Disclaimer
&
Bowles DNA Project
 
The Bowles of Canada and their Roots in Ireland and Great Britain

Home  My Story  My Bowles Family  Bowles in Canada  Bowles in Ireland  Bowles in Great Britain  Bowles in the US

Origin of the Name  People's Lives  Related Links  New Additions

 
The Boles of Cahir
 
Back to The Boles of Tipperary
 
The earliest record which we currently have for Bowles anywhere in Tipperary  is the 1670 record of William Penn visiting Tipperary and meeting with John Boles (of Cork) and several other fellow Quakers at John Fennell's house at Kilcommonbeg just south of Cahir, co. Tipperary.  See William Penn's "My Irish Journal".
 

John Bowles of Ballydrehid

Griffiths Valuation of Tipperary from 1851 lists a Margaret O'Neill at Ballydrehid just on the NW outskirts of Cahir.  Within her lot is a small house and yard held by a John Bowles.  They are both holding their land under leases from Viscount Lismore.  I believe this to be the John Boles who died in 1856 at age 70 and is buried in the cemetery in Clonmel.  I also believe that he was the father of Robert Boles of Cahir who married a Margaret O'Neill in 1835.  Robert had done contract work on Lismore Castle and acquired his property in Cahir in 1857 shortly after John Bowles death possibly after having received an inheritance.

My visit to John Bowles' land in January 2011

The only earlier land records that I can find for Ballydrehid are the Tithe Applotment Books of 1834 which lists a Laurence Neil and an Edmond Neil at Ballydrehid Mountain.  Edmond Neil's property was adjacent to a James Cleary, the same neighbour that Margaret O'Neil had in 1851.  It seems likely that Margaret was either Edmond's widow or daughter. 

 

Robert Boles of Cahir

One Boles family arrived in Cahir early in the 1800's and is still there today.  Robert Boles, who I believe to have been the son of John Bowles above and also to have been of the Bowles of Clonmel line,  settled in Cahir before 1833, married a Margaret O'Neill in 1835 and established himself as a successful building contractor with major projects in Cahir, Clonmel and Cashel.  He also opened a grocers shop on The Square in Cahir which was family-run until 1983.  The building is still in the Boles family today. 
 
For an account of his life as has been passed down through three more generations of Robert Boles', please see Robert Boles Story as recounted by his great-grandson, Bob Boles of Dublin
 
The 1889 Directory of County Tipperary, lists the only Boles in all of Tipperary as:
Miss K Boles, Grocer, The Square, Cahir
Robert Boles, Builders, The Square, Cahir
(these are Robert Sr.'s children: Catherine and Robert Boles)
 
See also Robert Boles of Cahir's Family Tree
 
 

Walter Bowles of Cahir

(under construction)

Walter Bowles b. ~ 1815 probably Tipperary (parents not known)
m.  Margaret Flemming of Roesgreen (b. ~ 1812) March 2, 1835 Cahir parish (RC)
(witnesses: Michael Bowles and Honora Walsh)
1. Margaret Bowles bp. Mar. 2, 1836 Cahir parish (RC)
(sponsors: Michael Bowles and Mary Naigle)
(she probably died as an infant as she is not listed in the 1841 census)
2. Ellen Bowles bp. April 13, 1838 Cahir parish (RC)
(sponsors: M. Walsh and J. Bowles)
(mother's name is given as Margaret Flannery)
 

 

Bowles Military References in Cahir

As Cahir was an important military post, there are a number of references for Bowles/Boles who temporarily lived in Cahir.
(under construction)
 
Henry Bowles, soldier (militem) m. Mary Casey Apr. 24, 1838 Cahir
 
 

This site was last updated 10/21/20