Lemuel Owen

Lemuel Owen
2nd Premier of Prince Edward Island
In office September 1, 1873 – August 15, 1876
Monarch	Victoria
Lieutenant Governor	William Robinson Robert Hodgson
Preceded by	James Colledge Pope
Succeeded by	Louis Henry Davies
Leader of the Conservative Party of Prince Edward Island
In office September 1, 1873 – 1877
Preceded by	James Colledge Pope
Succeeded by	William Wilfred Sullivan
Member of the General Assembly of Prince Edward Island for 3rd Kings
In office April 24, 1873 – August 10, 1876 Serving with A.C. MacDonald, J.E. MacDonald
Preceded by	None
Succeeded by	John Scrimgeour
Personal details
Born	(1822-11-01)November 1, 1822 Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island Colony
Died	November 26, 1912(1912-11-26) (aged 90) Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Dominion of Canada
Nationality	Canadian
Political party	Conservative
Spouse	Lois Welsh ​ (m. 1861)​
Children	William Edgar Wallace, Lemuel Cambridge, and Marion Adele
Alma mater	Prince of Wales College
Occupation	Business person and shipping magnate
Profession	Politician

Lemuel Cambridge Owen (November 1, 1822 – November 26, 1912) was a Prince Edward Island shipbuilder, banker, merchant and politician, the second premier of Prince Edward Island.

He was born in Charlottetown to Thomas Owen, who was Postmaster General for Prince Edward Island for eighteen years, serving until his death in 1860. Owen was educated in private schools and at the Central Academy in Charlottetown (later Prince of Wales College). Brother of Canadian writer, Elizabeth Lee Owen Macdonald.

One of the island's most successful businessmen, Owen succeeded his father as Postmaster General of the island in 1860 before entering politics in 1866 winning election as a Conservative. Owen became Premier of the province in 1873 after James Colledge Pope entered federal politics. Owen was the second premier since PEI joined Canadian confederation on July 1, 1873. His government set up a Land Commission that was responsible for using funds provided by the federal government to implement land reform and end the island's system of proprietary land ownership and tenant farming.

His government was unable to resolve the contentious schools question that divided both the Conservative and Liberal parties along sectarian lines and his government was replaced in 1876 by a Protestant coalition formed to implement a secular school system on the island. Owen retired from politics and returned to his business interests.

Owen had married Lois Welsh in 1861. He retired from business in 1892 and died at the home of one of his sons in Charlottetown in 1912.

External links

• Biography at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online
• The Canadian parliamentary companion for 1876 HJ Morgan