for Pembroke Boroughs until his death in 1861, aged 84. He was made a baronet on 12 Jan 1813, of Orielton, Pembrokeshire. Upon the death of Lord Milford in 1823, Owen was proposed by Robert Peel (who had entered the Commons in the same years as Owen) as Lord-Lieutenant of Pembrokeshire, a post he held from 1824 until his death. This reflected the pre-eminence that Owen held at that time in the public life of the county. The Reform crisis and the 1831 elections On 23 March 1831, Owen, together with his son Sir Hugh Owen Owen who had represented Pembroke Boroughs since 1826, voted against Russell's Reform Bill in the Commons. This provoked anger in his constituency amongst supporters of reform. When the government fell shortly afterwards, Owen found that he would be opposed at the General Election by Robert Fulke Greville, who was supported by Lord Kensington. Greville published his address in late April, directly criticising Owen for his opposition to the Reform Bill. Owen sought to avoid a contest by indicating that he would henceforth support the reform proposals. Opposition was growing, however, and Owen was criticised both for his lax attendance at the Commons and the considerable income that he derived from church patronage in Pembrokeshire. Passing through Carmarthen on route to Pembrokeshire, Owen "was received with hisses and hootings by an immense crowd, who followed him with the same demonstrations to the outskirts of the town." Polling was conducted over several days on a field at Prendergast, on the outskirts of Haverfordwest. Lawyers engaged by both candidates scrutinised the voting and in his account of the contest, David Williams states that the result was largely determined by the influence of the landed gentry. After chaotic scenes at the poll, Owen was declared the victor, polling 1949 votes against 1850 for his opponent. Greville immediately launched a petition against the result and after lengthy and costly proceedings, the result was declared void and a further election was held in October. The number of votes cats was several hundred lower than earlier in the year but Owen was again returned by a small majority, polling 1531 votes against 1423 for Greville. The elections proved costly for Owen and the Orielton estate and by the early 1840s both he and his son were obliged to stay away from Pembrokeshire to escape their creditors. Later political career In 1836