Bowles Family History Name

Bowles Family History Name

Bowles family history

16-1700's , England/America

Taken from the Times Dispatch, Richmond, Virginias, Sunday January 26, 1908 Bolles = Bowles Family

This very ancient family of Bowles can be traced all through the centuries of Great Britain, the name having been carried most worthily and numbered among the families who had contributed so much that was strong and noble to the national greatness. The name itself, as found in the latter part of the reign of Henry III, began with ‘Bol, Boll, Bolles, and finally Bowles.” It is recorded that John Bowles was sub-escheater at Kirktown-Hoyland, Lincolnshire (?), and that the family were granted the ‘de’ by heraldic warrant in 1273, and that William, son of Thomas Bowles of Bols, held lands in Coningsby Knight service of the Earl of Richmond. . The Bowles coat of arms carried to America, by the first voyagers of the name, was granted about this time, being ‘three standing bowles appearing on a roll of Edward the second’, and as the Earls of Richmond were engaged in civil strife in England and in the wars with Wales, Scotland and France, the Bowles arms were borne in front.

In the old church, erected about the reign of Edward III, there was a rich pulpit cloth of Geneva velvet with a deep fringe of gold and the name of Sir John Bowles, Baronet, embroidered thereon and on the pulpit cushion, being the most ornamental of any church in England. These were the gifts of Sir John Bowles, in 1700 (???), who had previously given the church a silver chalice and plate. Sir John died in 1606, in the 46th year of his age, and was interred with his wife in the north cancel of Haugh Church. Pictured is Sir John Bowles at the age of 36, having on the golden chain given him by a Spanish lady, and a curious thumb ring, set in massive gold, with the arms of the family bearing 16 quarterings, most elegantly engraved and embellished, which are still in possession of his descendants.

The features of the ‘Bowles’ arms seem to be particularly appropriate to the name, combining the boars head or ‘swines head’ erect in golden bowles, as the family coat was of “Swynneshead”, in Lincolnshire, England, which had been their original home for many generations. And Swynesheads Abbey is one of the most famous of the old abbeys in Britain with great historic interest. The name of Bolles was inscribed on the tomb of Sir John, but that of his child was spelled Bowles, so the change of spelling was characteristic of the times, and well illustrates the remark of Thomas Jefferson ‘that every man should have education enough to spell his name in more ways than one.’

Sir Charles Bowles, of Thorpehall, was eldest son of Sir John and was Knighted November 12, 1616. He was deputy lieutenant for Lincolnshire and served in the body guard of Charles I. Born November 15, 1595, died February 1661. He married first Elizabeth, daughter and heiress of Humphrey Stafford, esq. of Northhampsonshire (?); second, Ann, daughter of Stephen and (?? I can’t read this??) of Colonel John Stephens. His third wife was the daughter of Sir Arthur Chester. Another son of Sir John was Sir Robert, who was a great encourager of arts, and lived mostly with the literary men of his time. James Shirley, the comedian, dedicated a play to him in 1652. Rawlins also executed a medal to Sir Robert, on one side the head of the Baron, with his wife on the

other.

It would be highly interesting if we could hear transcribed all the anecdotes, descriptions of the old ‘Bolls Hall’ at Scampton (??), the old Haugh of Thorpe Hall with views of the ‘Gateway’ church and surrounding country, as taken from the history of Lincolnshire, but which must be deferred so we turn to the family in America who are of direct descent.

The Suffolk branch of Bowles, to whom arms were ascribed in 1518, were the first to emigrate and settle in the New England States. This was Joseph Bolles, born in Lincolnshire, England, who settled at Wells, Maine where he died 1678. From him was descended Thomas of New London, Conn. Then John, Enoch, David, and many others, some of whom moved south locating in Maryland, where we find the family largely represented and bearing the same escutcheon of the three boars heads in three bowles. It was here that the celebrated adventurer, William Augustus Bowles, was born in 1763. Whose influence was so great with the Indians, and who was so successful against the Spaniards that they offered a reward of $6,000.00 for his capture which at last was effected and he died in the Moro Castle at Havana. His memoir was published 1791. About this time some of the family entered Virginia and settled in Fluvanna, Louisa, and Albemarle. The early writers do not mention the Bowles family in Virginia until near the end of the 18th century, when we find John Bowles of Louisa County married one of the granddaughters of John Ellis, who had a fine residence on Church Hill at Richmond, Virginia. Some of the Fluvanna family settled in Albemarle, of whom was the late Hardin T. Bowles, for whom the little precinct “Bowlesville” was named, but since has been changed to Cismont. Many of his descendants are there located. Thomas Henry Bowles of Fluvanna, who is now President of the Louisiana Underwriters Association , is also of this distinguished family. Many of the family have long been remembered as residents of Richmond living on 5th Street between Broad and Marshall in 1885, and also doing business on 17th Street. Some of their descendants are still in the city, among them the wife of Mr. H. S. Kelley, to whom we are indebted for the facts of the English family, and who holds records and relics which show the high station in which the family were held in England, and have since acted up to the motto given by the Lord Mayor of London, Sir George Bowles, who said, “Whilst it was in my power, I did my duty; but that power, being taken away by higher power, it is my duty to obey.”

Written October 12, 1929 for Mrs. Leo Boschart (Alms bowles