The Bolles of Haugh

Back to The Bolles of Swineshead, Lincolnshire

The Bolles of Haugh were a branch of The Bolles of Swineshead

this page is still under construction. I have a lot of material to publish in this section yet.

I have gathered much more research on this family which will take some time to organize before it can be published online.

I can make a start with Sir John Bolle of Haugh, the Hero of Cadiz, who later had an important role in the clearance of Ulster in Ireland and is most known today for a ghost story. See Sir John Bolle at Cadiz, Sir John Bolle in Ireland, Lord Docwra and Sir John Bolle in Ulster, Sir John Bolle at Dunnalong Fortress and The Ghost of Sir John Bolle's Hostage, The Green Lady of Thorpe Hall.

For the military careers of several members of this family see The Bolles of Haugh in the Army

Richard of Haugh

Richard of Haugh was a very prosperous landholder in Lincolnshire in the early 1400's. He had a male heir John and three daughters Agnes, Joan and Katherine. Agnes married William Haltoft, Katherine married John Bolles of Wigtoft and the third sister remained unmarried. Typically a Lord with an eldest son who would inherit his land would set him up with landholdings to get him started until he would inherit the Lord's holdings. He would also find advantageous marries for his daughters so they could be supported after his death. If a daughter remained unmarried she would be given the duty of supporting her parents in their old age. Younger sons would go into the military, the church, be placed in an apprenticeship or, often the second eldest son, would be given a share of the family's property to build his own fortune on.

As Katherine Haugh had an elder brother who would inherit the family fortune, John Bolle's marriage to her ca. 1450 would not have been expected to bring him great riches, just a good marriage contract from her father which would have included a dowry. However, when John Haugh pre-deceased his father, the three sisters not only became the future heiresses of their father but also the heiresses of their brother John.

John Haugh's holdings had included the manors of Kelvedon (Essex), Rothwell and Hawe (Haugh), and lands in Pynchebek, Spaldyng, Multon, Quaplode, Flete, Burgh in Lyndesey, Slotheby, and Alysby (Lincoln) which were divided up between the three sisters. John Bolle's share through his wife's inheritance included two major holdings, Haugh and Kelvedon, which brought a huge improvement in the Bolle's financial position and with that their position in society. John Bolle then bought out the unmarried sister's share which gave him the majority share in some parcels of the inherited land with William Haltoft holding the smaller share in the shared parcels.

In 1461 Richard of Haugh left his estate to his three daughters, Agnes and husband William Haltoft, Joan unmarried and Katherine wife of John Bolle of Wigtoft.

Following John Bolle's death around 1486 there was a court case that lasted from 1486 to 1493 between John's widow Katherine, and his sons Robert and Thomas (John's executors) on one part (the plaintiffs) and William Haltoft on the second part (the defendant) to establish the distribution of that land. ref. The Bolles seem to have kept the manors and land of Kelvedon, Haugh and Moulton and possibly other land.

Haugh and Kelvedon were passed to John's eldest son Richard while his youngest son Ranulph (Rankyn) was named Rector of Kelvedon. Richard passed it to his son John whose heir was his brother Richard who passed it to his son John.

For John Bolle of Haugh's third son, see The Bolles of Wortham and Osberton

It has been suggested on some other sites that John Bolle of Wallington, Herts may have been John Bolle of Haugh's fourth son. I am doubtful about that but I'll leave this link here until the possibility is fully explored.

Sections to be developed:

The Haugh line leads to Louth and then dies out

Line of Descent of the Bolle(s) of Haugh Estate

See The Bolles of Hague Family Tree

John Bolle (1425 – ca. 1490) of Gosberkirke, son of William Bolle a merchant and small landholder;

m. Catherine Haugh and gained her share of the Haugh estate plus some of another sister's share; moved to Haugh about 1465

Son 1. Richard Bolle of Haugh (1455-1501) heir to his father ca. 1490; m. Isabel Nanfan ca. 1475

son 1.1 John Bolle of Haugh (1476-1507), heir to his father in 1501;

heir to the Nanfan Estate from his Uncle Richard Nanfan 1506

John's brother 1.2 Richard Bolle of Haugh (1477-1521),

heir to brother John in 1507; heir to Great Aunt Anne Croker in 1507 (very large inheritance)

son 1.2.1 John Bolles of Haugh (1501-1533),

heir to his father in 1521 (includes Nanfan and Croker estates)

John's brother 1.2.2 Richard Bolles of Haugh (1507-1592), heir to his brother John in 1533

eldest son 1.2.2.1 Charles Bolles of Haugh (1540-1592) pre-deceased his father and did not inherit

son 1.2.2.1.1 Sir John Bolle of Haugh and Thorpe Hall (1570-1606), heir to his grandfather Richard Bolle in 1592

(Knighted at Cadiz and One of Queen Elizabeth's Senior Officers in Ireland)

son 1.2.2.1.1.1 Sir Charles Bolle of Thorpe Hall (ca. 1595-1661),

heir to his father in 1606 at age 11; knighted and received inheritance in 1616 at age 21

son 1.2.2.1.1.1.6 John Bolles of Thorpe Hall (1630-1679), heir to his father in 1661

son 1.2.2.1.1.1.6.1 Charles Bolles of Thorpe Hall (1656-1699), heir to his father in 1679

Charles' brother 1.2.2.1.1.1.6.2 John Bolles of Thorpe Hall (1657-1732), heir to his brother Charles in 1699; no sons

daughters Elizabeth (m. Rev. Thomas Bosvile of Ufford) and Sarah (m, Henry Eyre of Bramly Hall) were their father's co-heirs and so the estate went out of the family.