The Bowles of Clare

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These are just some early notes on some Bowles references I have found, much research must still be done on this county.

The Bowles/Boles, and other variants, in Clare seem to have appeared in the late 1700's in two specific areas from which the surname spread out over the generations.

The earliest reference that I can find for Bowles in Clare is a James Boles and a George Bowles listed in the Ennis Volunteers Minute Book of 1778. ref.  While this was a local militia force under the command of the local principle landholder, Sir Bindon Blood, it does not imply that these men were necessarily Protestants. Notes1  Notes2

The difference in the spelling of their names might imply different families but further research shows that descendants of both James and George used the Bowles spelling with the occasional Bowel, Bowels, Bowell, Bowelles, Boles, Bole and even Bolds showing up from time to time nearby or within the Bowles landholdings.  With few people being literate at that time the clerks recording the events in the original manuscripts just wrote down what they thought the spelling might be.

The two names in the volunteer's minute book of 1778 are consistent with the other earliest records I have been able to find in Clare (so far):

George Bowles of Boheraroan townland, Newmarket-on-Fergus parish's Line

A George Bowles married a Margaret Bellasys in 1780.  We only know that name from a marriage grant that was recorded in the Killaloe & Kilfenora Court Book, which is supposedly at the NAI but I couldn't find it in their online catalogue, with no further information given online.  However, land records show the only George Bowles in Clare at Boheraroan townland in 1825 (the Tithe Applotment) and 1855 (the Griffith Survey).  These dates are rather far apart so these were probably a George Sr and a George Jr.

Portions of the George Bowles of Boheraroan Family Tree

George Bowles m. Margaret Bellasys Oct. 15, 1780 Ennis, co. Clare (George Sr)

George Bowles m. Anne Culloo  (probably George Jr)

1. Margaret Bowles bp. Sept. 13, 1834 Newmarket-on-Fergus, Killaloe, co. Clare (sponsors: Patt. Shields, Ellen Morony)
2. George Bowles bp. May 13, 1837 Newmarket-on-Fergus, Killaloe, co. Clare (sponsors: Pat and Lally (?) Connell)

James Bowles m. Jane Halloran May 15, 1860 Newmarket-on-Fergus, Killaloe, co. Clare (witnesses: John Hickey, Anne Fawell (?))

1. Henry Bowles bp. June 9, 1863 Newmarket-on-Fergus, Killaloe, co. Clare (sponsors: Michael Keane, Jane Halloran)
2. George Bowles b. April 7, 1866 Newmarket, Clare
3. Mary Anne Bowles b. May 14, 1867 Newmarket on Fergus, Clare
4. James Bowles b. June 9, 1869 Newmarket, Clare
5. Jane Bowles b. June 1, 1871 Newmarket, Clare
6. Bridget Bowles b. Dec. 21, 1873 Newmarket, Clare
7. Michael Martin Bowles b. Nov. 9, 1875 co. Clare
8. Patrick Bowles b. Mar. 22, 1877 co. Clare (father: James b. Newmarket)

Jane Boles b. ca. 1845, widow, and son Patrick Boles b. ca. ? in 1901 Census of Boheraroan, Tomfinlough, Urlan

James Bowles of Glendree townland, Tulla parish's Line

James Boles turns out to be the earliest known ancestor of the Bowles of the parish of Tulla, co. Clare with their holding at Glendree townlands in Tulla parish.  In 1785 James of the 1778 militia list, or possibly James Jr, married Margaret O'Connor, sister of the Very Rev. Ambrose O’Connor.  That first James may have been either Protestant or Catholic but Margaret O'Connor was definitely Catholic and James' line descended solidly in the Catholic faith. The youngest of their known sons, Ambrose Bowles born in 1803, became the Curate at Kilrush in 1824 and the Parish Priest of Kilbarron and Terryglass parish in bordering co. Tipperary from 1833 until his death in an unfortunate swimming accident in 1846.  ref.

James and Margaret's grandson, James Bowles b. 1811 and baptized in the Tulla RC parish church, was ordained in 1837 and was first assigned as Curate to his uncle The Rev. Ambrose Bowles at Kilbarron. In 1841 he became Curate to his Great Uncle the Very Rev. Ambrose O'Connor at Nenagh, in North Tipperary, replacing his predecessor the Rev. Thomas Kenny, who had been the Curate at Nenagh from 1836 until 1841 when he became Parish Priest at Castleconnell.  ref.

 When the Rev. O'Connor died in 1849 his parishioners asked the Bishop to appoint a popular Curate, Father Nicholas Power, to replace him but instead the Bishop appointed the Rev. Thomas Kenny.  The parishioners refused to accept Kenny back, more to support their choice of Father Power than having any apparent dislike of Kenny, but the Bishop held firm.  Then a strong campaign against Kenny was organized with barricades at the church doors refusing to let him pass to say Mass, petitions signed and presented to the Bishop and even physical threats and attacks on his house.  Kenny proceeded to say Mass and take confessions in the county jail and in the workhouse and showed up regularly at his church where he was greeted with increased hostility.  Father Power pleaded with his supporters to desist and James Bowles remained steadfast in Kenny's and the Bishop's support but finally one day Kenny arrived at his church to find the front doors nailed shut with massive spikes which he and James could not remove. 

This challenge to the Bishop's authority by the parishioners had grown to a point where it made headlines throughout Ireland and threatened the wider authority of the church over parish affairs and could not be allowed to continue.  Father Power was transferred to Kinnitty and Kenny was told to settle the matter using whatever authority it required.  Father Kenny called in the police to enforce their opening of the church and the police recognizing the size of their opposition brought along over 100 men from the 79th Highlanders.  Their successful attempt to re-open the church is told in this account from the Ballina Chronicle of Nov. 7, 1849.  However, their problems with their parishioners must have continued on as Father Kenny died 8 months later, his family blaming his death on the stress, and Father Bowles was appointed PP of Borrisokane in 1851 and finally back to his home parish as PP of Tulla in 1856 where he served until his death in 1880.

Portions of the James Bowles of Glendree Family Tree

1. Ambrose Bowles (Rev’d.)  bp. Dec. 1803 Limerick Diocese (which includes Tulla) (IGI)

2. John Bowles b. ca. 1806

m. Ellen Foley Nov. 8, 1839 Tulla, Killaloe, co. Clare

m. Ambrose Paddan June 16, 1844 Tulla

2.3  Ellen Bowles m. Patrick Casey of Feakle Mar. 22, 1841, Tulla

2.5  possibly Ambrose Bowles bp. July 4, 1819 Tulla (wit: John Fahey, Mary Bowles; parents were of Glendree)

3.  James Bowles b. 1785 co. Clare

1.  Catherine Bowles b. ca. 1805

1.  Michael Bowles bp. Sept. 9, 1838 Tulla (sponsors: Thomas Rigny, Mary Edwards)

1.  Anne Bowles bp. Jan. 13, 1839 O'Callaghan's Mills, co. Clare

Later A Bowles Family at Lifford, Drumcliff Parish just north of Ennis

Although there is no reference to any Bowles here (so far) in the mid-1700's, they were in Drumcliff parish by the end of the century. The discharge document for a John Bowles, born Drumcliff parish, co. Clare served in the 40th Foot Regiment until his discharge at age 28 at sometime in a reporting period between 1820 and 1828.  A Thomas Bowles is listed in the Tithe Applotment Books as holding land at Lifford in 1825 (with a partner named Keane ref.) and again at Lifford in the Easter 1833 applotment (no mention of Keane).  The applotment list which is online for the National Archives of Ireland includes a Norman Bowles at Lifford but the image of the original document attached to the Norman Bowles record clearly shows Thomas. 

http://titheapplotmentbooks.nationalarchives.ie/search/tab/index.jsp

The Griffith Valuation of Clare in 1855 lists a Catherine Bowles holding a small garden plot at Lifford.

Portions of the Bowles of Lifford Family Tree

1. Thomas Bowels Aug. 1842 Drumclift, Ennis

1. James Bowell b. July 29, 1844 Drumclift, Ennis

1. Ellen Bowles bp. Mar. 5, 1825, Quin parish (sponsor: Connor Ryan)

Other Bowles References from An Unspecified Area in Clare