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The Maurice, Owen and Ormsby-Gore families each played a prominent role in the public life of Shropshire, North Wales, Montgomeryshire, and the Irish counties of Leitrim and Sligo. Several individuals were elected county or borough MPs, which explains the presence of parliamentary reports and other political material. Sir William Maurice, between 1581 and 1610, was Sheriff of both Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire, Deputy Lieutenant of North Wales, Deputy Vice-Admiral of North Wales, Knight of the Shire of Caernarfon, MP for Beaumaris, Bailiff of Harlech and local magistrate. Sir John Owen also held the shrievalties, deputy lieutenancy and vice-admiralty of North Wales between 1630 and 1661. Both he and his brother, Col. William Owen, served in the Civil War, commanding the garrisons at the castles of Conwy and Harlech respectively. Sir Robert Owen was Mayor of Oswestry in 1686 and 1696, and Sheriff of Merionethshire in 1688, when he raised troops in support of James II. His son, William, was Mayor of Cricieth, 1722, chief magistrate of Oswestry, 1730, and Sheriff of Caernarfonshire, 1756. Robert Godolphin Owen held the shrievalty of Merionethshire, the chief magistracy and an aldermanship at Oswestry between 1768 and 1789. Likewise, several members of the Ormsby-Gore family occupied administrative positions at both county and town corporation level, among the more important being the Lieutenancy and Custos Rotulorum of Leitrim, held by William Richard Ormsby-Gore and his son George in 1878 and 1904 respectively. In addition to their official duties, the successive generations of the family made substantial contributions to their local churches, schools and charities in North Wales, Oswestry and Montgomeryshire. Several members of the family made charitable bequests in their wills, notably Ellen Eure, who was responsible for establishing the almshouses at Oswestry in 1626.