Bowles in Killesher and Cleenish Parish, co. Fermanagh

There are two likely possibilities for the origin of these Bowles in this area.  I have been told that the family's own tradition is that they arrived here from England as soldiers in the army of William of Orange in the late 1600's.  Another possibility is that they arrived even earlier from England with the Cole family who later became the Earls of Enniskillen.

In 1600 Queen Elizabeth I gave orders for the defeat of the O'Neill, O'Cahan and other Ulster Chiefs who had rebelled against her rule.  Mountjoy landed troops under the leadership of men such as Sir John Bolles (see Sir John Bolles at Dunnalong Fort, co. Tyrone) and in 1607 the Northern Irish Earls fled Ireland for asylum in France under the protection of Rome and left Ulster in English hands.  To consolidate their holding, James I awarded huge areas of land to loyal followers and ordered the "plantation" of Ulster with English settlers.  By 1609, Enniskillen was under the military command of Captain William Cole who was awarded huge tracts of land around Enniskillen and was instructed to build a new town on the ruins of the old one.  He brought over English settlers with building skills and paid them with grants of land within his estate.  As even the earliest Bowles references in Cleenish and Killesher were all on land owned by the Cole family it's possible that they may have arrived in this way. With all of that land, the Cole family continued to thrive.  In 1750 John Cole, the first Baron Mountflorence, built a great house called Florence Court 8 miles south-west of Enniskillen in Killesher parish.  His estate which then extended over the two parishes then also became known as Florence Court.  His son, William Cole, became the first Earl of Enniskillen in 1789.

The first Bowles reference we have found in this area are from the Poll Book for co. Fermanagh 1747 - 1763 which listed all the male Protestant land owners in co. Fermanagh who had assets worth a declared value of 40 schillings or more which were the requirements to be entitled to vote.  Women, Catholics and anyone with assets less than 40 s could not vote.

Bennet Bowles of Dornogagh in Cleenish parish , Freehold registered Feb. 8, 1749

The 1788 Poll Book shows Thomas and Patrick Bowles at Knockageehan, Killesher parish (note: the two sets of townland spellings probably indicates that two different clerks registered their land; it's not likely that they had two lots each) and an Alexander Bowles who currently lives at Fingreagh in co. Leitrim but who holds the Bowles land at Dornogagh.  As this is one generation after the 1749 record, Alexander is very likely Bennet Bowles' eldest son who may have moved on to his own land in county Leitrim prior to his father's death and inherited the land later.  Thomas and Patrick may also be younger sons of Bennet's or they may be the sons of another Bowles who may have also lived at Knockageehan but whose assets were less than 40 s and so was not recorded in 1749.  They almost certainly would be some relation to Bennet Bowles though.

By 1796, it is Thomas and James Bowles at Knockageehan and there is no listing for a Bowles at Dornogogh.

The 1796 Flaxgrowers list mentions a Thomas Bowles of Killesher parish as qualifying to be given one spinning wheel as an incentive to grow flax.  ref.

From 1823 to 1838, every landholding in the entire county was assessed for the purpose of setting the tithes which each landowner would pay to support the Established Church (the Church of Ireland).  The list is not exhaustive as many categories of land were exempt from tithe assessment.  However, Bowles appear in the following Tithe Applotments for county Fermanagh:

SURNAME	FIRST NAME	REG.NO.	TOWNLAND	INDEX NO.	Year	Parish
Boles	William	436	Macken	87	1828	Killesher
Boles	John	66	Clonathumper	13	1828	Killesher
Bowles	James	353	Knocknagreehan	72	1828	Killesher
Bowles	Andrew	384	Lisdeverick (Lisdiverick)	84	1828	Killesher
Boles	Thomas		Drummaren		1834	Cleenish