Bowles DNA Project

The Bowles of Kent

The Bowles name in Kent includes three very prominent lines, at Chatham, Chislehurst and Deal, and a number of references in Dover and in the Weald of Kent. 

Brenda Paternoster (nee Bowles), who currently lives in Kent has traced her branch of the Bowles family back to 1690 living in various villages south of Maidstone in the Weald of Kent as represented by the smaller red circles on this map.  See her Brenda's Family History site for information on this branch of the Bowles family.

The Bowles of Chatham are accepted to have their origin in The Bolles of Gosberton and before that with The Bolles of Swineshead

The Bolles of Chislehurst descend from The Bolles of Bromley and before that also from The Bolles of Swineshead

Note: the above two lines have not yet been documented.

Some of the earliest New England settlers included members of The Bowles family of Deal, Kent, England which can document its direct line of descent from The Bolles of Swineshead through The Bolles of Osberton.

Two early writings regarding these branches:

W. H. Bowles, Records of The Bowles Family: The Bowles of Kent

E. A. Webbe, A History of Chislehurst (pages 225-229)

I have just a little information on a boatman Thomas Bowles of Ramsgate, Kent

See also Bowles Marriages in Dover, Kent

More to come, this page is still under construction