Welsh Journals

home chastened by the experience of being a mere tea-boy and of being whipped. He was, as he maintained, 'too much of a gentleman for such usage'. To the delight of his parents he started to work on the farm but soon wearied of being 'on a level with the common labourers' and promptly absconded for a second time. On this occasion he enlisted on board a Bideford vessel. Upon his return home in 1733 his parents succumbed to his wishes and purchased a small vessel for him. He then 'betook himself to debauchery' with Madam Stokes' maid in Cardigan. Displeased with his son's conduct Owen Bowen re-possessed the vessel. Owen, no doubt equally displeased at his father's conduct, 'out of revenge' married the maid.11 Owen's father seeing that his new, if unwelcome, daughter-in-law carried no fortune, relented and returned the vessel to his son and gave him a sum of money to establish himself in trade. Owen continued legitimate trading for a year before venturing on his maiden smuggling expedition in order, as he asserts, to make his fortune. The voyage was a disaster since the inexperienced smuggler's vessel was seized by Customs officers on the return journey from the Isle of Man. Penniless, regretting the fact that he had married so young, and seeking adventure he enlisted as second mate on board a ship bound for the West Indies. He fled this ship, however, after a quarrel with the captain and subsequently joined a well-armed smuggler aptly named the Terrible. Sometime in 1736 the Terrible whilst on a smuggling run was approached by two Spanish 'guard-coastars'. The Terrible's captain by Owen's account a rank coward wanted to run for it but Owen and the other 'officers' were determined to stand and fight. The crew (with the captain securely locked in his cabin) led by an heroic Owen engaged the Spanish ships in a furious two hour battle during which 60 Spaniards were killed, 25 in an instant when Owen rolled powdered casks on board one of the Spanish ships. Eleven of the Terrible's crew were killed and Owen himself suffered a bad wound in the back of his head. Owen's and the crew's safe arrival was warmly welcomed by the locals in Barbadoes. Indeed the welcome seems to have been over-enthusiastic for Owen soon 'gave himself up to women, embracing all opportunities', and though 'a sober and sensible man not given to cursing or swearing' his sexual liasons resulted in illegitimate children 'of all colours'. Further smuggling adventures, including a couple of skirmishes with the Spaniards off Salamanca and Honduras, were rudely interrupted by a heavily armed British man-of-war which blew off his mainmast forcing him to strike