Joshua Owen

Infant Joshua Owen is listed as having died January 31, 1697, but you won’t see a headstone. Most early graves lack headstones because they were discouraged by Quaker Meetings until the middle of the 19th century. Since infant Joshua died fifteen years after young Catherine Reese, it may be assumed that he, too, was buried near the Meetinghouse, perhaps right by the stone wall there today. But, as there were no headstones, and as bodies were buried atop earlier burials, who knows where he might rest all these years.

Joshua’s parents, Joshua Owen and Martha Stockton Shinn, were married the year before under the care of Burlington (NJ) Monthly Meeting. Meeting records indicate that Joshua and Martha lived in Merion for several years and their children (another Joshua, Joseph, Margaret, Rebecca, Sarah, Roland, Martha, and Mary) were probably born there before they crossed the Delaware River to live in West New Jersey. Between 1713 and 1722, Joshua and Martha and their family lived in Springfield, Burlington County, NJ, and Joshua is buried there. His will is dated 14 March 1727.

Joshua Owen came to Pennsylvania in 1683 with other Welsh Friends and settled in what we know as The Welsh Tract, 40,000 acres granted in an agreement with William Penn. Joshua carried with him a removal certificate from the Friends Meeting at Tyddyn-y-Garreg, describing him as “Late of Llwyn-du”. Joshua’s removal certificate was from Quarterly Meeting of Dolgelly, Merionethshire; it was signed by his father, Owen Humphry. Joshua was the fourth child of Owen Humphrey and his wife Elizabeth; and here is where we see an instance of the Welsh naming system which at this time was to use the father’s given name as we might use a surname; that is, patronymic surnames are based on the father’s given name. Therefore, Joshua Owen’s name in Welsh tradition would be Joshua ap (son of) Humphrey, as his father’s given name was Humphry.