Note: Some sources indicate birth year as 1749. In a letter to her family dated March 29, 1750, Jane Owen West describes her son as a "Very fine big boy" and so Owen was traditionally believed to be born in 1749.

Owen West was the son of Joseph and Jane Owen West. The Wests and the Owens were influencial participants in the establishing of the new colonies in Pennsylvania and Virginia. The Owens came with William Penn in 1690 and the Wests arrived in the early 1700s. Joseph West was the son of John and Sarah Pearson West and Jane Owen was the daughter of John and Hannah Maris Owen. These names can often be found in books of history of that time.

Owen married Elizabeth Martin in about 1783 in Campbell County, Virginia. Owen and Elizabeth had 14 children, all born in Pittsylvania County, Virginia.

Owen and Elizabeth settled initially in Pittsylvania County, Virginia where records show the purchase of several acres of land between 1777 and 1795. In December, 1809, deed books indicate that he sold 1400 acres which included West's Water grist mill, saw mill and cotton machine.

Thirteen of the children migrated with Owen and Elizabeth to Clinton County, Ohio by 1810.

After settling in Ohio, Owen and Elizabeth and the minor children and sons, Owen and Thomas, were joined in membership with the Clear Creek Monthly Meeting and Owen helped establish the Newberry Monthly Meeting. (Quakers).

Their children were:

Nancy (1784-1868) married Robert Terrell
Jane (1785-1862) married John Terrell
William (1787-?) married 1)Sarah Hamerick and 2)Sophia Hadley
Mary "Polly" (1788-1875) married Joshua Betterton
Susan (1790-1837) married Joseph Wright
Owen (1792-1855) married Lorenna Douglas
Thomas (1794-1852) married Tamar Hadley
James (1796-1873) married Elizabeth Liggett
Peyton (1798-1868) married Sarah Hadley
Elizabeth (1799-1873) married Ezekiel Haworth
Amelia (1801-1853) married James Haworth
Rebecca (1804-1878) married Joseph Garner
Margaret (1806-1806)
John Rand West(1809-1884) married Elizabeth George

Note: The primary source for this bio is the genealogy booklet entitled "Joseph West and Jane Owen" by Celeste Terrell Barnhill published by Wm. Mitchell Printing Company, Greenfield Indiana, 1930. In the forward, Mrs. Barnhill states "the purposes of this booklet are to rescue from obscurity the name of Joseph West, brother of Benjamin West, the artist...". The book is full of letters and documents about Joseph West and Jane Owen, their ancestors and descendants. Other publications also verify the basic facts with some discrepancies in dates or spellings of names.

Also many thanks to this memorial's creator who went above and beyond helping to establish documentation that this tombstone memorial was for the subject of this history.

DAR Lineage Accepted December 2012