The Bowles of the Colchester Area

Most of the Bowles references in Essex which I have found are concentrated in an area to the West of Colchester with particular concentrations in Halstead and Kelvedon. There is a very early connection between The Bolles of Swineshead and this area. In about 1445 John Bolle of Swineshead married Katherine Haugh who inherited the estates of Haugh in Lincolnshire and Kelvedon in Essex upon her brother's death in 1464 and so brought those estates into the Bolles family. There is no certain indication that any of the Bolles lived there until Katharine presented her youngest son, Rankyn Bolles, with the living of Kelvedon in 1495 where he presided as the Rector of Kelvedon Hatch and later succeeded to the estate on his mother's death. After his death in 1512 the estate was enjoyed by successive heads of the family until it was sold in about 1540. ref. It's not known if the Bowles of this area are descended from a younger son of one of those successive heads of The Bolles of Haugh family but it's certainly a good possibility.

I have not fully researched the family histories or family trees for this area yet but I've collected the following Bowles references:

St. Andrew’s entries are from the St. Andrew’s, Halstead, Essex Parish Register 1813-1827

Entries marked ‘Boyd’s’ are from Boyd’s Marriage Index for Essex

I'm also including some records from Waltham Abbey near Romford.

In Date Order

William Bowles of Earls Colne excommunicated July 30, 1595 (Archdeaconry Act Book)

John Bowles, a carpenter of Pebmarsh m. Grace Newton (bp. Feb. 13, 1586; Francis Newton, Agnes Gunner ) June 29, 1615 Earl’s Colne, Essex

1. Grace Bowles

John Bowles bp. Nov. 20, 1609 Kelvedon, Colchester, Essex, England

m. Dorothy Bradell July 2, 1629 Terling, Essex, England

John Bowles bp. Sept. 2, 1688 Great Waltham, Essex, England

Sarah Bowles bp. Jan. 5, 1717 Great Bromley, Essex, England

m. Thomas Arnold

(bp. Nov. 5, 1715 St. Andrew, Halstead; Thomas, Mary Gibbs) Oct. 20, 1735 St. Mary’s, Halstead

Henry Bowles b.

m. Mary Drake Feb. 13, 1682 Great Waltham, Essex, England

1. Mary Bowles bp. Aug. 10, 1683 Great Waltham, Essex, England

2. William Bowles bp. Sept. 20, 1685 Great Waltham, Essex, England

3. Sarah bp. Feb. 7, 1690 Great Waltham, Essex, England

(The preceding entries are from a site which does not quote sources and which contains other known errors. They have not been confirmed yet so these records have been kept separate from the following)

John Bowles m. Bridget

1. John bp. Nov. 21, 1631 Earl’s Colne, Essex

2. Mary bp. Jan. 5, 1634 Earl’s Colne, Essex

m. Edward Stevens (widower) Aug. 25, 1664 Earl’s Colne, Essex

Mary bur. “in wool” Feb. 24, 1691 Earl’s Colne, Essex

3. Nicholas bp. June 6, 1636 Earl’s Colne, Essex bur. June 7, 1636 Earl’s Colne, Essex

4. Richard bp. Mar. 4, 1638 Earl’s Colne, Essex bur. July 16, 1638 Earl’s Colne, Essex

Bridget bur. Jan. 26, 1639

John Bowles m. Katherine

1. Thomas Boules bp. Jan. 28, 1641 Earl’s Colne, Essex

2. Joan bp. June 2, 1644 Earl’s Colne, Essex; bur. June 6, 1644 Earl’s Colne, Essex

Wm Bowles and Anna Hodson alias Bowles his wife detected by the wardens for being incontinently together before marriage they appeared and admitted the detection to be true and therefore were ordered to admit their guilt before the minister and the wardens on the lord's day and to certify 2s3d in part owes 5s to the next May 18, 1631

William Bowles and his wife appeared and showed a certificate of his penance and was dismissed as pauper June 7, 1631

(Archdeaconry Act Book (ERO D/ACA48))

William Bowles m. Anne Hodson Feb. 19, 1631 Earl’s Colne, Essex (see above reference)

1. John bp. Apr. 17, 1631 Earl’s Colne, Essex bur. May 2, 1631 Earl’s Colne, Essex

Anne bur. Oct. 9, 1638 Earl’s Colne, Essex

William Bowles

m. Joanne (or Joan) Cooke (bp. June 28, 1620 Earl’s Colne, Essex; Robert, Eliz.)

July 25, 1639 Earl’s Colne, Essex

1. William bp. Nov. 24, 1640 Earl’s Colne, Essex

2. Susanna bp. Feb. 15, 1642 Earl’s Colne, Essex

3. John bp. Aug. 17, 1645 Earl’s Colne, Essex

4. Abraham Bowles bp. Feb. 7, 1647 Earl’s Colne, Essex

5. John Bowles bp. June 4, 1648 Earl’s Colne, Essex

6. Martha Bowles bp. Jan. 17, 1651 Earl’s Colne, Essex

Thomas Bowles m. Joan Hammond (Hammont) ~ 1634

Thomas Bowles in Colne priory Manor Court Rolls from 1625 to 1636

William Booles b. ~ 1630 to 1635

(this is likely the William Bowles bp. Dec. 28, 1634 in Kelvedon)

m. Elizabeth

1. Thomas Booles bp. Apr. 12, 1653 Kelvedon, Colchester, Essex, England

Possibly same Thomas:

Thomas Boales m. Mary Collison June 27, 1674 St. Andrew, Halstead, Essex

Joseph Bowles b. ~ 1650 bp. (at age 15) Feb. 15, 1665 Wethersfield, Essex, England (father: John)

Benjamin Bowles m. Martha Byatt June 3, 1661 Kelvedon, Colchester, Essex, England

1. Benjamin bp. June 8, 1663 Kelvedon, Colchester, Essex, England

2. Martha Bowles bp. Jan. 7, 1665 Kelvedon, Colchester, Essex, England

Mary Bowles m. John Wright Feb. 2, 1663 Kelvedon, Colchester, Essex, England

William Bowles m. Grace Smyth June 8, 1663 Wakes Colne, Essex

Susan Bowles m. William Sells Jan. 19, 1663 Wakes Colne, Essex

Elizabeth Bowles m. Sam Wheeler Oct. 24, 1667 Kelvedon, Colchester, Essex, England

Sarah Bowles m. Robert Joceline May 11, 1671 Waltham Abbey, Nazeing, Essex

Edward Bowles bp. 1678 Wethersfield, Essex, England (mother: Sarah Bowles)

A John Bowlls signed a declaration supporting King William against the challenge from James in 1696 at Essex.

Wife of John Bowls buried “in woollen” Apr. 5, 1729

John Bowls of Earls Coyne (age 47) bound to marry Mary Moe of Great Tey (age 40) at St. Mary, Colchester Sept. 16, 1729 (date of bond) so John b. ~ 1682

A Quaker Jonathan Bowle m. Sarah Groom ~ 1683 Essex, England

Benjamin Bowles

m. Ester Field Sept. 21, 1690 Terling, Essex

Ben (probably Benjamin) Bowles

m. Mary Bright 1690 Great Braxted

John Boll m. Elizabeth

William bp. June 18, 1704 Halstead (Essex Records Office) ref.

Rachel Bowles, daughter of the Widow Bowles bur. Jan. 25, 1717 Earl’s Colne, Essex

Nicholas Bowles, baker, lived Earl’s Colne, Essex 1726

1. William Bowls, baker, lived Earl’s Colne, Essex 1726

(son awarded 20s. Poor Rate Jan. 17, 1726 Earl’s Colne, Essex 1726)

Mary Bowles of St. Mary Colchester bonded to marry Ambrose Wright of Halstead (age 23) at St. Mary Colchester Sept. 3, 1726 (date of bond)

1. Ambrose Wright bp. Sept. 6, 1727 Earl’s Colne, Essex

2. Mary Wright bp. Feb. 18, 1729 Earl’s Colne, Essex

3. Susannah Wright bp. Oct. 24, 1732 Earl’s Colne, Essex

4. John Wright bp. May 1, 1734 Earl’s Colne, Essex

1728 Mary Lott John Bowles Mount Bures (Boyd’s)

Robert Bowles m. Eliz.

1. Joseph bp. Apr. 2, 1742 Earl’s Colne, Essex

1804 Humphrey Bowles & Harriet Atkinson, Chelmsford (Boyd’s)

1806 James Bowles & Ann Rowe, Chelmsford (Boyd’s)

1807 Thomas Bowles & Hatten Constable, Wormingford (Boyd’s)

1808 John Bowles & Mary Raiment, Burnham (Boyd’s)

From a Member Interest file on the Bowles_research_UK mailing list on Yahoo Groups:

James Bowles b. ~ 1814 Coggeshall, Essex

George Bowles b. ~ 1837 Thorpe, Essex d. 1900

1.1 Isaac Frederick b. 1863

m. Annie

1.1.1 James Bowles b. 1900 Southwick, Sussex

John Bowles b. ~ 1841 Thorpe, Essex

2.1 Annie b. 1872 Southwick, Sussex

m. Isaac Frederick Bowles

Susanna Bowles m. John Coe Jan. 29, 1816 St. Andrew’s, Halstead, Essex ref.

1817 Richard Bowles & Laetitia Webber, Halstead (Boyd’s)

Richard Bowles m.(1) Letitia Weber Aug. 31, 1817 St. Andrew’s, Halstead, Essex ref.

1. Elizabeth Hannah b. Apr. 1, 1823 Halstead (Essex Records Office)

2. Letitia b. Apr. 5, 1825 Halstead (Essex Records Office)

Richard Bowles m.(2) Mary Fincham Feb. 28, 1828 St. Andrew’s, Halstead, Essex ref.

3. Charlotte b. Jan. 30, 1826 (per transcriber’s notes) Halstead (Essex Records Office)

1817 Thomas Bowles & Ann Fletcher, Halstead (Boyd’s)

Thomas Bowles m. Ann Fletcher Sept. 28, 1817 St. Andrew’s, Halstead, Essex ref.

1819 William Bowles & Mary Weavers, Alphamstone (Boyd’s)

Joseph Bowles m. Elizabeth Hawkes June 25, 1823 St. Andrew’s, Halstead, Essex ref.

Joseph Bowles m. Eliza Molton Dec. 14, 1823 St. Andrew’s, Halstead, Essex ref.

Children of Joseph and Eliza Bowles (don’t know which one of the above)

Henry b. June 12, 1825 Halstead (Essex Records Office)
Eliza b. Apr. 21, 1829 Halstead (Essex Records Office) ref.
Joseph b. Sept. 15, 1831 Halstead (Essex Records Office) ref.

1825 James Bowles & Susannah unknown, Southminster (Boyd’s)

Eliza Bowles m. Abraham Cook Feb. 17, 1833 St. Andrew’s, Halstead, Essex ref.

John Bowles m. Sarah

John William b. Apr. 13, 1841 Halstead (Essex Records Office) ref.
Sarah b. Apr. 17, 1845 Halstead (Essex Records Office) ref.

John Bolls m. Mary

1. Frederick John Bowles b. Mar. 25, 1842 (Essex Records Office) ref.

1845 William Bowles & Rebecca Unwin, White Notley (Boyd’s)

Henry Bowles m. Sarah

Joseph b. June 11, 1848 Halstead (Essex Records Office) ref.

1850 John Bowles & Maria Rolf, Burnham (Boyd’s)

The Rev. George Cranley Bowles of the Bowles of Eltham, co. Kent line (see 2.3.12.4.1.2 in The Bowles of Eltham Family Tree) was the Rector of East Thorpe from 1845 until his death there in 1878. ref.