To-Do
Add data from remaining counties.
Parish records begin at different dates not only by county, but by baptism, marriage and death within each county. There are few records anywhere in Ireland before 1700. The Irish Family History Foundation database online is an index to all the parish records in most counties, but as of June 11, 2012, four counties along with Cork and Dublin cities are not yet included. Of those counties indicated as being included, more records are still to come online. One needs to check their county information.
It's impossible to do a precise analysis of the distribution and frequency of our surname variants in early parish records because of the differences in available records by parish, but it's worth finding out as much as we can know. Judging by the jump in record matches in the late 1700s, we can imagine there were many bearing our names prior to that but for whom no records exist. Sadly many of these early records went up in flames in the Dublin Four Courts fire of 1922.
The main interest in recording these early data–in addition to exploring early Irish lines–is to show that it's clear there were some early immigrant lines belonging to the Church of Ireland–even in the south-central and southeast of Ireland where Irish Bowe (and variants) reach a high frequency.
Scroll down for numbers for subsets from Kilkenny and Laois and for number of baptisms by decade throughout Ireland.
PARISH RECORDS FROM ALL IRELAND
(this needs to be updated when all counties are online)
Researcher Martha Bowes found these early record details:
1680-1720
2 Baptisms in Wicklow
1714 Wicklow, Martha Bows, parents Joseph Bows and Elizabeth, Dunlavin Parish, Church of Ireland (no sponsors)
1715 Wicklow, Francis Bo, parents Michael Bo and N/A, Wicklow Parish, Church of Ireland (no sponsors)
0 Marriages
0 Deaths
1720-1760
6 Baptisms (3 in Kilkenny, 2 in Kildare and 1 in County Dublin)
1737 Kilkenny, John Boe, parents John Boe and Rebecca Boe, St. Mary's Parish, Church of Ireland (no sponsors)
1738 Kilkenny, Ann Boe, parents John Boe and Rebecca Boe, St. Mary's Parish, Church of Ireland (no sponsors)
1754 Kilkenny, Catherine Bowe, parents Martin Bowe and Ellinor Walsh, St. Mary's Parish, isRoman Catholic (sponsors Peter Barry and Mary Walsh)
1757 Dublin County, Cat Bowes, __ Bowes father and N/A mother, St. Paul's Arran Quay, Roman Catholic (sponsors John and Cat MacLoghlin)
1759 Kildare, Ann Bowe, parents James Bowe and Catty Unknown, Athy Parish, Roman Catholic (sponsors Nicholas Morris and Catty White)
1760 Kildare, Mary Bowes, parents Daniel Bowes and Ann Unknown, Athy Parish, Roman Catholic (sponsors Pat Keegan and Mary Margaret Merson, address Bert)
2 Marriages (both in Kilkenny)
1754 Kilkenny, Andrew Bowe and Joan Hawe, Kncoktropher Parish, "both of Protestant religion"
1757 Kilkenny, Walter Butler and Joanne Bowe, St. Mary's Parish, Roman Catholic (sponsors Michael Costelly, Francis Turner, and Ellis Butler)
3 Deaths (2 in Kilkenny, 1 in Limerick)
1749 Kilkenny, Martin Bowe, Mallardstown Parish, Church of Ireland (graveyard not recorded)
1750 Kilkenny, John Bowe, Mallardstown Parish, Church of Ireland (graveyard not recorded)
1760-1800 (The majority of all of these were in Kilkenny.)
92 Births
43 Marriages
2 Deaths
PARISH RECORDS FROM LAOIS AND KILKENNY
Researcher Jeane Bowes Robinson found these numbers for Kilkenny and Laois, the counties with the highest representation in the parish records database:
Between 1730-1770
Laois births recorded 10, 11 in Kilkenny
Laois marriage records 1, 5 in Kilkenny
Between 1770-1810
Laois births recorded 73, 125 in Kilkenny
Laios marriage records 53, 59 in Kilkenny
Between 1810-1850
Laois births recorded 447, 496 in Kilkenny
Laois marriage records 154, 185 in Kilkenny
Between 1850- 1890
Laois births recorded 519, 558 in Kilkenny
Laois marriage records 190, 200 in Kilkenny
ALL IRELAND BAPTISM RECORDS BY DECADE
Researcher Jeane Bowes Robinson found these numbers for baptism records throughout Ireland:
12 matches for the search criteria: Bowe (plus variants) 1700-1750
6 matches for the search criteria: Bowe (plus variants) 1750-1760
23 matches for the search criteria: Bowe (plus variants) 1760-1770
20 matches for the search criteria: Bowe (plus variants) 1770-1780
63 matches for the search criteria: Bowe (plus variants) 1780-1790
65 matches for the search criteria: Bowe (plus variants) 1790-1800
132 matches for the search criteria: Bowe (plus variants) 1800-1810
193 matches for the search criteria: Bowe (plus variants) 1810-1820
296 matches for the search criteria: Bowe (plus variants) 1820-1830
506 matches for the search criteria: Bowe (plus variants) 1830-1840
470 matches for the search criteria: Bowe (plus variants) 1840-1850
304 matches for the search criteria: Bowe (plus variants) 1850-1860
513 matches for the search criteria: Bowe (plus variants) 1860-1870
633 matches for the search criteria: Bowe (plus variants) 1870-1880
481 matches for the search criteria: Bowe (plus variants) 1880-1890
332 matches for the search criteria: Bowe (plus variants) 1890-1900
190 matches for the search criteria: Bowe (plus variants) 1900-1910
107 matches for the search criteria: Bowe (plus variants) 1910-1920
Please note that there are no records before 1700 and not many after 1920.
25 matches for the search criteria: Bowe (plus variants) 1920-1930
1 match for the search criteria: Bowe (plus variants) 1930-1940