Readers Comments and Queries


I hope you have found this ramble through Bowles history informative and interesting and would invite any comments or queries you may have.

Please email me if you have your own Bowles family history to relate, if you have genealogical inquiries that can be pursued here, or if there are any particular Bowles stories that you would like to pass on. We will post them all here.


Colin Shelley

nottshell@btinternet.com


Comments and Queries

1 September, 2010.  Boles/Fairweather of New Brunswick 

My name is Scott Boles, and I am a direct descendant of the Thomas Boles of New Brunswick line.  I was born in South Boston, as was most of my family who resides there still today.   I have been painstakingly researching a family in the tree with the last name Fairweather.  I am attempting to determine who an Adeline Fairweather was, born in 1844, and her spouse, a male Mcleod, but have no first name for him. We also have a Macleod line which I have been researching and have also submitted DNA to the Macleod DNA project. 

Scott Boles rampartlion@twcny.rr.com)


17 March, 2010.   Boulds and Bowles from Desford in Leicestershire 

I have traced back to my great, great great grandfather, a Samuel Boulds according to the 1841 census a tailor living in Desford, Leicester - which is where your website came up on Google search!  My research appears to have branched with his sons.  You have followed John Boulds and I have followed the other son Samuel. 

In case you are interested, Samuel had a number of children, including a son called Issac (1834-1918), who had a son also called Isaac (1870-1958).  He in turn had a son called Reginald, my grandfather (1901-1939), who had my father, Neville (1936-1991) as a son and I was born in 1976. 

There are obviously more siblings along the way, and I have noticed a recurring theme that many male names are used over again (Isaac, William, Thomas and Samuel being very common), which can make it confusing.  Also I have noticed a family tradition for the middle name of the first born son to be the same as his father's first name.  This continues to this day - my middle name is Neville for example. 

Stephen Boulds (sboulds@gmail.com)


21 January, 2010.  Thomas Boles from Ireland to New Brunswick 

I just finished reading your website on the Bowles family.  When reading I came across the following quote: 

"A Catholic group attacked the home of Thomas Boles while he was away.  They killed his entire family with the exception for one young child who had been put in a sack, hung on a peg on the wall, and covered with coats and wraps.  When the father came home, he took his daughter and straight away departed for Canada." 

I am curious on where you obtained this information.   This is the second reference which I have come across on this detail. 

In my genealogical research, it appears that my great, great, great grandfather was Thomas Boles.  He landed at Passamaquoddy, Maine on the 3rd of June 1828.  The passenger list indicated that he came from Ireland.  Thomas Boles was listed as being 33 years old and a laborer.  He was accompanied by: Jane Boles (age 33), Elizabeth Boles (age 8), and James Boles (age 5). 

Shortly after debarking, the travelled across the Passamaquoddy Bay and settled in the small village of St. Andrews New Brunswick.  They are listed in the Greenock Presbyterian Church and stayed with the church until 1837.  Thereafter, Thomas and his family obtained a Land Grant at Pleasant Ridge New Brunswick. Thomas passed away in December 1870 at Pleasant Ridge New Brunswick. 

Family folklore outlines that Elizabeth (Rachel) Boles was the daughter who was hung on the peg. Apparently, Thomas Boles quickly remarried after his first wife was killed.  His second was Jane Gilespie and she passed away in August 1872. 

As you are well aware, the Irish records are somewhat difficult to sort through or locate.  Your source of this information is of great interest to me.  I am trying to make the linkage of Thomas Boles back to Ireland.  As of this date, I have viewed many editions of the Irish newspapers between 1820 and 1829 but have found no reference to the above incident.  Any assistance in this matter would be greatly appreciated. 

Sheldon Boles  Surrey, BC Canada  (seboles@telus.net)


7 December, 2009.  Bowles/Boles of Canada 

Are you aware of all the work Tom LaPorte has done about the Bowles/Boles of Canada:   http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~bowlesfamily/boles_of_cork.htm 

Kate (kcollwellmd@eathlink.net)


20 July, 2009.  Sir John Boles in Ireland 

I am researching a family in Ireland called Farmar.  According to the information I have a Robert Fermor/Farmar married a Mary Boles.  From a letter from Sir John Boles to Sir Robert Cecil, Robert Farmar is described as his brother-in-law.  Do you have any information about Sir John Boles in Ireland and if he had a sister Mary? 

Looking forward to hearing from you, 
Christopher Thompson


22 May, 2009.  Richard Bowles of Fermanagh 

I am a descendant of Richard Bowles (schoolmaster) who married Catherine Kearns in Ballinamallard/Enniskillen around 1820.  Their son Samuel was my great grandfather.  I am interested in the forebears of Richard Bowles and what line of Bowles’ he came from. 

Ralph Bowles (


21 January, 2009.  Boulds from Gloucestershire (Oddington)

Just come across your site.  My 3x great grandmother was Emma Bould born Oddington - she was the daughter of William and Sarah Bould nee Jones.  I think this was William's 2nd wife, the first being Elizabeth Harris.  I have just started to trace this line.  Emma's daughter was called Sarah.  She was my 2x great grandmother and married Jesse Cother.  Emma went on to marry a George Williams, also from Oddington. 

Kind regards 
Debbie Clarke(Debbie.aclarke@hotmail.co.uk)


5 January, 2009.  Bowles from Ireland to Georgia 


I read with great interest your website on the Bowles family.  This particular branch of my own family has been extremely hard to research.  My ancestor, Timothy Bowles, came to the United States from County Cork, Ireland, during the time of the Famine.  He settled in Augusta, Georgia and established a large farm there as well as a racetrack.  He owned hundreds of acres that extended all the way to the Savannah river and he controlled the road from Augusta to Savannah.  He married Katherine Buckley, also from Ireland. They were both Roman Catholics.  By all accounts, they loved horses and traded frequently with the Irish travelers who would stop on their property to camp. 

There are still members of this branch of the Bowles family living in Augusta today.  My ancestors are all buried in Magnolia Cemetery in Augusta.  I would be happy to send specifics.  This seems to be one branch that has not been well researched.

Sincerely
Kathy Petlewski  (kpetlewski@hotmail.com)


14 October, 2008.  Edward Booles of Oxfordshire  

I posted a link to a Bowles research group back in Feb but also want to put my own Bowles line out there. 

I descend from Edward Booles, born around 1617, who died on 14 Feb 1643 in Brize Norton, Oxfordshire.  He was my 9G g'father.  He and his wife Agnis/Agnes had at least one son, John Boulds, born 11 May 1643 at Brize Norton and died 6 July 1696 at Brize Norton.  He and his wife Elizabeth Pearson had five children that we know of. 

Jackie Leevers (


10 August 2008.  Bowles in Dorset

  
I'm researching my mum's family tree, Edward White Bowles from Wimbourne in Dorset who was a publican, owned a coach house, and had dealings with the mill in Wimbourne.  He was born 11 May 1804 to John and Mary Bowles and christened in Poole.  He moved to Fisherton - Anger in Salisbury and is then registered on his son's marriage certificate as a gentleman in 1868.  Any information regarding my family tree would be greatly appreciated. 

Many thanks, H Johnson (missbunnyjohnson@yahoo.co.uk)


1 August 2008.  Bowles Among The 1820 Settlers to South Africa  

I’m researching my husband’s Bowles family that came to South Africa with the 1820 settlers.  Richard Bowles born about 1781 in Dover.  He was married to Elizabeth Amos, they had a daughter Eliza born about 1810.   Richard was my husband’s ggg-grandfather.  Any information would be appreciated. 

Kind regards  
Tasha Stock (nstock@mweb.co.za)


18 May, 2008.  Bowles in Yorkshire  

I came across your interesting website on the Bowles name.  I have no Bowles blood but my wife does. Her father's mother was Mary Bowles and her father was a farm manager in Worksop, though before that the family worked for the Cadman family in Handsworth, Sheffield.  On that basis they are a Yorkshire family and wondered whether you had any knowledge of a Bowles line in Yorkshire.  I knew the late Rt. Rev. Cyril Bowles, Bishop of Derby, and also the Rev. Michael Bowles who came from Devon. 

Best wishes
John Palin (je.palin@btinternet.com)


12 May, 2008.  John Bowles of Virginia, 1595-1664

What is your source on this my ancestor too?  We have been doing extensive research and other than a land patent in 1622 and John Bowle's 1664 last will and testament, we cannot find anything definite about his life or where he was from in England.  Or even the source of the stories about him and Jamestown, including those of Thomas Farquhar, The History of the Bowles Family, 1907.  He refers to Susan Bowles's History but we have checked with the Lib of Va as well as the genealogical societies in Jamestown and Tidewater Virginia and found nothing.  Anything you can share will be most appreciated.

"Among the members of the Virginia Company in 1620 was Sir George Bowles, the renowned Lord Mayor of London.  The first of the name known to emigrate to America was John Bowles, said to have come from England to Jamestown, Virginia with Sir Thomas Gates and Sir George Somers in 1610.  He returned to England in 1612, sailing on the ship "George."  In 1621, he came over again with Sir Francis Wyatt who arrived in that year with 1200 planters.  This John Bowles owned a plantation on the east shores of Warwick Cove.  His will, probated July 1 1664, showed that he was a man of some landed wealth.  He is believed to have had only one son, John.  John 3rd is said to have married a Welsh woman named Sarah Knight.  Another tradition is to the effect that it was John 1st who married Sarah Knight."

Thank you so much for responding.  Yes, I know the source but wonder where they got it from.  Everyone seems to tell the same story but we have done extensive research on England and America sides and can't validate it.  One source is Thomas Farquhar's History of the Bowles Family, but I have been able to prove that he falsified records from Illingworth his stated source.  Seems Effie Bowles, his patron, wanted to prove that her daughter was FFV for her coming out party.  

Susan Ford Collins (susanfordcollins@msn.com)


16 February, 2008.  Boulds/Bowles in Gloucestershire  


I enjoyed your webpage and thought you might find my info on my Bowles line interesting.  The first of the line can be traced through the DNA results submitted in 2005 by Robert Harley Bowles. The Norse Viking haplogroup of 1Ia traces from the cold climates of Iceland and Greenland and makes a good match to the location where our line of Boulds settled. They are found in records as early as 1560 in the village of Oddington (named after Odin the Norse god) in Gloucestershire. 

Our Boulds takes its origin from the land feature known as a bolle, a rounded hill.  One lineage dates from Johnathon Bould, born 1719 in Oddington.   The spelling of the name as found in our family records is primarily Bould/Boulds until the 1800's when Bowls is seen in records and then later Bowles. 

Randi Meetzen (meetzen@sbcglobal.net)


15 February, 2008.  Bowles Website Group  


I've only just come across your wonderful site and thought I'd get in touch.  I run a one-name Yahoo group for the family name in all its many spellings.  I’m from a branch that was around Oxon and Wilts mostly and we've traced back to Edward Bowles c 1617 who died in Brize Norton. 

Jackie Leevers (groups.yahoo.com/group/BOWLES_research_UK/)


18 January, 2008.  Descendants of Gideon Bowles


My name is John Boudreau of Gloucester, MA. My grandmother was named Thelma Ruth Bowles, she was the daughter of Thomas Jefferson Bowles, and Leah Patsy Tennis. I have traced my lineage back to Goochland County, VA.  Gideon Bowles is in my direct line.  Your site is very informative, and I just wanted to thank you for your efforts on the families behalf. Ours is an interesting heritage, one of which I am proud to be a part. 

J.P. Boudreau (capebretton@hotmail.com)


5 November 2007.  Joseph Bolles and Prester John

I descend from the Osberton line.  On your website you state, "From this line came Joseph Bolles who sailed for America in 1623 on the Prester John and settled in Wells, Maine."

I have searched the internet from beginning to end and cannot find a thing about a ship called the Prester John. I've found everything there is to know about the "fabled" man, Prester John.  Is there anything you can tell me about this ship, or where you got the information?  Anything you can tell me would be very helpful!

Lynn Bowles-Landry (papers777@lycos.com)