This site is dedicated to the Bowles-Boulds family who lived for centuries  in the Cotswolds of England. Of Norman-Viking descent, the Boulds of  Gloucester are recorded in the 1500s and lived in the area of Oddington. They  attended the ancient Norman Church of St Nicholas and their Christenings are  recorded there. Yeoman, farmers and agricultural laborers are the occupation  attached most frequently to this family . The earliest record I have found of  our family In Gloucester,England is that of Hugh atte Bolde on 24 August 1309.  In the book 'Worcestershire & Gloucestershire Abstracts of Inquisitions Post  Mortem,High Court of Chancery 1302-1358., In that book is also records of John  Le Bolde September 6, 1341 and and again in 1358 as a witness at an  inquisition. The Boulds family are also listed in the Gloucester Calender of  Wills 1540-1640.
 Some of the  surnames married into this line are Ealy, Harris, Mason, Smith ,  Breakspeare, Racheal and Clifford.In America the married in lines are  Rogers,Garrison, Saxton, Strickling, Fisher, Hardgrove and more.

One line of this family moved to Australia in 1858 and another to America  in 1850 while still others remained or have not yet been traced.

In my direct line, my gggrandfather Richard Bowles was the eldest son of  Wiiliam Boulds and Elizabeth nee Harris of Oddington ,Gloucestershire England.  As a young man, Richard was involved in some profession where he traveled.  He  met his wife ,Dianna Smith , who was from the ancient market town of  Tring ,Heretfordshire, England.  They traveled to Paris and as was the  romantic fashion of the day, married at Christmastime at the British Embassy  Chapel in 1843. In 1845 their eldest son William was born in France and they  returned to England settling in Tunbridge Wells, Kent. They had another son  George in 1845.  They decided to move to America and in 1850 they went back to  Oddington and had their two sons baptised on the same day at the family church  of St. Nicholas before leaving for America. They settled in Huron County Ohio.  Richard purchased 66 acres of farmland as well as a number of town lots'. His  eldest son served in the Civil War some years later and all of the men applied  for and received Naturalization as American Citizens.

On this site you will find results of this lines DNA testing, records of  birth, marriage and death, and descent lists. Photos of ancestral locations  will be added. 
     
 I am beginning this site at the end of 2007 and will add information which I  have collected and which has also been contributed by other family members.  Please feel free to contact me.
   meetzen@sbcglobal dot com
 I have been researching my Bowles family for some years and have finally  gotten the documentation to verify where this line comes from.

Here is the lineage outline

1.Johnathon Bould bon 1719 Oddington, Gloucestershire, England married Mary (? MASON?) born abt 1721,

2.Their son Johnathon who was born abt 1751 married Elizabeth Ealey of  Bleddington Gloucs who was born 1758. They married 29 Oct 1781

3.Their son William christened 23 May 1790 in Oddington at the ancient St  Nicholas church, married on 1 Dec 1817 toElizabeth Harris who was b 1794 in  Oddington.

4. Their son Richard BOWLDS who was c 14 Feb 1819 at St Nicholas Church  Oddington married Dianah SMITHof Tring Hertfordshire at the British Embassy  Chapel in Paris France on 20 Dec 1843. Their eldest son William BOWLS was born  there 12 apr 1845. They returned to England living in Turnbridge Wells. They  visited Oddington in 1850 where they baptized their sons William and baby  George BOWLS at the family church, St Nicholas on 12 july 1850 before heading  off to America.

5. This George BOWLS married in New London, Huron, Ohio USA. to Ida May ROGERS.

6.Their son Harley Edward BOWLES b 22 Feb 1900 in New London, Huron Ohio, USA  married Vera May STRICKLING.

7.Their son Robert Heston BOWLES b 20 Nov 1922 in Ashland Ohio married Nellie  Luella Tucker. These are my parents.

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Part 2 

Records of Bowles -Boulds-Bowls in Gloucester, England

I am posting the data which I have collected on this family so that the next  researcher who comes along can have a little help! It is a small family by  most standards. Thank God for the prolific line of Bowles created by my  grandfathers direct line as we are assured of keeping the name going in Ohio  and Michigan for at least a while longer! A list of record sources will be at  the end of the article.

The first of the line can be traced through the DNA results which were  submitted in 2005 by Robert Harley Bowles. The Norse Viking haplogroup of 1Ia  traces from the cold climates of Iceland and Greenland & makes a good match to  the location where our line of Boulds settled. The Boulds would have likely  come over during the time of the Norman Invasion. They are found in records as  early as 1560 in the village of Oddington, Gloucestershire, England which is  home to one of the oldest existing Norman chuches in the UK, some records  stating it was built in 1260. Oddington was named after Odinn, the Norse God  of Wisdom and War .

Our Boulds would have been survivors of the 14th century Black Plague which  depleted the population in the country by as much as 50 %.

Records show the family to be agricultural by occupation. My ggggrandfather is  listed as a Yeoman i.e, a freeman working class land owner who likely had  others work his land and may have also worked the land himself.  Sir Anthony Richard Wagner, Garter Principal King of Arms, wrote that "a  Yeoman would not normally have less than 100 acres" (40 hectares) and in  social status is one step down from the Gentry, but above, say, a husbandman.  (English Genealogy, Oxford, 1960, pps: 125-130).

The land they owned is just miles from the border of the county of Oxfordshire  where the "royal" Bowles live. Does this make us related? Not likely. The name  takes its origin from the land feature known as a bolle, a rounded hill. Other  people who lived near the bolle or "owned " the land , could have taken the  same name. The only way to know for certain would be to obtain the "royal"  Bowles DNA. Any volunteers?

The spelling of the name as found in our family records is primarily BOULDS  until the 1800's when BOWLS is seen in records and then later BOWLES. Other  spellings in this line include BOLLS,BOLLES, LE BOLD, BOULD,BOALES, BOULLES.

Following is the data I have collected in no particular order! 

Data for the CLIFFORD family is included. Phebe Bould daughter of William and  Elizabeth nee Harris ,married George Clifford in 1846 and in 1858 they moved  to New South Wales Australia. Their great grandaughter is Margaret Squire of  Australia. She and I have been working long distance to compile family data,  and some of the Clifford data is from her files. Other surnames married into  the line whose data I will post are DAY, HARRIS, MINCHIN, EALY,BREAKSPEARE,  PAIN,RACHAEL,SMITH.

From the Parish Registers of St. Nicholas Church

LDS film # 0820540 OG -78874, Oddington Christenings

There are 2 Thomas Boulds in this timeframe 

Parents: Group A

Thomas Bould and ANN Unknown had the following children

1.Johnathon Bould christened 27 Aug 1732

2.Elizabeth Bould c 21 July 1734

3.Hannah Bould c 13 Mar 1737

4.Thomas Bould b: 5 Aug 1739 -d:23 Nov 1739

Johnathon Group A #1 married Mary Unknown

Their children were

1.Johnathon c: 14 Aug 1785

2.Mary c: 18Mar 1787

3.William c: 21 Mar 1788

4:Richard c:11Jul1790

5:Anne c: 25 Mar 1792

=====

GROUP B

Parents: Thomas Bould and Hannah Unknown

1.Ann Bould Christened 11 June 1749

2.Edward Bould christened 11 Aug 1751

3. Mary Bould christened 26 Aug 1753

4.Sarah Bould c : 26 March 1758

======================

There are 2 Johnathon Boulds in this timeframe

Group C 

Johnathon Bould born abt 1735-1740 who married 24 Dec 1756 to Jane  Breakspeare. Their children were

1.Thomas Bould c: 15 July 1757 -d:17 Aug 1757

2.Ann Bould c: 25 Jun 1758

3.Johnathon Bould c: 1 july 1759

4:Elizabeth Bould c:7 Dec 1760

5:Richard Bould c: 2Dec 1764

6:Mary Bould c: 1 Feb 1767

7.Jane Bould c:12 Feb 1769

8.William Bould c :12 Apr 1772

9. Thomas Bould c : 12 Mar 1775

Group D

(This is my line)

Johnathon Bould born abt 1719 and Mary born abt 1721

-Mary is perhaps Mary Mason-

1. Elizabeth c: 8 Feb 1745

2.Mary c:24 July 1748

3.Johnathon c:31 Mar 1751 (This is my line)

4.Twins Hannah and Richard born 23 April 1754. She died 30 June and he died 18  Oct 1754

5.Ann c:28 June 1757

6.Richard c: 25 Nov 1759

7:Hannah c: 27 Jun 1762

The above Johnathon (D3) ,son of Johnathon, married Elizabeth Ealy the 29th of  October 29 ,1781. (This is my line) Their children were:

1.Henry c: 01 Jan 1785

2.Elizabeth c: 16 July 1786-d: 05 Mar 1787

3.John c: 03 Aug 1788 -d: 23 Apr 1789

4.William c: 23 May 1790 (This is my line)

5.Elizabeth c: 01 Aug 1792

6.Rhoda c: 16 Nov 1794- d: 06 Dec 1795

7. Esther c :23 Sep 1798

==================

GROUP F

George Bould born abt 1725 married Ruth Unkown

1. Ann Bould c: 3 Jan 1741

2. George Bould c : 22 July 1744

3. Martha Bould c: 23 Dec 1750

GROUP G

Edward Bould born abt 1760-1765 married Hannah Unknown

1.Thomas Bould c: 25 Apr 1790

2.John Bould c: 01 May 1785

GROUP H

Edward Bould married Ann Unknown

1.John Bould c: 25 Apr 1794

2.Hannah Bowle c: 10 Jun 1798

3.Richard Bowle c: 15 Jun 1800

4.John Bowle c: 24 Jul 1803

5.James Bowle c: 22 Dec 1805



==================

EARLY BOULDS-BOWLES

British Chancery Records, 1386-1558 
 about Robert Bowles 
 Name: Robert Bowles 
 Place: Gloucester 
 Date: 1391-1432, 1449-1453 
 Volume: 1 
 Page: 42 
 Bundle: 7 
 ----------------------------------------- 
 wills from the Gloucester Archives 
 Bould ,John M Oof Little Compton in 1577/ 63 husbandman Wills 1541 - 1800  1849 bould jonathan U -oddington 1849/211 farmer Wills 1801 - 1858  1829 bould jonathan M -oddington 1829/225 yeoman Wills 1801 - 1858  1677 bould richard M -stow on the wold 1677/113 Wills 1541 - 1800  1686 bould robert M -adlestrop 1686/ 34 husbandman Wills 1541 - 1800  1635 boulde william M -newland 1635/191 Wills 1541 - 1800

The Earliest marriage record I currently have in Oddington is a Johnathon Bold  born in 1668 who married a Hannah Unkown in 1686,

They had children:

1.Mary christened 24 Dec 1688

2.Thomas c: 18 Jan 1690

3.Hannah c: 21 Oct 1695

4.Ann c 18 Jun 1710

I have not attached them to another group yet.

Batch serial # 00170-6 and 00151-2.

=========

In surrounding villages I found in Staverton ,Gloucestershire a Robert Boule  born abt 1548 who married Joan Ven 0n 29 April 1566.

In Olbury on the Hill, Gloucester we find the birth of Elysabeth Bolls in Nov  of 1597. batch serial # 00010-8

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BOULD MARRIAGES IN ODDINGTON, GLOUCESTERSHIRE,ENGLAND FROM 1750-1812

Johnathon Bould-to Jane Breakspeare 24 Dec 1756

Hannah Bould to William Hardiman ,18 Oct 1760

Ann Bould to James Minchin, 13 Dec 1780

Elizabeth Bould to John Turner ,20 Oct 1782

Elizabeth Bould to John Day,4 Nov 1777

Martha Bowl to Lot Williams, 20 May 1775

Mary Bould to Samuel Spering, 14 Nov 1791

Johnathon Bould to Mary Mason, 11 Oct----

Johnathon Bould to Elizabeth Hardiman, 30 Oct----

Sarah Boul to William Ford, 19 Feb 1787

Robert Bold to Judith Jennings 12 Feb 1700

=====================

CLIFFORD MARRIAGES IN ODDINGTON

Batch # M 3088-1

George Clifford to Phebe Bould, 19 Jul 1846

John Clifford to Welthin Hadlerd,23 Mar 1761

Thomas Clifford to Mary Catle 19 Ap 1788

Martha Clifford to John Mumford. 16 Oct ----

Jane Clifford to Richard Moss, 20 Nov ----

Thomas Clifford to Anne Lambeth, 19 Apr 1789

Abel Clifford to Ann Chadbum, 29 0ct 1797

Sarah Clifford to Henry Parker, 11 May ----

Abel Clifford to Mary Cook, 25 Oct 1802