Owen Thomas (politician)

Sir Owen Thomas, JP, DL (18 December 1858 – 6 March 1923) was a Welsh politician who served as the Member of Parliament for Anglesey.

Early life and education
Thomas was born at Carrog on Anglesey on December 18, 1858. He was educated at Liverpool College, and afterwards became a farmer.

Political career
As a farmer, during 1893-7 he sat as member of the Royal Commission on Agricultural Depression; he and Lord Rendel were the only representatives of Wales on that body. Thomas took an interest in politics and stood unsuccessfully for the Liberal Party in Oswestry at the 1895 United Kingdom general election. At the 1918 United Kingdom general election, he was elected for Anglesey as an independent labour candidate. He joined the Labour Party group in Parliament but resigned the party whip in 1920, and was re-elected in 1922 as an independent. He died in 1923, causing the 1923 Anglesey by-election.

Military career
Thomas raised the Prince of Wales Light Horse regiment in 1899 to serve in the Second Boer War. He commanded the regiment and later became the Brigadier-General commanding the North Wales Brigade. He also served as chief officer of the Life-Saving Apparatus at Sea section of the Board of Trade, and in his spare time bred farm stock.

He was knighted on 21 February 1917.