Life

Owen was educated at Jesus College, Oxford

Jesus College, Oxford

Jesus College is one of the colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is in the centre of the city, on a site between Turl Street, Ship Street, Cornmarket Street and Market Street...

, matriculating

Matriculation

Matriculation, in the broadest sense, means to be registered or added to a list, from the Latin matricula – little list. In Scottish heraldry, for instance, a matriculation is a registration of armorial bearings...

 in 1660. He left the university without taking a degree. Edmund Calamy

Edmund Calamy (historian)

Edmund Calamy was an English Nonconformist churchman, divine and historian.-Life:A grandson of Edmund Calamy the Elder, he was born in the City of London, in the parish of St Mary Aldermanbury. He was sent to various schools, including Merchant Taylors', and in 1688 proceeded to the university of...

 recorded that Owen was a candidate for the ministry in August 1662 and that Owen, after travelling from Oxford to London, soon returned to Wales. Owen was an itinerant preacher in Merioneth, Caernarvonshire and Montgomeryshire

Montgomeryshire

Montgomeryshire, also known as Maldwyn is one of thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. Montgomeryshire is still used as a vice-county for wildlife recording...

. He obtained a license as a congregational teacher in 1672, working from his house in Llangegry in Merioneth. Later the same year, he was given licenses to preach in various locations in Merioneth (Bodwenni, Cynfal, Erwgoyel, Llanegryn, and Peniarth). In 1675, he was ordained as a minister in the Independent church based at Wrexham

Wrexham

Wrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England...

.

His grandson later stated that Owen had been imprisoned in Powis Castle

Powis Castle

Powis Castle is a medieval castle, fortress and grand country mansion located near the town of Welshpool, in Powys, Mid Wales.The residence of the Earl of Powis, the castle is known for its extensive, attractive formal gardens, terraces, parkland, deerpark and landscaped estate...

 by William Herbert, 1st Marquess of Powis

William Herbert, 1st Marquess of Powis

William Herbert, 1st Marquess of Powis, PC was an English nobleman.He succeeded his father, the 2nd Baron Powis, as 3rd Baron Powis in 1667, and was created Earl of Powis in 1674 by King Charles II and Viscount Montgomery, of the Town of Montgomery, and Marquess of Powis in 1687 by King James II,...

, a Catholic, but that Lord Powis had treated Owen well, having been impressed by Owen's prayers, and invited him to return to Powis Castle every Christmas after his release.

In 1685, Owen became the minister of a congregation comprising Independents and Baptists at Ysgafell (near Newtown) in Montgomeryshire

Montgomeryshire

Montgomeryshire, also known as Maldwyn is one of thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. Montgomeryshire is still used as a vice-county for wildlife recording...

. He died on 15 March 1700 and was survived by his wife, Martha, whom he had married in or before 1670. They had a son (John Owen, to whom Hugh Owen left his books in Hebrew, Greek and Latin) and three daughters. Owen was buried in the churchyard at Llanegryn. John Owen himself died three months later on 27 June 1700.