John Bowles

According to Canadian records John was born in Ireland in about 1770 although it seems quite likely that he was the John Bowles born July 11, 1773 in Manchester, England.  John married Ann Mills in about 1799, probably in Ireland,  and they had seven children born in Ireland.  The first record that I have actually found for John in Ireland is the baptism of their fourth child, Thomas, in 1808 in Dunleckney, co. Carlow.  Records in Canada for their first three children indicate they were all born in Ireland but I don't yet know where the family lived prior to Dunleckney.  From 1808 to 1817 they baptised four children in Dunleckney in total.  John and his family, a party of 9, are listed in the Return of Protestant Families Preparing to Emigrate From the Counties of Carlow and Wexford in the Ensuing Spring which was prepared in Ireland in November 1817 for the Canadian Government.  They would likely have sailed from New Ross, co. Wexford in the spring of 1818. 

The first record for John Bowles in Canada is in April 1820 when he signed a lease on a house on St. John Street in Quebec City where he would soon open a shoemaker shop which his family would operate there for the next 25 years.  See The Bowles Family of Quebec City

Joseph Bowles

Joseph Bowles was born in Ireland in about 1782 or he may have been the Joseph Bowles baptized in Manchester in 1777 as mentioned above.  He married Jane Feltus in Carlow, co. Carlow in 1808.  He then ran a shoemaker shop on Burrin Street in Carlow until 1829 when he made a trip to Canada and signed as a witness at the baptism of one of John Bowles' grandsons in Quebec City that year.  He must have been assessing his own prospects in Canada as he auctioned off all his property in Carlow in 1831 and emigrated to Canada with his family. They also settled in Quebec City where Joseph was in business operating his own shoe store by 1834. See The Bowles Family of Quebec City

Michael Bowles

Michael Bowles was born in Queen's county, Ireland in about 1780 or he may have been the Michael Bowles baptized in Manchester in 1778 as mentioned above.  He seems to have married in Ireland twice, first within his Protestant faith and one son John was born in about 1806 with his wife apparently dying soon afterwards.  By 1820 he was raising a second family of Catholic children in Queen's county possibly at Ballickmoyler as the 1824 Tithe Applotment list for Ballickmoyler includes a Michael Bowles.  In about 1825 his son John, at age 19, left for Canada and settled with his Uncle John in Quebec City.  John married Elizabeth Green in Quebec City in 1832 and moved to settle near Whitby in southern Ontario.  Possibly Michael's second wife then also died as he emigrated to Canada with his three Catholic sons in about 1846 and settled in Reach township just a couple of miles away from his son John at Whitby.