Bowles DNA Project

References to Thomas Boles in Ireland

We do not yet know if the Thomas Bowles of Cork and the Thomas Bowles of Dublin and Wicklow were the same person.

We have the following references:

For Thomas Bowles of Wicklow

Poll-Money Ordinances of 1660 and 1661 list the sheriffs, commissioners and sheriffs for various counties and includes Thomas Bowls under the County of Wicklow heading of Mayors and Sheriffs without stating which his role was. ref

The 1659 census of Ireland lists a Thomas Bowles in co. Wicklow

For Thomas Bowles of Cork

Thomas had a shop in Cork city and assisted in the occupation of the city by Parliamentary troops in 1649.

By 1654 he was styled Captain in depositions given about the occupation but that title may have been awarded him after the revolt.  While planning the revolt, Capt. Myhill approached Thomas Boles to secure his support and also to ask him to raise support amongst the townspeople so Thomas would have been seen as an influential merchant at the very least.

In the 1660's Thomas was resident at his estates at Kilbree, co. Cork.

General References for some Thomas Bowles but which one?

a petition by the citizens of Dublin in 1655 included the signature of Thomas Bowles

In December 1656, a Thomas Bowles petitions Parliament that: “Petitioners transplanted themselves on the public account from England to Ireland at great expense....added to Commissioners for stating Accounts for the army. No provision. Pray for Protector’s favour and that they may be enabled to plant in Ireland.” They were awarded £300 per annum, half in money, half in land.

In January 1662 a Thomas Bowles signed an address on behalf of the Mayor, Sheriffs and Common Council of Cork to the Duke of Ormonde praising the Duke’s efforts in defense of the “English interest” in Ireland.

In August 1664, Colonel Roger Burges petitioned the King that “Thomas Bowles, Deputy Treasurer of the Army in Ireland at the time of usurpation, owes £1600 as appears in the accounts for 1649, and should pay.”

In August 1665 a petition was presented calling for Thomas Bowles to be duly examined by the Duke of Ormond.

To me it seems more likely that there was a second Thomas Bowles who came to Ireland with Cromwell in 1649 as Deputy Treasurer of the Army and stayed on as a Sheriff in co. Wicklow and then ran into money troubles in the 1660's.