I have not yet studied the Bowles of Essex but a number of people have contributed records which I have organized a bit further to include on this site.  I hope to do further study on this area in the future.

The earliest record of a Bowles in Essex that I have found is one from 1480 when John Bolle of Kent held a joint lease on Southchurch Hall which today is the oldest standing building in Essex.  ref.   ref.

Most of the Bowles records I received were concentrated in the Colchester area chiefly at Halstead, Earl's Colne and Wake's Colne to the northwest and at Kelvedon to the southwest.  These two areas are about 5 to 8 miles apart so their records can be considered together.  The Estate of Kelvedon came into the possession of the Bolles of Swineshead and Haugh, Lincolnshire in 1464 but it's not known if the Bowles of that area are their descendants.

I have also found a large number of Bowles references at Romford.  The lone Bowles of Great Waltham reference was married at Halstead so I've included it with the Bowles of Colchester mentioned above.  There are single records at ....... and at Waltham Abbey which have not yet been connected up but I've also included them under Colchester. 

I have heard something of a Bowles line at Tollesbury but not in enough detail to include specific information here yet.  There is one reference for a Bowles at Maldon and at Heybridge, both near Tollesbury. See the Bowles on the Blackwater Estuary

See also The Bowles of The Colchester Area and The Bowles of Romford.