Owen Davies

In the north cloister of Westminster Abbey is the grave of Owen Davies and his wife Mary (Cliffe). The inscription reads:

Here lie the remains of Owen Davies Esqr. [Esquire] who was Receiver General of this Church 29 years. He died on 24 April 1759 in the 60th year of his age. Also the reamins of Mrs Mary Davies, relict [widow] of the above Owen Davies Esqr. and youngest daughter of the late Allen Cliffe Esqr. of Mathon in the county of Worcester. She died on the 1st of May 1778 in the 72nd year of her age.

Owen was the only surviving son of Leoline Davies of Clunfyn in Pembrokeshire, Wales, and his wife Anne (both died 1747). He was Receiver General (in charge of receiving rents etc. for the Abbey) from 1729 and also had connections with the Augmentation Office. He had sisters Esther (Harries), Lettice (Bowen) and Sarah (Thomas). Mary was baptised in Mathon on 11th November 1706 and married Owen there on 2nd October 1735. Their eldest daughter Anne was baptised on 14th September 1736 and buried next to her parents in 1791. She lived in College Street, behind the Abbey and left a large estate. Daughter Mary, baptised 13th January 1740, was buried in the cloister in 1786. Inscriptions to Mary and Ann appear on the adjoining gravestone to Revd. William Cliffe.

There was until 1950, when it was taken down due to decay, an oval wall tablet to Owen near his grave. The inscription on this read:

Sacred to the memory of the late Owen Davies Esquire who was 29 years Receiver General of this Church. He died the 24th of April 1759 in the 60th year of his age and of his entirely beloved wife Mary, youngest daughter of the late Allen Cliffe of Mathon in the county of LWorchester, Esquire. She died the 1st May 1778 in the 72nd year of her age. Also of Mary Davies their youngest daughter who died the 24th of January 1786 aged 46, all of whose remains are deposited under two adjoining grave stones beneath this tablet which Anne Davies eldest and only surviving daughter of the former mentioned Owen and Mary Davies and sister of the latter has caused to be erected as a testimony of the filial duty and gratitude which she bears to the memory of the best of parents and of her sincere affection for the best of sisters.