Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720 - 1940

Architect and engineer. John Owen, a brother of JACOB OWEN JACOB OWEN , worked for the Board of Ordnance at Portsmouth, where he was appointed master smith in December 1805. In 1830 he was appointed clerk of works under the commanding officer of the Royal Engineers in the Ordnance Civil Branch, Dublin, in succession to William Grant.(1) He remained in the post until 1841 or 1842, when he appears to have returned to England to become deputy surveyor at Portsmouth.(2) He retired in 1853 and died at Portsmouth in 1867.

John Owen was married to Lucy Smith (1778-1827), née Underhill, a sister of Jacob Owen's wife Mary. He had at least two children.

ICEI: council member, 1841-1844.(3)

Address: 38 Ship Street, Dublin, <=1838->=1841.



References

All information in this entry not otherwise attributed is from Frederick O'Dwyer (genealogical notes on the Owen family).

(1) Watson's Almanack (1830), 110; (1831), 214.
(2) In a dissertation on Thomas Ellis Owen by A. Preedy & J. Stewart for Portsmouth Polytechnic, 1972, the authors write that Jacob Owen held the post, which was clearly impossible; O'Dwyer believes that it was John Owen who was appointed.
(3) Pettigrew and Oulton's Dublin Almanac for 1841, 1842, 1843 and 1844.