Sir Arthur Owen, 3rd Baronet ( 1674–1753), of Orielton, Pembrokeshire, was a Welsh Whig politician who sat in the English and

British House of Commons The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the upper house, the House of Lords, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. The House of Commons is an elected body consisting of 650 memb ...

between 1695 and 1727. Orielton Field Centre - geograph

Early life

Owen was the eldest surviving son Sir Hugh Owen, 2nd Baronet of

Orielton, Pembrokeshire Orielton is a historic country house and estate near Hundleton in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It was the seat of the Owen baronets from the 16th to 19th centuries. It was requisitioned during wartime, and later used as a field studies centre for environ ...

and his wife Anne Owen, daughter of Henry Owen of Bodeon, Anglesey. By 1697, he married Emma Williams, daughter of Sir William Williams, 1st Baronet MP. He succeeded to the estate and

baronetcy A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...

on the death of his father on 13 January 1699. George Edward Cokayne ''Complete Baronetage, Volume 2'' 1900
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Career

Owen's family controlled the parliamentary seat of Pembroke Boroughs and had a strong interest in Pembrokeshire. They were moderate and independent Whigs. At the

1695 English general election The 1695 English general election was the first to be held under the terms of the Triennial Act 1694, which required parliament to be dissolved and fresh elections called at least every three years. This measure helped to fuel partisan rivalry ov ...

he was returned unopposed as Member of Parliament for

Pembrokeshire Pembrokeshire ( ; ) is a Principal areas of Wales, county in the South West Wales, south-west of Wales. It is bordered by Carmarthenshire to the east, Ceredigion to the northeast, and otherwise by the sea. Haverfordwest is the largest town and ...

in succession to his father. In 1697 Owen was

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

of the troop of Pembrokeshire Militia Horse. pp. 214–5.] He was returned again at the

1698 English general election After the conclusion of the 1698 English general election the government led by the Whig Junto believed it had held its ground against the opposition. Over the previous few years, divisions had emerged within the Whig party between the 'court' su ...

. His only contest was in the first election of 1701 when he won by 426 to 5 votes. He was returned unopposed again at the second general election of 1701, and at the

1702 English general election The 1702 English general election was the first to be held during the reign of Anne, Queen of Great Britain, Queen Anne, and was necessitated by the demise of William III of England, William III. The new government dominated by the Tories (Briti ...

. He stood aside for his brother at the

1705 English general election The 1705 English general election saw contests in 110 United Kingdom constituencies, constituencies in England and Wales, roughly 41% of the total. The election was fiercely fought, with mob violence and cries of "Church in Danger" occurring in ...

and instead was Mayor of Pembroke in 1705, 1706 and 1707 in which period he increased the number of councilmen and burgesses. As a result he was returned unopposed as MP for Pembroke Boroughs at the

1708 British general election The 1708 British general election was the first general election to be held after the Acts of Union had united the Parliaments of England and Scotland. The election saw the Whigs gain a majority in the House of Commons, and by November the Whi ...

. He was a teller for the Whigs voted for the naturalization of the Palatines in 1709, and for the impeachment of

Henry Sacheverell Henry Sacheverell (; 8 February 1674 – 5 June 1724) was an English high church Anglican clergyman who achieved nationwide fame in 1709 after preaching an incendiary 5 November sermon. He was subsequently impeached by the House of Commons and ...

in 1710. At the

1710 British general election The 1710 British general election produced a landslide victory for the Tories. The election came in the wake of the prosecution of Henry Sacheverell, which had led to the collapse of the previous government led by Godolphin and the Whig Junto. ...

Owen stood for both Pembrokeshire, where he was defeated by the Tory John Barlow, and for Pembroke Boroughs, where he was victorious until unseated on petition on 23 February 1712. In 1715 Owen was appointed

Lord Lieutenant of Pembrokeshire This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Pembrokeshire. After 1715, all Lord Lieutenants were also Custos Rotulorum of Pembrokeshire. The county corporate of Haverfordwest was included in this lieutenancy, except for the per ...

and regained his seat as a Whig MP for Pembrokeshire at the 1715 general election. He was appointed Vice-Admiral of North Wales in 1716. He was returned at Pembrokeshire in

1722 Events January–March * January 27 – Daniel Defoe's novel '' Moll Flanders'' is published anonymously in London. * February 10 – The Battle of Cape Lopez begins off of the coast of West Africa (and present-day Gabon), ...

but lost the seat at the 1727 general election and did not stand for Parliament again.

Death and legacy

Owen died on 6 June 1753, and was buried at Monkton, Pembrokeshire. He and his wife had six sons and six daughters. He was succeeded by his son

William William is a masculine given name of Germanic languages, Germanic origin. It became popular in England after the Norman Conquest, Norman conquest in 1066,All Things William"Meaning & Origin of the Name"/ref> and remained so throughout the Middle ...

who was also an MP. Another son

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

was also an MP.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Owen, Sir Arthur, 3rd Baronet 1670s births 1753 deaths British MPs 1708–1710 British MPs 1710–1713 British MPs 1715–1722 British MPs 1722–1727 Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Welsh constituencies Pembroke Militia officers Baronets in the Baronetage of England