Owen Rowland famous herbalist 1742-1819 Blaen y Nant, Bethesda

[ejones4765]

Owen Rowland whom is My 4th great grand uncle
Birth 1742 in  Blaen-y-Nant, Bethesda, Caernarvonshire
Death 1819 in  Blaen-y-Nant, Bethesda, Caernarvonshire

I am searching for as much info possible on this gentleman. A friend of mine has done extensive research on the herbalist, to no avail.

[despair]

There is this single reference at the National Library of Wales

http://www.rootschat.com/links/01fog/

Regards
Roger

[despair]

There are some family details here

http://www.myheritage.com/names/owen_rowland

His will is at NLW under Owen Rowlands

http://www.rootschat.com/links/01foh/

(There is also a 1754 will under Abraham Williams,who looks related from the website above)

Regards
Roger

[ejones4765]

Hello Despair, we are on the right track. Did he work in Sweden as well?

[ejones4765]

Abraham Williams is also familiar?

[despair]

The "MyHeritage" reference gives his parents as Rowland William and Jane William(born Abraham),
so the will of 1754 for Blaen y Nant might prove to be of a relative,given patronymic naming.
I can find no info in relation to Sweden.

Regards
Roger

[ejones4765]

Hello Despair,

Thanks for all the digging.  Have so far found very little information on Owen Rowlands.  Yes, I have seen his will... and would be interested in seeing the will you suggest may be connected in some way.  Do you have a link to it?

The only other things I know are the following facts and conjecture:
- I do have his family details, and that he lived at Blaen-y-Nant in Nant Ffrancon, Ogwen Valley in Caernarfonshire.
- He seems to have been a doctor or bonesetter or physician/herbalist of renown, maybe even travelling across Europe.
- He must have been trained or apprenticed to someone?
- In his will it shows he was paying rent to 'All Saints'.  There is no church of that name locally.
- We think he was connected with Lord Penrhyn.  There is a  tax book which names him and a William Williams (Lord Penrhyn's land agent) in the same listing.

Given his stature I'm surprised there isn't more written about him.

A mystery indeed.

Dewi

[despair]

Hopefully this is the link:-

http://www.rootschat.com/links/01foq/

It looks as if this is the will of Abraham William(s),the father of Jane Abraham(patronymic),who according to the MyHeritage site was the wife of Owen Rowland.Interestingly,in Image 3 of the will
Jane Abraham is referred to as the wife of Rowland Wms(sic).There must be a patronymic twist there.Perhaps some of the (contemporary) references to him are under this name(?),or,perhaps,they are in Welsh?

Regards
Roger

[despair]

Another minor reference here:-

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Pioneer's+secret+of+survival+in+the+hills.-a080873285

Regards
Roger