William Owen

• Birth date            19 February 1852
• Married                1 September 1881 at the Parish Church, Bowdon, Alice Annie, daughter of Charles Scotter of Bowdon.
• Death date          5 August 1909
• Cremation           7 August 1909 at Woking

NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH WILLIAM OWEN (WILLIAM AND SEGAR OWEN) OF WARRINGTON

William Owen, architect of Manchester and Hale, was born at Altrincham on 19 February 1852, the son of Joseph Owen of Bowden and his first wife. He was educated locally at Bowden and later at the Manchester School of Art and in 1874 he was successful in obtaining the gold medal awarded annually by South Kensington for the best architectural design. Having spent some years with the architect Edward Salomons, he commenced independent practice at 134 Deansgate Manchester and Wellington Chambers Rhyl in a short-lived partnership with Owen Edwards. This partnership was dissolved in September 1878, Owen Edwards continuing the practice in Rhyl and William Owen that in Manchester. He was elected an Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1879. He was one of the first members of the Hale District Council, and in 1903 was appointed to the chair.

He married Alice Annie, daughter of (Sir) Charles Scotter, later 1st Baronet, at Bowden parish church in 1881. They had three sons  Cyril b.1883, Harold, b.1885 and Wilfrid b. 1887. Alice Annie was killed in a railway accident at St James Station, Liverpool in October 1913

William Owen died at Rutland House, Kingston-upon-Thames, the residence of his father-in-law, Sir Charles Scotter, on 5 August 1909 and was cremated at Woking on 7 August 1909.