He was born in
Llangeinwen, on
Anglesey, and moved to London at the age of 21 to work as a solicitor's clerk. He went to work for the
Poor Law Commission in 1836, eventually becoming its Chief Clerk in 1853. Owen became involved in the
British and Foreign School Society in London and in 1843 published an open letter to the people of Wales, advocating the need to establish British and Foreign schools in Wales. As a non-conformist he supported the idea of non-denominational day schools. In 1843 he was instrumental in the appointing of an agent for the British and Foreign Schools Society in North Wales, and then in South Wales at a later date. Owen saw the need to improve the education in intermediate schools, so that there were suitably qualified entrants for the new University. At the
National Eisteddfod in
Caernarfon in 1880, he read a paper to members of the
Society of Cymmrodorion on
Intermediate Education in Ireland and Secondary Education in Wales. This eventually led to the passing of the
Welsh Intermediate Education Act 1889. ==Legacy==