# Henry Owen

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Welsh theologian and biblical scholar (1716-1795)

For other people named Henry Owen, see [Henry Owen (disambiguation)](/source/Henry_Owen_(disambiguation)).

Henry Owen

**Henry Owen** [FRS](/source/Fellow_of_the_Royal_Society) (1716–1795) was a [Welsh](/source/Wales) [theologian](/source/Theologian) and biblical scholar. In biblical scholarship he discussed the date of publication and the form and manner of the composition of the four canonical gospel accounts.

## Life

He was the son of William Owen, born at his father's home near [Cadair Idris](/source/Cadair_Idris), and educated at [Ruthin School](/source/Ruthin_School). He entered [Jesus College, Oxford](/source/Jesus_College%2C_Oxford), in 1736. There took his degrees in arts (B.A. 1739, M.A.1743), while also devoting himself to mathematical studies, before concentrating on medical studies (M.B. 1746, M.D. 1753).[1][2]

Ordained to the [Anglican Church](/source/Anglican_Church) in 1746, Owen practised medicine for three years while a curate in [Gloucestershire](/source/Gloucestershire) to [Theophilus Leigh](/source/Theophilus_Leigh), at [Broadwell](/source/Broadwell%2C_Cotswold) with [Adlestrop](/source/Adlestrop).[1][3] Advancement came, through Ralph Thoresby (1698–1763), son of [Ralph Thoresby](/source/Ralph_Thoresby) the antiquarian and rector of [Stoke Newington](/source/Stoke_Newington), to whom he acted as curate,[4] and [Matthew Fetherstonhaugh](/source/Matthew_Fetherstonhaugh), who presented him in 1752 to the living of [Terling](/source/Terling) in [Essex](/source/Essex). He gave up Terling in 1760, when presented to the London parish [St Olave Hart Street](/source/St_Olave_Hart_Street). From 1775 he also held the living of [Edmonton, Middlesex](/source/Edmonton%2C_Middlesex), through [Shute Barrington](/source/Shute_Barrington), [bishop of Llandaff](/source/Bishop_of_Llandaff), whose chaplain he had become.[1]

From 1769 to 1771 Owen was [Boyle Lecturer](/source/Boyle_Lecturer). He died on 14 October 1795 and is buried at [All Saints' Church, Edmonton](/source/All_Saints'_Church%2C_Edmonton).[1][5]

## Works

Owen's major work was *Observations on the Four Gospels, tending chiefly to ascertain the time of their Publication, and to illustrate the form and manner of their Composition* (1764). The "[Griesbach hypothesis](/source/Griesbach_hypothesis)" of [Johann Jakob Griesbach](/source/Johann_Jakob_Griesbach), a form of [two-gospel hypothesis](/source/Two-gospel_hypothesis), has been attributed to Owen.[6]

Among Owen's other publications are:[7]

- *Harmonia Trigonometrica*, or *A short treatise on Trigonometry* (1748);

- *The Intent and Propriety of the Scripture Miracles considered and explained* (1755);

- *An Enquiry into the present State of the Septuagint Version of the Old Testament* (1769);

- *Critica Sacra, or a short Introduction to Hebrew Criticism* (1774); he replied, in a *Supplement* to this work, to comments on the *Critic Sacra* made by Raphael Baruch or Baruh in *Critica Sacra Examined* (1775).[1][8] Baruh was a [Sephardic](/source/Sephardic) immigrant in Britain from [Livorno](/source/Livorno).[9]

- *Collatio codicis Cottoniani Geneseos cum editione Romana a Joanne Ernesto Grabe jam olim facta nunc demum summa cura edita ab Henrico Owen, M.D.* (1778);

- *A brief Account, historical and critical, of the Septuagint Version of the Old Testament, to which is added a Dissertation on the comparative Excellency of the Hebrew and Samaritan Pentateuch* (1787);

- *The Modes of Quotation used by the Evangelical Writers, explained and vindicated* (1789).

Owen also helped to complete a number of works by [William Bowyer](/source/William_Bowyer_(printer)), who published works of Owen: the two were on close terms.[7][1]

## Family

In 1760 Owen married Mary Butts, daughter of [Robert Butts](/source/Robert_Butts_(bishop)), [bishop of Norwich](/source/Bishop_of_Norwich). They had a son, Henry Butts Owen, who took over from his father as vicar of [St Olave Hart Street](/source/St_Olave_Hart_Street) in 1794, and five daughters.[1]

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-ODNB_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-ODNB_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-ODNB_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-ODNB_1-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-ODNB_1-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-ODNB_1-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-ODNB_1-6) Young, B. W. "Owen, Henry". *[Oxford Dictionary of National Biography](/source/Dictionary_of_National_Biography#Oxford_Dictionary_of_National_Biography)* (online ed.). Oxford University Press. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1093/ref:odnb/21003](https://doi.org/10.1093%2Fref%3Aodnb%2F21003). (Subscription, [Wikipedia Library](https://wikipedialibrary.wmflabs.org/partners/88/) access or [UK public library membership](https://www.oxforddnb.com/help/subscribe#public) required.)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** [Foster, Joseph](/source/Joseph_Foster_(genealogist)) (1888–1891). ["Owen, Henry (1)"](https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Alumni_Oxonienses:_the_Members_of_the_University_of_Oxford,_1715-1886/Owen,_Henry_(1)). *[Alumni Oxonienses: the Members of the University of Oxford, 1715–1886](/source/Alumni_Oxonienses%3A_the_Members_of_the_University_of_Oxford%2C_1715%E2%80%931886)*. Oxford: James Parker – via [Wikisource](/source/Wikisource).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Owen, Henry (1744–1795)"](https://theclergydatabase.org.uk/jsp/persons/CreatePersonFrames.jsp?PersonID=47384). *[The Clergy of the Church of England Database 1540–1835](/source/Clergy_of_the_Church_of_England_database)*. CCEd Person ID 47384. Retrieved 25 December 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Ralph Thoresby (THRY715R)"](https://venn.lib.cam.ac.uk/cgi-bin/search-2018.pl?sur=&suro=w&fir=&firo=c&cit=&cito=c&c=all&z=all&tex=THRY715R&sye=&eye=&col=all&maxcount=50). *A Cambridge Alumni Database*. University of Cambridge.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** [The Monumental Inscriptions of Middlesex Vol III - Cansick 1875.](https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uiuc.3465163_001&seq=214&q1=henry+owen)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Thomas, Robert L. [*Three Views on the Origins of the Synoptic Gospels*](https://books.google.com/books?id=xlWveEVuGscC&pg=PA77). Kregel Academic. p. 77 note 7. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-8254-9882-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-8254-9882-4).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-DNB_7-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-DNB_7-1) [Lee, Sidney](/source/Sidney_Lee), ed. (1895). ["Owen, Henry (1716-1795)"](https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Dictionary_of_National_Biography,_1885-1900/Owen,_Henry_(1716-1795)). *[Dictionary of National Biography](/source/Dictionary_of_National_Biography)*. Vol. 42. London: [Smith, Elder & Co](/source/Smith%2C_Elder_%26_Co).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** Horne, Thomas Hartwell (1833). [*An introduction to the critical study and knowledge of the Holy Scriptures*](https://books.google.com/books?id=x7lUAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA719). Desilver jr. & Thomas. p. 719.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Ruderman, David B. (2012). [*Jewish Enlightenment in an English Key: Anglo-Jewry's Construction of Modern Jewish Thought*](https://books.google.com/books?id=ruo9DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA23). Princeton University Press. p. 23. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-691-15551-7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-691-15551-7).

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