries. Anglesey island ...

and moved to London at the age of 21 to work as a solicitor's clerk. He went to work for the

Poor Law Commission The Poor Law Commission was a body established to administer poor relief after the passing of the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834. The commission was made up of three commissioners who became known as "The Bashaws of Somerset House", their secretary a ...

in 1836, eventually becoming its Chief Clerk in 1853. Owen became involved in the

British and Foreign School Society The British and Foreign School Society (BFSS) offers charitable aid to educational projects in the UK and around the world by funding schools, other charities and educational bodies. It was significant in the history of education in England, suppo ...

in London and in 1843 published an open letter to the people of Wales, advocating the need to establish British and Foreign schools in Wales. As a non-conformist he supported the idea of non-denominational day schools. In 1843 he was instrumental in the appointing of an agent for the British and Foreign schools Society in North Wales, and then in South Wales at a later date. In 1846 Owen became honorary secretary of the Cambrian Educational Society and published another letter advocating the establishment of schools in Wales. His campaign led to the establishment of a number of schools, but highlighted another problem: a shortage of trained teachers. In 1856 he was one of the founder member of a movement to establish the Normal College at Bangor for teacher training. His vision included another teacher training college in South Wales, one specifically for women in

Swansea Swansea (; cy, Abertawe ) is a coastal city and the second-largest city of Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the C ...

and a university for Wales. In 1863 a committee was formed to raise the funds to establish a University for Wales in Aberystwyth. In 1867 the Committee were able to buy the old Castle Hotel cheaply and by 1872 the University opened. It was not financially stable and Hugh Owen retired in order to raise funds, to clear the debt, and secure the future of the University. Owen was briefly a member of the

London School Board The School Board for London, commonly known as the London School Board (LSB), was an institution of local government and the first directly elected body covering the whole of London. The Elementary Education Act 1870 was the first to provide for ...

, elected to fill a casual vacancy in April 1872, he stood down at the November 1873 school board elections. Owen saw the need to improve the education in intermediate schools, so that there were suitably qualified entrants for the new University. At the

National Eisteddfod The National Eisteddfod of Wales (Welsh: ') is the largest of several eisteddfodau that are held annually, mostly in Wales. Its eight days of competitions and performances are considered the largest music and poetry festival in Europe. Competitor ...

Caernarfon Caernarfon (; ) is a royal town, community and port in Gwynedd, Wales, with a population of 9,852 (with Caeathro). It lies along the A487 road, on the eastern shore of the Menai Strait, opposite the Isle of Anglesey. The city of Bangor ...

in 1880, he read a paper to members of the Society of Cymmrodorion on ''Intermediate Education in Ireland and Secondary Education in Wales''. This eventually led to the passing of the Welsh Intermediate Education Act of 1889. Owen was knighted in August 1881 but died 3 months later.

Legacy

The main library at

Aberystwyth University , mottoeng = A world without knowledge is no world at all , established = 1872 (as ''The University College of Wales'') , former_names = University of Wales, Aberystwyth , type = Public , endowment = ...

is named after Hugh Owen, as is

Ysgol Syr Hugh Owen Ysgol Syr Hugh Owen is a bilingual comprehensive secondary school for pupils aged 11–18. The school is situated in Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales. The school was established in 1894, the first to be built under the ''Welsh Intermediate Education A ...

, a secondary school in Caernarfon ('ysgol' is the

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peopl ...

word for school). The

Learned Society of Wales The Learned Society of Wales ( Welsh: Cymdeithas Ddysgedig Cymru) is a learned society and charity that exists to "celebrate, recognise, preserve, protect and encourage excellence in all of the scholarly disciplines", and to serve the Welsh natio ...

awards the Hugh Owen Medal annually to celebrate outstanding educational research in Wales. The medal is supported by

Welsh Government The Welsh Government ( cy, Llywodraeth Cymru) is the Welsh devolution, devolved government of Wales. The government consists of ministers and Minister (government), deputy ministers, and also of a Counsel General for Wales, counsel general. Minist ...

and is awarded in recognition of significant contributions to educational research, or the application of research to produce significant innovations in education policy or professional educational practice in Wales.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Owen, Hugh 1804 births 1881 deaths Welsh Methodists Welsh philanthropists People associated with Aberystwyth University Burials at Abney Park Cemetery Members of the London School Board 19th-century British philanthropists