William Mostyn Owen

William Mostyn Owen (c. 1742–11 March 1795), born William Mostyn, was a British land-owner and Member of Parliament for Montgomeryshire.

Early life and family

William Mostyn was born c. 1742, the eldest son of William Mostyn of Bryngwyn, and his wife Grace Wynn, daughter of Robert Wynn of Plas Newydd.^[1] He was educated at Oriel College, Oxford, where he matriculated in 1761, and the Middle Temple, where he was admitted in 1759.^[1][2] He later succeeded to the estate in Woodhouse, Shropshire, of his cousin, John Lloyd Owen, and took the name Owen thereafter.^[1]

He married Rebecca Dod, daughter of Thomas Dod of Edge, Cheshire (c. 1688–1759).^[3][4] With her, he had the following issue:

• William Mostyn Owen (died 1849) succeeded to his father's estates. He married Harriet Elizabeth Cumming, eldest daughter of Major T. Cumming of Bath and had issue.^[4][5]
• The Reverend Edward Henry Owen (died 1839). He was a Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford, and rector of Cound, Shropshire (from 1816). He married Elizabeth Sophia Hinchliffe, second daughter of the Rev. Edward Hinchliffe of Barthomley, Cheshire, and had issue.^[4][6]
• Rebecca Owen. She married John Humffreys of Llywn, Montgomeryshire.^[4]
• Frances Maria Owen (died 1840). She married Richard Noel-Hill, fourth Baron Berwick (1774–1848), and had issue.^[4][7]
• Harriet Owen. She married John Mytton of Halston, Shropshire (1768–1798); their only son was the eccentric John Mytton (1796–1834), who was Member of Parliament for Shrewsbury from 1819 to 1820.^[4][8][9]
• Sobieski Owen (died 1858). She married Richard Betenson Dean (1772–1850), Chairman of the Board of Customs.^[4][10][11]
• Eloisa Owen (died 1872). She married the Rev. Henry Cotton, Rector of Hinstock, Vicar of Great Ness, Shropshire, and had issue.^[4][12]
• Laura (Mostyn) Owen (died 1864).^[4][13]

Career

Until the early 1770s, the two main families in Montgomeryshire were the Wynns of Wynnstay and the Herberts of Powis Castle.^[14] Up to 1772, the families were allied in their agreement over who to return as the county's single Member of Parliament; Edward Kynaston was their choice, but died in 1772, followed by Henry Herbert, 1st Earl of Powis.^[14] The Wynns appointed one of their kin, Watkin Williams, after Kynaston's death, but at the 1774 election, the Dowager Lady Powis nominated Owen as their candidate, in opposition to Williams.^[14] A long contest followed, and Owen received the support of the smaller land-owners, while Williams gained the backing of the most substantial ones; in the end, the Herberts contributed more money, and Owen won the election.^[1][14] In Parliament, despite initially voting with Frederick North, Lord North, he switch to the opposition for the rest of his premiership.^[1] This upset Lord Powis, who supported the government, but at the 1780 election, the Wynns, opposition supporters, backed Owen and he was re-elected unopposed; the same was true for 1784.^[14] During the 1780s, he again voted with the opposition for the most part, and opposed William Pitt the Younger throughout his premiership.^[1] He was considered a Portland Whig by 1792, but his ill health caused his attendance to decline, and he died on 11 March 1795. He was never recorded speaking in the house.^[1][15]

References

Citations

Bibliography

Further reading

• T. M. Humphreys, "Bryngwyn: a Study of the Impact of Family Settlements, Extravagance and Debt on a Welsh Estate", The Montgomeryshire Collections, vol. 75, 1987, pp. 70–93