William Bowles, Coalfactor of Dublin

Notes:

We know that there was a William Bowles (b. 1723) in Dublin at just this same time who was the son of Thomas Bowles of London from the very wealthy Bowles of Eltham line. This may have been the same William Bowles or possibly his son. It may seem unlikely that someone from such a wealthy family would run a coal factor business, as discussed below, but it does seem that he had become estranged from his family in London. In 1786 his family advertised in the Dublin papers to locate him. Or this William Bowles, coal factor, may have nothing to do with him.

There could also be a connection between this William Bowles, Coalfactor of Dublin (in business from 1794 to early 1800's) and William Bowles, Coal Trader of Carlow of my own Bowles line (in business from early 1830's to 1860's). These are the only two Bowles I have ever found to be involved in the coal industry.

Both of the above may be true as the William Bowles in my own Bowles line were a branch of the Bowles of Eltham. See William Bowles of Wingfield

There were so many William Bowles spread around Ireland and only a few have been sorted out and placed into their family trees. One of the more intriguing ones first appears in a deed memorial filed in Dublin in 1794 in which Captain Luke Hinds of Dublin, coalfactor, deceased, conveyed his former residence and other property in Dublin to William Bowles of Dublin, Gent. with the permission of his leaseholders Frances Hill, widow, Catherine Hill, Jane Hill and Mary Watson (formerly Hill), widow. ref.

This conveyance was made because William Bowles was Captain Hinds nephew and heir. Hinds died in 1793 when he was kicked in the head by a horse.

In the Betham Genealogy Abstracts we find that Hinds Will which received probate only in 1797 mentions his wife Jane Hinds otherwise Blakely, his brother John Hinds, John Hinds Jr. son of John Hinds and his nephew William Bowles. The marriage license index for Dublin includes a Luke Hinds and Jane Blakeney in 1773.

Hinds' widow, Jane, seems to have challenged William being the primary heir in the Will, possibly claiming joint ownership of her husband's assets. In October 1794 she published public notices that anyone with a debt to her late husband should be cautious about paying them. This was in response to William's notices published at the same time stating that he was the heir to Luke Hinds, late of Abbey Street, coal-factor, and cautioning debtors not to make any payments to Jane Hinds as there was a suit being heard by the Prerogative Court.

William also printed notices that month that he was currently in business as a Coal-Factor at 84 Abbey Street where he had previously conducted business for his uncle for the past 8 years and now proposed to continue to carry on that business in the same extensive and upright manner.

In 1800, William Bowls of Beresford Street, Dublin, the administrator of Luke Hinds, coalfactor's, Will sold some coal brigs to a William Fell of Whitehaven. ref.

That may have been the end of William's occupation as a coal factor. He seems to have turned to another trade or this may be the next generation as the City of Dublin voters list for 1835 has a W. Bowles, brass founder on Beresford Street. Pettigrew and Oulton’s directory for the same year has William Bowles, brass founder, at 53 Beresford and Luke Bowles, brass turner, at 54 Beresford. Likely those would be William's sons William Jr. and Luke who was named for Luke Hinds. William Bowles wife may have been a Rose as a William and Rose Bowles were the baptismal sponsors for a Hugh and Bridget Tallant of Beresford Street in 1825.

The Third Report of the Select Committee on Fictitious Votes in Ireland lists the registered voters in Dublin in 1837 including William Bowles, yeoman, of 53 Beresford Street. ref. He had registered to vote in 1832 which would normally occur at age 21 so his year of birth may have been 1811.

Thom's Dublin Almanac of 1862 lists a Bowles Court consisting of two tenement buildings off of 56 Beresford Street.