The Bowles of London and Middlesex

The earliest Bowles references go back to Medieval London with a Henry le Bole who was the Sheriff of London in 1292/93 and then an Alderman of London until 1298. There are many references in the 1300's for Boles who were cordwainers (shoemakers), skinners, butchers, bakers, tailors etc. The sheer number of references implies that the Bole family was well represented in London prior to this period as well but the records from those times are very scarce. All of these references used the Bole spelling and several used the bull as their symbol on the wax seals on official documents. That would indicate a Saxon rather than Norman origin for these Boles. Bowles descendants should not be concerned about this spelling as the Bowles name did not appear in England for many years after this and seems to have its roots largely in the Bole and Bolles (Norman). Please see Middle English Origins of the Bowles, Norman Origins of the Bowles and Old English Naming Conventions

Please see The Early History of the Boles in London for a full analysis of the records I could find.

In the late 17th century a Bowles printing dynasty developed which would largely dominate the flourishing London printing trade for over a century. The founder of the dynasty was Thomas Bowles, believed to be the son of John Bowles, a joiner (carpenter) of St. Lawrence (Poultry) parish. His first known work was a broadside (pamphlet) published in 1683 but he family would become known for elaborate, detailed illustrations of historic events, people, buildings, scenery and maps. From a beginning living over a small shop in London, the family's fortunes rose to a peak in the late 1700's/early 1800's with Carrington Bowles and Henry Carrington Bowles who built Myddelton House in 1818. See The Bowles of Myddelton House for this family's story.