Miscellaneous Bowles of Kent
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Bowles of Kent
There are
significant references for the Bowles family name appearing in early
forms of the name in Ickham
in the early 1200's, in
Canterbury soon after, in
Chartham from the
1300's to the 1500's, in Chatham
from the late 1500's and at
Deal, Chislehurst,
Ramsgate and
Dover since the
1600's. This page is for locations in Kent with only an
occasional reference.
South East Kent (around Ashford)
John Bishop's Will of 1465
left to his wife his lands and tenements at Lenham recently purchased
from William Bolle
The first teacher at Cranbrook
School, established in 1518, is believed to have been a Robert Bolle
who is mentioned as a teacher at Cranbrook in a Will dated 1520.
ref. There is also a legal case from 1589 involving
Thomas Landes of Cranbrook, plaintiff, and Richard Boll,
defendant but the catalogue entry does not mention if Richard is also of
Cranbrook or anywhere else.
ref. The original document would have to be checked.
Finally, from 1721 there is a legal case regarding a pew between Thomas
Weston of Cranbrook and the parishioners of Cranbrook including a
Richard Bowles.
ref.
A legal case from 1639 is
between Margery Bowles, plaintiff, and Thomas, Robert and
Geoffrey Bowles (brothers) with testimony from Simon Bowles of
Woodchurch (note: also could be the Woodchurch beside Manston on the
East Coast).
ref. The catalogue entry does not indicate how Simon
and Margery are related so since there are no other occurrences of a
Simon in the Bowles family in that period, this is possibly the same
Symon Boles with wife Dorothy of Southwark, Kent in the 1618 legal
case between them and Richard Archbold involving some land in Ireland
which Dorothy had inherited from her first husband. Southwark is
now the south side of the Thames River in London around London Bridge
and Tower Bridge.
There is a 1337 grant from
John Bolle of Willesborough, a suburb of Ashford, to Jane and Agnes,
the daughters of William Cosin
ref. and another grant to him in 1379.
ref.
The Calendar of Wills and
Administrations lists Wills for the following Bolles of Appledore:
Joane (1503) and John (1502) and for John Bolle of Warehorne (1536).
East Coast
In the Kent Hundred Rolls of
1274-75, the juries report of the Hearings of the Hundred of Folkestone
includes the following: "Then they say that Sir Henry Malemains, while
he was sheriff of Kent, demised the bailiwick of Shepway to Thomas de
Suthen , a bailiff, for £18 and more who oppressed the people
immeasurably. The same man took 1 mark from William the
cloth-comber falsely accusing him of damaging the barn of Henry Boles
of Hythe and the said Henry, the sheriff took 1 mark from him for
the same reason." Hythe is far south of Canterbury on the coast.
The history of Manston Court
(west of Ramsgate, Kent)
ref. includes the following story: "a
200 foot well remains at the rear of Manston Court, where in 1289
Gausden Bolle, a good friend of King Edward I was found to be at the
bottom. He was brought out alive by John Bolle, but sadly
died 3 days later. King Edward ordered an inquisition, and local
people were tortured to find the circumstances of Bolle’s death.
The King suspected foul play by locals, however they insisted that he
had ‘fallen down the well in his madness’ probably through drink."
North Coast
The Assize of
4 Richard II (1380) includes a case against John Bolle and Alice his
wife for lands in Sesaltre(Seasalter). They didn't necessarily live
there though.
Thomas
Bolle acquired some land at Blean from Felicia Ingram in 1367.
ref.
Robert Bole, the former bailiff of the Manor
of Brindley (probably Brendle Manor, co. Kent), was involved in a
Chancery Court case in 1433 versus Robert Sare of Boughton-under-Blean.
ref. Robert and his wife Joan were "of"
Boughton-under-Blean in an agreement dated at between 1432 and 1443.
ref. Another Chancery Court case of between 1480
and 1483 involves two parties disagreement over the land formerly of
Robert Bole. The land is described as "land in Hokepettisfeld in
the parish of Boughton under the Bleane".
ref.
William
Bolle, miller of Herne, signed a 7 year renewal of his current lease
on William Bolle's mill at Herne in 1430
ref.
In Herne Will Abstracts:
-
Will of
Thomas Bysmer dated July 1, 1465 refers to his feoffee (trustee)
Richard Bolle and land in Chislet parish.
ref.
-
Will of William at Berye
of Hothe in the parish of Reculver dated Jan. 1, 1483/84; his
Feoffee (i.e. trustee) listed as Richard Bolle;
ref.
-
Will of Christeon Walter
of Herne dated Oct. 15, 1488; his executor Robert Boll.
ref.
-
Will of Thomas Gylward of
Reculver and Herne parishes dated March 26, 1509; refers to his land
in parish of Reculver being sold by his feoffees (i.e. trustees)
William Bolle, James Ewell and John Boikyn sr. and jr.
ref.
-
Will of
Thomas Bolle of Reculver, Kent dated Oct. 6, 1510; sons William
and Richard; William to have my tenement in Broke (Brook today);
Richard to have the croft next to the above; witnesses: Thomas Butt
and John Copyn.
ref.
- Will of Nicholas Bownde of Reculver dated
July 10, 1518 and probated Jan. 31, 1519/20; refers to his land
being sold by his feoffees (i.e. trustees) Richard Boll and
Robert Andrew.
ref.
There is a Chancery Pleading from
between 1515 and 1518 involving Richard Bolle and his wife Johanne and
Thomas Coorte and his wife Margaret over land in Reculver and Chislett
which Johanne and Margaret had inherited from their grandfather, the
late John May.
ref.
The Calendar of Wills and
Administrations lists Wills for the following Bolles of Seasalter:
John (1472), Richard (1475), Thomas (1479), Richard (Borstal in 1479),
William (1481) and Alice (1493); for Thomas Bolle of Reculver (1510);
for Richard Bolle of Chislet (1528) and for the Bolles of Whitstable:
John (1472), Richard (as Bowell in 1534), John (1544) and Katherine
(1557).
An Alice Bolle invested in land at Whitstable with a group of
partners in 1479.
ref.
Here is an interesting report of a Bowles wedding at Margate in 1940:
Sirens as Wedding Bells - A Margate
Bride
Isle of Thanet Gazette 6th
September 1940
With air raid sirens screeching
over the district, Miss Violet Lilian HAYWARD, daughter of Mr and
Mrs T HAYWARD of 3 Hertford Road, Margate, were married at the
Parish Church of St John on Saturday, August 24th, to
Mr George
Harold BOWLES, son of Mr and Mrs J BOWLES, of Bexhill.
Although raiders were overhead, the
ceremony was continued and it was not until the wedding breakfast
was being held that the 'All Clear' was given.
The Vicar (The Rev D V Beckingham)
officiated, and the bride was given away by her father. She was
attired in a heavy satin gown and carried a bouquet of red roses.
The brides attendants were Miss
Marjorie LADD (friend) and Miss Joan WILLIAMS, (cousin), who wore
mauve satin dresses and carried posies of chrysanthemums. They
received butterfly brooches from the bridegroom.
Mr Arthur HAYWARD (brother of the
bride) was best man
Margate Local & Family History
East Kent
The Canterbury Cathedral
Archives collection for Fordwich Borough includes a roll of two
membranes upon which several court records were enrolled from 1314 to
1331 including one from 1316/17 with a reference to Cristina wife of
Adam Bolle.
ref.
In 1520/21 a Henry Bolle,
labourer, of Fordwich sold land in Dreysdane which his wife Dorothy had
inherited from her father, Robert Peny.
ref.
William Bolle owned land in Wickham around 1455
to 1460 which was occupied by feoffees of his.
ref.
Chatham Area
In 1454, Peter
Dyngele, the Vicar of the Middleton Church in Milton, leased some
property in the town of Milton to John Standon, Thomas Cartere and
Nicholas Hyne, citizens and tanners of London and William Bole of
Milton.
ref. William Bole was also a tanner according to
the list from 1450 of the townspeople of Middleton who were pardoned
by the King for rebelling against him (click on the image to the
right).
In 1466 John Norton, Peter Dingley and John Bole of
Middleton, tanner, leased out four properties ('messuages') and a
garden in Middleton to the same three people. This would probably be
a renewal of several earlier leases, John Bole having inherited
rights to the property from William Bole, likely his father.
This also indicates a connection between the Bolle tanning business
in Kent and the associated tanners in London.
From A Descriptive Catalogue of
Ancient deeds, Volume 1
by H. C. Maxwell Lyte 1894
Milton Wills
(next Sittingbourne) by Arthur Hussey lists several Wills which
mention Bole names:
-
June 15,
1466 Will of John Herward; witnesses include Richard Bolle;
ref.
-
Aug. 20,
1473 Will of Thomas Hogan of Middelton, "If I die from this
sickness..."; probate 12 days later; left 5/- to each of his
feoffees (trustees) John Bole and William Coting;
ref.
-
April 14,
1474 Will of John Cokke of Middelton; left his wife 4 acres in
Seweris field lately obtained from Hamon Bole and Matilda
Stonard;
ref.
-
Nov. 15,
1474 Will of Ralph Hayman; names his wife and John Bole
as his executors;
ref.
-
March 17,
1500/01 Will of Henry Boll; probate May 27, 1501; wife
Cecifie is executor, daughters Joan and Margaret (under 16),
sons Thomas (under 22), Richard and John (all no children), his
sister's son John Orgat;
ref.
-
Mar. 7,
1528 probate of Will of Robert Cotyng; buried Milton Church
beside the font; witnesses include Thomas Boll;
ref.
-
Sept. 1,
1534 Will of Rafe Hayman; refers to part of Harts barn with
garden and land in Sawiers field remaining to John Bull
and his lawful issue for ever.
ref.
-
Nov. 15,
1545 Will of John Boll;
assigns administration of his goods to his wife Agnes; refers to
a bond outstanding to Thomas Bull of Milton;
ref.
-
Mar. 28, 1546 Will of Agnes Bull, widow; to be buried in the
churchyard next my husband; probate June 10, 1546; all goods to
sons Richard and Thomas Bull;
ref.
-
May 13, 1546 Will of Richard Bull, probate June 10, 1546; buried
beside my wife; son John, daughter Jane (both under 12); Will
overseer, my Uncle Bull of Hothfield and brother-in-law Thomas
Diricke; father-in-law Lawrence Pattenden; brother Thomas Bull;
sister Elizabeth Diricke; Aunt Marion Turner and her son John
(his apprentice);
ref.
The Calendar of Wills and
Administrations lists Wills for the following Bolles of Milton:
Henry (1501), Alice (as Bowell in 1487) and Thomas (at Iwade near Milton
in 1528); for Thomas Bowell of Teynham (1517) and for William Bowell of
Sittingbourne (1517).
Northwest Kent
John Bolle
mentioned in Farnborough Court Roll of 1408 as the Borghealdir (head)
representing his tithing's fines for brewing ale not to the standards of
their industry. The Saxon title is one of the strongest arguments
for this Bolle line having an Anglo-Saxon rather than Norman origin.
ref.
Richard Bolle of Chartham and his son
Henry bought 130 acres of land and 10 acres of wood at Asshe near
Mepeham (Ash
by Meopham; just west of Chatham) in 1453. Henry died a while
later and Richard put the land into trust for his widow.
A Chancery Pleading dated between 1475 and 1485 refers to an Alice
Sybbyng, wife of the late Henry Bolle, son of Richard Bolle refers to
land in 'Asshe' late of 'the said Richard Bolle' being put into trust
(feoffee to uses) for Henry's widow. It also refers to Richard
having bought a corrody (basically board and room) in Malling Abbey.
This may have been Richard providing for his daughter-in-law after his
son Henry's death.
ref. See The
Bolle of Chartham Family Tree for this family. |
