Nicholas Owen was an English Jesuit lay brother born in Oxford around 1550. A skilled carpenter by trade, he became a vital figure for the Catholic community during the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I. He is primarily remembered for his role in constructing secret hiding places, known as priest holes, to protect clergy from authorities. Operating under various aliases, including Little John, he provided essential support to priests like Edmund Campion and Henry Garnet before his eventual capture and death in London.