No study of Pembroke's history would be complete without mentioning the Owens of Orielton. Their estate lies just a few miles south of Pembroke and their former home, Orielton House, is now in the ownership of the Field Studies Council. So, a visit was arranged and we had a very warm welcome from the Head of Centre, Chris Millicon.
The Owens of Orielton played a prominent part in the history of Pembroke for three centuries: they were sheriffs of Pembrokeshire, Members of Parliament and Mayors of Pembroke. The grandson of Elizabeth and Hugh, also named Hugh represented Pembroke in Parliament through the years leading up to the Civil War, and was made a baronet in 1641: this tradition carried on through the generations. His grandson Arthur famously rode to London in 1702 to give the casting vote for the Act of Settlement which secured the Hanoverian succession. Despite the motto on the Family Coat of Arms “Honesty is the best policy”, tales of bribery and election rigging in fiercely fought elections abound. The direct line died out in 1804 and the estate was willed to John Lord, who changed his name to Owen, but it was his extravagances that led to bankruptcy and the sale of the estate in 1857. Many houses in Pembroke itself were also auctioned as the family owned much of Pembroke.
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