Bolls History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsThe name Bolls arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Bolls family lived in Lincolnshire. The name, however, is a reference to the family's former residence in Bouelles, near Neufchatel, in Normandy. 1 The Domesday Book "presents us with two tenants in chief called Bolle and Bollo, the former in Hants, and the latter in Dorset. Bouelles is the name of a place near Neufchatel in Normandy. " 2 However, two junior sources claim the name is a trade name for "one who made or sold concave vessels or bowls." 3 4 And one source claims the name was "probably from the sign of an inn, as 'John at the Bowl,' i. e., at the sign of the bowl." 5 Early Origins of the Bolls familyThe surname Bolls was first found in Lincolnshire where they settled after the Norman Conquest. They were originally from Bouelles, near Neufchatel in Normandy where it was listed under the spellings Bowles or Buelles. 1 "Bowles is an old Wiltshire name. The most influential families bearing this name are said to have come from Bristol during the 15th century. In the following century they were resident in Burcombe, and during the 18th century they supplied sheriffs and members of parliament for the county." 6 Entries in early rolls were scarce, but we did find: John de Boweles in the Feet of Fines for Huntingdonshire in 1292. 7 Early History of the Bolls familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bolls research. Another 100 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1613, 1619, 1637, 1644, 1645, 1652, 1661, 1662, 1663, 1669, 1690, 1696, 1702, 1714, 1722, 1728, 1742, 1762, 1773, 1786 and 1850 are included under the topic Early Bolls History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Bolls Spelling VariationsA multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Bowles, Bolles, Boles, Bowls, Boals and others. Early Notables of the Bolls familyOutstanding amongst the family at this time was Edward Bowles (1613-1662), an English Presbyterian minister from Sutton, Bedfordshire. His father, Oliver Bowles, B.D., minister of Sutton, was one of the oldest members of the Westminster Assembly. Bowles was educated at Catherine Hall, Cambridge, under Sibbes and Brownrigge. He was chaplain to the second Earl of Manchester, and after the surrender of York, 15 July 1644, was appointed one of the four parliamentary ministers in that city, officiating alternately at the minister and Allhallows-on-the-Pavement. On 10 June 1645 the House of Commons voted him 100l. as one of the ministers in the... Migration of the Bolls family to IrelandSome of the Bolls family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Bolls or a variant listed above: Bolls Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Bolls Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
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