Owen was born whilst his mother Katherine was visiting her son King Henry VI at Westminster Abbey. Katherine's waters broke prematurely and the help available to her was the monks of the abbey.
During his childhood he had the name 'Owen ap Maredudd' which was the Welsh part of his father's name.
It appears that Owen was not raised in the same way as his elder brothers and his sister, as they were raised by their parents, whereas Owen was sent to be raised by the monks of Westminster Abbey. Some reports suggest that Owen was taken from Katherine after his birth to live with the monks that had helped his mother during the birth; perhaps explaining his future as a monk himself.
King Henry VII's personal historian Polydore Vergil wrote that Owen was raised from a young age with the view that he would become a monk, and he lived his whole life at Westminster Abbey under the name of Edward Bridgewater.
It seems unusual that this child was raised in such a different manner than his siblings from such a young age. Perhaps it was Katherine's gratitude to the Benedictine monks who had helped her in her hour of need that led her to such an act. However it was common practice amongst noble families to have one child enter the church, it seems that Owen was especially young when this happened.
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| Owen Tudor, father to Owen. |
In 1452 he received an annuity from his half-brother, King Henry VI. However, it was not until a year later in 1453 that King Henry recognised his maternal half-siblings as legitimate.
In 1498 Owen's nephew King Henry VII gifted him the amount of £2 from the Royal Privy Purse, and when he died only a few years after this donations were made to Westminster Abbey for bell tolling and for prayers to be said for Owen's departed soul. King Henry VII paid £3 1s 2d for the burial of his uncle Owen Tudor.
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