Thomas Owen (died 1598) facts for kids
Thomas Owen (died 21 December 1598) was an English judge and politician during the time of Queen Elizabeth I. He played an important role in the legal system of England.
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Early Life and Education
Thomas Owen was the first son of Richard Owen, a merchant from Shrewsbury. He went to Oxford University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in 1559. After his university studies, he joined Lincoln's Inn in 1562. This was a place where people trained to become lawyers. He officially became a lawyer in 1570.
Career in Law and Politics
Thomas Owen quickly became successful in his legal career. He held several important positions at Lincoln's Inn, including being a Bencher in 1579. This meant he was a senior member who helped manage the Inn.
From about 1583, he worked as a Justice of the Peace (J.P.) in Shropshire and other areas. A J.P. helps keep law and order in a local community. In 1584, he became a Member of Parliament (MP) for Shrewsbury. This meant he represented his town in the English Parliament.
Later, he became the Recorder of Shrewsbury from 1588 to 1592. A Recorder is a judge who works in a city or borough. He was promoted to a higher legal role called serjeant-at-law in 1589, and then Queen's serjeant in 1593. These were very respected positions for lawyers. In 1595, he became a justice of the common pleas, which meant he was a judge in one of England's main courts.
Condover Hall and Family Life
In 1586, Thomas Owen bought a large estate called Condover near Shrewsbury. He built a beautiful house there, Condover Hall, which was finished in 1598. Even though he owned it, it seems he never actually lived in the house himself. Some stories say Queen Elizabeth gave him the hall, but this is not true. He bought it from another family. He also bought or rented other properties in different parts of England and Wales.
Thomas Owen was married twice. His first wife was Sarah Baskerville, and they had ten children together. His second wife was Alice Wilkes. After Thomas Owen passed away, Alice became famous for founding Dame Alice Owen's School in Islington in 1613. This school still exists today.
Thomas Owen died on 21 December 1598. He was buried in Westminster Abbey, a very famous church in London. There is a statue of him in Westminster Abbey. There is also a monument in Condover church that shows him kneeling. His son, Sir Roger Owen, inherited Condover Hall and his other estates.
The Legend of Thomas Owen
There is a local legend, or old story, about Thomas Owen that was told in the area around Condover. This story is not true, but it's an interesting tale!
In the legend, Thomas Owen was the "clever" son of an innkeeper. He became a lawyer and, while studying old court cases, he believed that a servant named John Viam had been wrongly accused of murder. The legend says the real murderer was the son of the lord of the manor.
According to the story, Queen Elizabeth liked Thomas Owen very much. She gave him permission to have a new trial for the case. Owen successfully proved that the lord's son was the real killer. As a reward for solving the case, the Queen supposedly gave Thomas Owen the Condover estate.
However, this legend is very different from the real facts. Thomas Owen was actually the son of a wealthy merchant, not an innkeeper. Also, Condover Hall was built by his son, Roger, many years after the time the legend describes. The real Thomas Owen bought the estate, it was not given to him by the Queen.
