The Bowles of Wicklow

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The first Bowles that I know of in Wicklow was one of the earliest in Ireland. See Thomas Bowles, Deputy Treasurer-at-War for Cromwell's Army in Ireland. As one of the commissioners responsible for parcelling out land to Cromwell's men as payment for their support of Parliament's occupation of Ireland, he was able to acquire land in Wicklow for himself. Understandably he lost his position in government when Charles II was returned to the throne in 1660 but he was able to hold onto his land, probably thanks to his marriage to the prominent royalist Sir Walter Plunkett's sister. Thomas was one of the Commissioners responsible for collecting the poll taxes in county Wicklow in 1660 and 1661. However in 1664 it was found that he also had a large outstanding debt to the state which the King ordered him to repay. After that he appears to have lived in Dublin so he may have lost his land in Wicklow in order to repay his debt.

In the 1800's there were at least three generations of William Bowles at Seapark a great house near Magheramore, the first two generations were gardeners on the estate. See William Bowles, Gardener at Seapark. There may have been a family connection between this William Bowles and Walter Bowles, Gardener in Tipperary, Wales, Carlow and Dublin and if that turns out to be true then both may be connected to James Bowles of Silvermines, co. Tipperary.