The Bowles of Aghern, co. Cork

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still under construction, more to come

Note: Aghern and Ahern both seem to be acceptable spellings and are used interchangeably in source materials.  I have used Aghern in my text.

The Aghern Estate was created in 1666 for the Gifford family which lived there until 1764 and built Aghern as their great house in about 1730.  In 1764 the estate passed by marriage to Hon. William Brabazon who lived there in the 1770's and 1780's.  George Boles of Mount Prospect (1739-1803) (see 3.3.4  George Bowles in Thomas Boles of Cork Family Tree) acquired the estate in 1804 and settled his son Spotswood (sometimes spelled Spottiswood) Bowles (1784-1864) there. 

The Griffiths Survey's Valuation of Aghern made in 1850 shows Spotswood holding Aghern House from the representatives of William Beamish, Esq. 

Note: George is credited with officially changing the spelling of their family name from Boles to Bowles.

An inquiry in the March 5, 1892 issue of Notes and Queries (Oxford University Press) from a later Spotswood Bowles of nearby Springfield House with some comments about his ancestor of Aghern House.

The history of The Bowles of Aghern as printed in Burke's 1912 edition of A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry of Ireland

Aghern House today and a ground floor plan of the house in Spotswood Bowles time.

Spotswood Bowles of Aghern married Jane John (b. Nov. 4, 1790; daughter of Thomas John of Youghal) on Apr. 30, 1812.  

Thomas John and his son William were grain merchants in Youghal with a store on the Quay.