A Possible Family Tree for the Bolles of Chartham, Kent
(note: this is not verified or even greatly tested in any way, this is just a working theory based on the information at The Bolles of Chartham, Kent and John Bolle, Grocer of London)
Back to The Bolles of Chartham The parents of the following could have been John Bolle of Kent and his wife, a widow, Alice Clyndene. However, she already had a 25 year old daughter in 1380 from her first marriage so they were more likely one generation earlier. Another possibility would be either William or Thomas Bolle of Chartham. The name in Kent goes back much further and in very good company. Elizabeth de Clare (a granddaughter of King Edward I) is listed as a creditor of a John Bolle of Kent in 1339, a John Bolle is recorded as pulling a Gausden Bolle, a friend of Edward III's, out of the well at Manston Court in Kent in 1289 and there was a John Bolle in a list of men who attacked the Abbot of Canterbury's manor at Salmonston in 1318. That last reference would indicate his support for the Baron's revolt led by the Earl of Lancaster and others including Robert de Holland of Lincolnshire. These were almost certainly all the same John Bolle who was possibly the ancestor of the following line. It's unlikely that there were several unrelated wealthy landowners in Kent all named John Bolle. Thomas Bolle Jr. (implying his father was a Thomas Bolle I) first appear in Chartham records in 1412 and William Bolle (who may have been the son of the above John or of Thomas Bolle I) first appears on record in 1407. William appears to have died by 1438. Thomas Jr. bought Chartham Manor in Shalmsford in 1457 and died by 1459 apparently leaving the property to his eldest son John. Thomas Bolle Jr. m.(1) Agnes (possibly around 1410) 1. John Bolle b. ~ 1410 Chartham ref.; grocer in London; owned land of ‘the Serte’ in Chartham and a tenement in the lane called ‘Waterlane’ or ‘Sporyerslane’ in All Hallows, Berking with messuages (properties) in Tourestrete and a Great House in Shamelford (Shalmsford).
m. Blanche
(inherited lands in Chartham, Chilham, Feversham and Canterbury)
(in 1449 John
and Blanche and three other partners sold 26 acres of land, 2 acres
of meadow and 3 acres of wood in Chartham for 20 pounds sterling
ref.; this is the same year as John wrote his Will so he
may have been ailing)
1.1 John Bolle Jr.
b. ~ 1425
The 1484 Will of a John Bolle of Canterbury is in the Canterbury
Archives PRC32/3/42
John Sr. d. ~
1460 bur.
All Hallows, Berking; Will dated Aug. 9, 1449, updated Aug. 9, 1459,
proved 1461-62 (he left furred
gowns and silver cups in his Will)
Blanche d. 1493 (Will proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury)
2. Richard Bolle
(Richard Bolle
and son Henry bought a half interest in 130 acres of land and 10
acres of woods at Asshe by Mepeham (Ash by Meopham, just west of
Chatham) from John Fyssh in 1453 for 20 silver marks
ref.; in 1456 Henry Bole and wife Agnes sold two
messuages (dwelling houses with out buildings), 40 acres of land and
2 1/2 acres of wood in Selling (which were in Agnes' right so that
was probably land she had received from her father) to John Martin
for 20 pounds (William Petyt was one of Martin's feofees)
ref.; between 1475 and 1485 Henry had died and Richard
put the property in trust for his widow Alice
ref.)
2.1
Henry Bolle m. Alice Sybbyng (possibly of Selling, Kent)
The 1495 Will of Richard Bolle of Chartham is in the Canterbury
Archives PRC17/6/126
3. Thomas Bolle
III
4. Alice Bolle m.
Richard Redehode
(Richard
Redehode and his wife Alice sold 30 acres of land and 14 acres of
heath at Sybertyswelde (now Shepherdswell near Dover) to Richard
Bolle and Thomas Morley in 1465 for 40 silver marks)
ref.
4.1 Thomas Redehode (inherited an interest in the Wollehous or Herynghous at
Caleys from his Uncle John; Caleys could be the port in France,
Calais, which would indicate their involvement in trade)
5. Henry Bolle
m. Agnes
(Henry and
Agnes sold 2 properties including 40 acres of land and 2.5 acres of
wood in Selling (about 5 miles west of Chartham in 1456 for 20
pounds sterling
ref.)
6.1 John
Bolle
m.(2) ?
6. William Bolle
b. ? m. daughter of John Morley (and possibly brother of
Richard's partner Thomas Morley)
(William inherited a
little house in Chartham parish from his half brother John in 1462)
The 1509 Will of a William Bolle of Chatham is in the Canterbury
Archives PRC17/11/87
Thomas Jr. d. betw. 1457 and 1459