OWEN, Thomas ^{1 2}

  General Notes:

It is not now certain that Harry Thomas Owen's father was Thomas. Even if his name was Thomas as suspected from Welsh naming patterns, there appear to have been two Thomas Owens living in Machynlleth. The famous Thomas Owen who has been presented as his father in even the American President's genealogies is now considered unlikely to be Harry's father. This Thomas served as Mayor of Machynlleth in 20 James (1622) and later as Magistrate. He was a well-to-do landowner like his father around Machynlleth. In the REGISTRUM UNIVERSITATIS OXONIENSIS is lists that he graduated from Oxford specifically Jesus College, Oxford on May 3, 1616 at age 20. That would place his birth date around 1598 even though other source estimates are around 1607. (C-437,p6) He died in 1672.

The Owen home, originally built around 400 years ago, called "Llynlloed" is possibly where the Magistrate Thomas lived. Photographs and diagrams of it are in the Harry Harold, July. 1991 issue. The original home is inside the structure that has been added to and currently stands in Wales. (C-750)

This Magistrate Thomas Owen line goes back maternally through many branches of Royalty. However, it is now considered HIGHLY suspect because 1) Hugh Thomas Owen's son Hugh Harry is listed as a pauper in his son's American Quaker records, 2) Hugh Harry when he came to America was a weaver, a profession not likely for the grandchild of someone with the stature of the above Thomas Owen, 3) Hugh Thomas did not live in Macynlleth originally, but apparently moved there from elsewhere (which is not the case with the well-to-do Thomas Owen above described) and 4) Thomas Owen, the magistrate, in his will, lists 2 sons and 8 daughters and all his grandchildren. He does not list Harry or Henry as a son. This last point might not matter since he could have disowned a son Harry when he became a Quaker. (C-1209, E)

  Noted events in his life were:

• birth2 (conflicting), Abt 1607, of Machynlleth, Montgomeryshire, WLS.

Thomas married Unknown PUGH.