Bowles DNA Project

Michael Bowles of Ontario co.

Michael Bowles was born in Queen's county (now co. Laois) in about 1780 probably at or near the town of Ballickmoyler where the Bowles family had lived since the early 1700's.  There is a Michael Bowles listed in the 1824 Tithe Applotment of Queen's County as owning land in Ballickmoyler, Killabban civil parish, Barony of Slievemargy on the estate of William and Gregory Cooper.  See The Bowles of Ballickmoyler.  

In Ireland he raised a family of 4 sons and probably some daughters but we have no record of them yet.  Michael was from a Protestant background and his first son John was Protestant but the other three boys born after a gap of about 14 years all gave their religion in Canadian sources as Catholic.  It's very likely therefore that Michael married twice in Ireland, first to a fellow Protestant who died after John's birth and then later to a Catholic woman.  

Michael's son John, at the age of 19, was the first to come to Canada.  Possibly another indication that his father was starting a new family.  His descendant's tradition is that he emigrated in 1825 and settled in Whitby, Ontario co. but he is first on record in Ontario in 1833 on the birth of his son, William.  We haven't yet found a record in Ontario for his marriage to Elizabeth Green before that.

I believe this John to be the same John Bowles who arrived in Quebec City in 1825 and settled first with his Uncle John Bowles there.  See The Bowles Family of Quebec City  That would make his Uncle, John Bowles of Quebec City, and his father, Michael Bowles, brothers.  That is very possible as John Bowles of Quebec City emigrated to Canada in 1818 from Carlow which is the nearest large town to Ballickmoyler about 15 miles away and in fact he is also thought to be of the Ballickmoyler Bowles family.  The John Bowles who arrived in Quebec City in 1825, later married an Elizabeth Green there in 1832 and left Quebec for parts unknown shortly after which fits in well with their son William's birth in Ontario in 1833.  John and Elizabeth's signatures on the marriage registry in Quebec City are also very similar to their signatures on documents in Whitby later.  See a Comparison of Their Signatures.

Michael and his other three sons, Robert, Michael and Joseph, probably emigrated to Canada in 1846 (the 1911 Census entry for his son Joseph gives 1846 as his year of immigration) although his obituary in 1872 states he had been living in Canada "for upwards of 36 years".  Michael is officially first on record in Ontario co. in the 1851 Census of Whitby where he is listed as working as a Labourer at age 71.  His son, Joseph, is also working as a labourer in Whitby while Robert and Michael Jr. have not yet been found in the 1851 Census but were in Reach twp. by the 1861 Census.  Also, by the 1861 Census, Michael has moved from Whitby to Reach twp. where he is living with his son Joseph.  In 1871 when his son, John, passed away, Michael moved back Whitby to live with John's widow, Elizabeth and her family.  He passed away in 1872 at the age of 95.

See the Michael Bowles of Ontario co.'s Family Tree, John Bowles of Whitby and The Bowles of Reach twp.