The northern tip of New York state borders the area
of southern Ontario where many English and Irish immigrants were settled
in the early 1800’s as a defense against any possible repeat of the US
invasion of Canada which had occurred in 1812.
In the mid-1800’s many of these settlers moved across the border
and settled in northern New York State.
The 1860 and later Census records for this area
show a significant percentage of people having been born in Canada and
with their parents born in Ireland or England.
Some of these were Bowles.
The Bowles of Naples, Ontario, New York State
James Boles and Jane Clindenen
were married in Ireland in 1829 and shortly afterwards emigrated to
Canada. They were probably from northern Ireland as they were
Presbyterian, which was much more common in the north, and the family
later adopted the Boals spelling of their name which we also connect
with the northern lines. The Clindenen name (spelling variations:
from Clendinen to Glendenning) is clearly Scottish and generally appears
in Ireland in only the north, particularly in counties Antrim, Armagh
and Down.
The couple were certainly in Canada from about
1832 until 1839 where three children were born. This was most
likely in the St. Catharines, Lincoln co.
area near the
US border at Niagara Falls and only about 150
miles from Naples, NY where we find them later. During those years
there were a large family of Boles from Armagh, Ireland living at
St. Catharines
including a James Boles of an appropriate age but that James
remained there until his death in 1852. Likely he was a cousin of
'our' James. A newly married couple would be more likely to follow
the lead of other family members who had previously emigrated than to
head off completely on their own. Boles is not a common name but
the most convincing argument for St. Catharine's is that the very
uncommon name Clendennan is also found there in that timeframe.
The local newspaper reported
in 1826 that a Jonathan Huston Clendennan had acquired and laid out
several town lots which were for sale in St. Catharine's.
ref. There is also an 1867 article
which mentions both Boles and Clendennan as having arrived in the St.
Catharine's area in the early 1820's.
ref.
In
1900 the Naples News refers to Hugh Bolles and Samuel Boals as living in
Hickory Bottom and John Boals in Naples.
Samuel Boals was still at Hickory Bottom in 1907.
The Jan. 1, 1908 paper reports that he has sold the farm.
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