John William Bowles of West Derby

John William Bowles was born in Ireland about 1832. His father was a shoemaker, Dominic Bowles, possibly in Limerick. The earliest record which we have for John William is a possible reference in the 1871 census to a J. W. (or M.) Bowles, a married Commission Traveller from Limerick lodging in Bedminster, Bristol, Gloucester. The first confirmed record is his daughter's birth certificate in Stroud, Gloucester in 1877 which states that John William was a Machine Agent and that his wife was Amelia Bown. In the 1881 census John and Amelia are living in Aston, Birmingham where they are working as tailors. We then have John William and Amelia Bown's marriage certificate in 1883 in West Derby where they finally settled. Both are stated to have been widowed so possibly John William had been separated from his first wife for quite a while but she did not die until 1883 thus allowing John and Amelia to marry. They remained in West Derby until John's death in 1887 after which Amelia took the family to her family home in Somerset.

Amelia about 1900

There are several indications that John may have come to England from Limerick, Ireland. (this paragraph under development)

See The Bowles of Limerick for more on that family.

Note: for full size copies of the documents mentioned below, click on the thumbnail image shown.

Dominic Bowles (possibly b. ~ 1810-1820; England or Ireland?) m. Sarah (England or Ireland?) ~ 1830 to 1840

(occ: shoemaker on son’s marriage certificate)

1. John William Bowles b. ~ 1832 Ireland, possibly Limerick, (38 in 1871, 48 in 1881 census, 42 on 1883 marriage)

(occ: Commission Traveller from Limerick in Bedminster, Bristol in 1871 census (not confirmed to be the correct person yet), Machine Agent on daughter’s birth cert. 1877, Tailor and Draper with wife a Tailoress at 7 Providence Place, Church Road, Aston, Birmingham, Warwick in 1881 census, agent in 1883 on marriage cert., possibly Commission Agent in 1887 on death cert., Superintendent on daughter's marriage certificate in 1899 (possibly of a Mechanic's Institute), Tailor on son's 1908 marriage cert.)

m.(1) possibly in Ireland

(a John Bowles did marry in Aston, Birmingham in June 1869; should check this record)

1.1 possibly children by previous marriage;

possibly son Dominic who died Dec. 1867 at age 1 Ormskirk, Lancashire

1.2 Mary Ann (Amelia May) b. ~ 1874 (6 in 1881 census, 17 in 1891 census) Bristol, Glos.

(born Avening, Glos. in 1891 census)

m. Henry Davis Oct. 15, 1899 Paddington, London

possible 1891 Census entry

1901 Census

1.3 Theresa Agnes b. Aug. 7, 1877 Stroud, Glos.

d. Sept. 1885 West Derby, Lancs.

1.4 Joseph John Samuel b. 1880 Aston, Birmingham, Warwick d. 1816 in WWI

m.(2) Amelia Bown (b. ~ 1851, Middlezoy, Bridgewater, Somerset ; Samuel Bown (hay and straw dealer))

Nov. 14, 1883 St. Francis Xavier Church (RC), West Derby, Lancaster co.

(she lived 16 Linton St., West Derby Road, Lancaster co.; he lived 23 Salisbury St., Everton)

(wife in 1877 baptism also previously listed as Amelia Bown)

1.5 William Antonius b. May 10, bp. May 29, 1884 West Derby, Lancaster co.

William Antonius Bowles and family about 1921 with his mother Amelia Bowles

m. Evelyn Mary Brind (b. ~ 1885; Alfred Brind) Sept. 16, 1908 Coventry

1.5.1 William Richard Henry b. 1913 (emigrated to Australia in 1949)

1.5.1 living

William Richard d. 1952

1.5.2 Augustine John b. 1915

Augustine John d. 1985

William Antonius d. 1961

1.6 Augustine Aloisius Gonzagus b. Nov. 6, bp. Nov. 28, 1886 West Derby, Lancaster co.

(witness: Maria Bowles)

m. Vera Constance Dell June 1911, St. Olave, London

1.6.1 Douglas b. 1911 d. 1988 (unmarried)

John William d. Oct. 16, 1887 West Derby, Lancs.

(assumes the death certificate shown for a John Bowles, age 56, in West Derby, Commission Agent in 1887 is our John Bowles, Amelia is a widow in the 1891 census)

Amelia d. 1939 Middlezoy, Somerset

1871 Census

1881 Census

1891 Census

1901 Census

2. Possibly Maria (or Mary) (signed as witness on John William Bowles' son's baptism in 1886)

(possibly Anna Maria Bowles b. ~ 1823 from Limerick, Ireland at 5 Alexandra Terrace, Gloucester Kingsholm, St. Catherine, Glos. in 1881 census. However, this woman would be somewhat wealthy)

(possibly Mary Ann Bowles b. ~ 1830 who died in Sept. 1887 at age 57 in West Derby, same place as John William and just 3 months earlier, epidemic?)

Dominic d. before 1883

note: West Derby is now a part of North Liverpool