James Nelson Owen (abt. 1828 - 1881)

Born about 1828 in Stranraer, Wigtownshire, Scotland, United Kingdom

Husband of Ann (George) Owen — married 1866 in Hokitika

Descendants

Died 29 Mar 1881 at about age 53 in Tinui, Wellington, New Zealand [uncertain]

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Biography

James was born about 1828 to John Owen and Mary Owen.

Family Bible - He and two brothers went to New Zealand - Alexander operated a pub in Dunedin.

James opened the Sluicers Arms Hotel believed to have been located at the bottom of Owen Street (believed named after him) on the Stafford Goldfield 8 miles out of Hokitika in the 1860s.

He married Ann Owen of Edinburgh, Scotland in Hokitika in 1866.^[1] at the Robt Burns Hotel in Hokitika by Minister John Hall, according to Presbyterian Church records. Marriage Registration 1866. Registration Reference 1866/4193.

His brother David Owen managed the high country station in Canterbury owned by the Hallenstein Family of Timaru (before they got into the rag trade establishing a still-operating chain of menswear stores).

James later returned to Scotland where there are newspaper records of him discussing his life in the colonies (with photo of him).

It appears he moved to Palmerston North where he acquired a pub and may have been a candidate for the role of Palmerston North's first Mayor https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/MT18770801.2.7.1

James passed away in 1881^[2]and was laid to rest^{[3] [4]}in Presbyterian Plot 14, Tinui Cemetery, Masterton, Wellington.

Sources

1. ↑ Marriage Registration:"New Zealand, Civil Records Indexes, 1800-1896," database, FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q24J-PTG1 : (accessed 2 October 2017), James Nelson Owen and Ann George, 1866; citing Marriage, New Zealand, New Zealand, Wellington; registration number 1866/4193.
2. ↑ Probate:"New Zealand, Archives New Zealand, Probate Records, 1843-1998," database with images, FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK9V-K5X2 : (accessed 9 August 2017), James Nelson Owen, 1881; citing Wellington, Wellington Probate Files [First Sequence], 1843-1939, record number 1595, Archives New Zealand, Auckland Regional Office; FamilySearch digital folder 100423901
3. ↑ Burial:"Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2DJ-21J6 : (accessed 6 December 2016), James Nelson Owen, 1881; Burial, Masterton, Masterton District, Wellington, New Zealand, Tinui Cemetery; citing record ID 172273435, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.
4. ↑ Burial:Find a Grave, database and images https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/172273435/james-nelson-owen: (accessed 28 September 2023), memorial page for James Nelson Owen (1828–29 Mar 1881), Find A Grave: Memorial #172273435, citing Tinui Cemetery, Masterton, Masterton District, Wellington, New Zealand; Maintained by pkg (contributor 46968786)

See also: http://www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/