The Bowles of Cork city

Both Thomas and Richard Boles, documented in The Boles of Cork, lived in Cork city for a short period after they were forced off their farm land in the rebellion of 1641/42. They were still there in 1649 when Cromwell's forces took the city and in fact were actively involved in the takeover. However shortly after that they both settled in other parts of county Cork.

Later there were Quaker and Catholic Bowles in the city but I can't be sure if any of those were descendants of that earlier Protestant line. It's most likely that they were not connected.

The Bowles in Cork city who were Quakers were my own line. My Bowles go back to Ballickmoyler, co. Laois from which a branch moved to Dublin and converted to the Quaker faith. One son of that family, Samuel Baker Bowles, moved to Cork by the early 1880's. He worked as a Commissioned Agent or Commercial Traveller (i.e. a Travelling Salesman) there until his death in 1907. His son Charles Arnold Bowles, born there in 1887 became an Engineer and moved to Castlebar, county Mayo and later back to Dublin. See 3.2.2 Samuel Baker Bowles in this family tree and also Robert Bowles of Ballickmoyler and Dublin for more on this family.

There are a few traces of three Catholic Bowles lines which were perhaps connected:

There was a Joseph Bowles, gunsmith, who married in a Catholic church and apparently only had one daughter. I've managed to put together the following:

Joseph Bowles, gunsmith at 22 Patrick Street, Cork City in 1805 and 1824 ref.

m. Margaret Turpin (William Turpin of Sunday's Wells, Cork) Nov. 30, 1823 St. Mary’s Shandon, Cork City

(note: there was also a James Bowls, gunsmith, there in 1805 ref. who would likely have been Joseph's father)

1. Priscilla Blanche Bowles b. ~ 1826

m. John Richards Reed II (b. Allihies, Cork; John Richards Reed)

Dec. 15, 1849 St. Luke’s Chapel, St. Anne Shandon, Cork City

(John was a mining superintendant at the copper mines in Allihies, Cork)

1.1 William Bowles Reed

1.2 Maria Louisa Reed

1.3 John Richards Reed

1.4 Langer Walter Reed

1.5 Joseph Carey Reed

Joseph’s will was proved in 1836 at Cork City. An M. Bowles, possibly his wife, was the executor of his estate. ref.

John and Priscilla are buried in the Arnes Vale cemetery in Bristol, UK

This is a Cannon Lock made by James Bowls in Cork about 1800. It was built according to a design set for the British Navy and the British Artillery in 1790. James Bowls would have had a military contract to supply them.

This mechanism would have been fastened over the touch-hole on a cannon. Pulling the cord fired the mechanism which produced a little gunpowder flash which travelled up the touch-hole to fire the cannon.

For example:

Click on any photo for a larger view

At about the same time there was a second line for which I only have the following church records from the South Cork Parish (RC): (note: the parish included St. Finbar's, Christ Church, St. Nicholas and St. John of Jerusalem churches)

Michael Bowles m. Mary Ford July 3, 1830 South Cork Parish

1. Mary Bowles bp. Nov. 7, 1832 South Cork Parish

2. Thomas Bowles bp. Nov. 2, 1833 South Cork Parish

3. James Bowles bp. July 19, 1835 South Cork Parish

4. John Bowles bp. Oct. 9, 1837 South Cork Parish

5. Ann Bowles bp. Mar. 7, 1844 South Cork Parish

For a possible third line, the baptismal registry for the Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church, City of Cork includes “Anne, daughter of Richard Kemp and Catherine Bowles Dec. 31, 1821”.