Bowles in Perth County

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Map of Perth County in 1885

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The main Bowles found in Perth county were the Boles in Fullarton township near Mitchell village.

Map of Fullerton township in 1879

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For an even higher quality versions of the Fullarton map (will take much longer to download) click here

William Boles with his wife Marjory and his brother James' widow, Ellen, with her 5 children emigrated from Devon, England in 1866 and settled in Fullarton twp. Ellen's four sons, Samuel, Henry, James and William founded new Boles lines in Canada.

See The Boles of Devon for more on this family's origins and also their family tree in Devon at The Moses Bowles Family Tree

The 1871 census includes a William and Margery Boles living in Mitchell where William worked as a Harness Maker. No children are listed with them. Ellen doesn't seem to be listed and her children are living with various other people. Three farms near Mitchell have one of Ellen's children (Henry, James and William) living there and working as a labourer or a servant. 1871 Census James and Ellen Boles Family

I have not yet found the oldest brother, Samuel, in the 1871 census but when he married in 1873 he was working as a carpenter in Monkton village about 10 miles NE of Mitchell. The 1881 Census lists him as farming near Sault Ste-Marie, Ontario, married and with four children. 1881 Census Between 1886 and 1889 this family also left Ontario. I haven't found them again until 1906 when they are farming near Douglas, MB.

Henry and James married sisters Ursula and Jane Foster in 1876/77 and in 1878 they and brother William headed west to Manitoba to homestead north of Carberry. They received grants to the quarter sections of land that they claimed after they completed their homestead requirements of building structures, clearing and preparing a set number of acres for crops etc.

Western Land Grants Legal Description Date Granted

James Boles NE 1/4 17-11-15 W1 Jan. 12, 1884

James Boles NW 1/4 17-11-15 W1 Jan. 3, 1884

William Richard Boles NW 1/4 19-11-15 W1 July 24, 1884

William Richard Boles SW 1/4 19-11-15 W1 July 24, 1884

Henry Boles SE 1/4 15-11-15 W1 Feb. 22, 1884

Henry Boles SW 1/4 20-11-15 W1 Feb. 4, 1884

Apparently after receiving their grants they sold their land and bought other land nearby in Manitoba. In 1884, James moved on to new land near Douglas and Henry settled near Macdonald.

See The Boles of Douglas, MB and The Boles of Macdonald, MB

William married Mary Currie in 1887 and joined his brother James in Douglas where he operated a livery stable. As noted above, their older brother, Samuel, also settled near Douglas by 1906.

Other Boles in Perth county

There were other earlier and probably unrelated Boles in Perth county as well. The 1851 Census of Perth co. includes a John Boles from Ireland with the following family:

John Boles b. ~ 1799 Ireland

m. Elizabeth (b. ~ 1808)

1. McFarlane b. ~ 1835

2. Elizabeth b. ~ 1838

3. Charlotte b. ~ 1840

1871 Census

My copy of the census record is not complete so I don't know the actual township. The original record has to be checked for additional information.

Also the marriage record for a Mary T. Boals to a Robert W. Dobson in 1862 yields the following information:

Robert Boals m. Mary Dobson < 1832

1. Mary T. b. 1832 New Brunswick; lived Fullerton twp.

m. Robert W. Dobson (b. 1834 New Brunswick; John, Ruth Burnham) of Grey co.

Feb. 15, 1862 Perth co.

This doesn't necessarily imply that Robert and Mary Boals were resident in Fullarton twp. in 1862 but it is likely. Robert Dobson was a resident of Grey co. so he probably came to her home for the marriage.