William Fitzwilliam Owen was the second son of Captain William Owen. He had a long and distinguished naval career as a cartographer. During his career he explored the west and east African coasts, discovered the Seaflower Channel off the coast of Sumatra and surveyed the Canadian Great Lakes. He and his wife Martha, and their two children Cornelia and Portia, arrived on Campobello Island in 1835 after the proprietorship of the island had been bestowed on him by his older brother. The family established their home in Welshpool.

Owen was a benevolent and well liked proprietor and during his time St. Anne’s Anglican Church was built. He was also eccentric, hospitable and involved in many local affairs. It is said that when he married a couple, he always insisted on the first kiss from the bride. In 1842 he began a survey of the Bay of Fundy for the Admiralty. He was promoted to rear-Admiral in 1847. Owen died in 1857 and is buried in the cemetery of St. Anne’s Anglican Church on Campobello Island.

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