In an age when the political institutions of Europe and America were already democratizing, the owners of a huge parcel of land in North America went the other way, to feudalism. This book is an original study of the patricians who directed the history of gorgeous Campobello Island. A unique governance underpinned the Owens until their power strained and broke. Three Tory aristocrats from Wales – a father, his son, and between them the father’s nephew – exercised rule over Campobello Island from 1767 to 1857. They were called Principal Proprietors. Theirs was a fractious family that patterned a rule by landlord which they endeavored impose on North American soil. The first Welsh squire, Captain William Owen, a swashbuckling adventurer, received the grant of the 24-square-mile “Outer Island” as a reward for his heroism in the Royal Navy. A restless person, he returned to the Navy at 60 to fight the French in India. The second, a distrustful snob, who took Cambridge University’s highest mathematical prize was David Owen. A friend in London, General Benedict Arnold, convinced him to go to Canada and claim the Island. The third Welsh squire of Campobello, Admiral Fitzwilliam Owen, had an illustrious career as a surveyor for the Empire. He was a great abolitionist who led sting operations against slave traders on the African coasts and created a British colony in Mombasa which he governed as a protectorate not to profit from trade but from which to hunt slavers and free slaves. On Campobello he was popular but autocratic and took a particular interest in the young ladies. The story thread continues with the island being acquired by an American company that sold parcels to rusticators like the Roosevelt family. Franklin Delano Roosevelt summered on the Island for three decades and left an indelible mark on its culture.

The first-ever biography of the founding father of the Tudor dynasty, a Welsh commoner who secretly married Catherine of Valois, widow of Henry V.

A.G. Bradley's book 'Owen Glyndwr and the Last Struggle for Welsh Independence' provides a detailed account of the final push for Welsh independence led by the legendary Welsh leader, Owen Glyndwr. Bradley's writing style is both descriptive and analytical, offering readers a thorough examination of Welsh history and the political climate of the time. The book is rich in historical context, shedding light on the struggles faced by the Welsh people and the legacy of Glyndwr's resistance. Bradley's literary approach balances storytelling with scholarly research, making the book accessible to a wide range of readers interested in Welsh history and independence movements. As a respected historian, Bradley's insights into Glyndwr's leadership and the challenges of Welsh independence offer a unique perspective on a pivotal moment in Welsh history.

A radical thinker and humanitarian employer, Owen made a major contribution to nineteenth-century social movements including co-operatives, trade unions and workers' education. He was a pioneer of enlightened approaches to the education of children and an advocate of birth control.