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Bowes Knights (use search feature of browser page for circumstances surrounding appointments of knighthood of Bowes individuals)
abt 1167 - William de Arcubus (Bowes) - Said to have been placed by his cousin, Earl of Richmond, in Bowes Castle in England with 500 archers to defend from insurgents siding with the Scots. The Earl gave him ... The existence of this individual and details given of his story are not true (see Osbert de Bowes entry below or read a fuller explanation in our Discoveries section).
<1171 - Fulco de Bowes - claimed by some to be the earliest Bowes from which the Bowes of Streatlam Castle descend, as opposed to William de Arcubus above.
1171-1187 - Osbert de Bowes - According to Bulmer's Directory he was commissioned by Henry II to superintend the building of Bowes Castle in Bowes, England, and was the only connection of the Bowes name with this castle. However, on better authority he was not the superintendent. A web search for the words “Osbert de” and “Norman” turns up plentiful examples after William the Conqueror of the name Osbert de fill in place. This line likely came over with the Normans.
1331 - Sir Adam de Bowes - "fourth son of Stephen de Bowes, who was fourth in descent from the above Fulco, was a man 'learned in the lawes,' whom Edward III., in 1331, appointed Chief Justice of the King's Bench. He was also Steward of Richmondshire and Seneschal to the Bishop of Durham. Through his wife Agnes, sole heir of Sir John Trayne, Knight, he became lord and owner of Streatlam Castle, county Durham, which henceforth became the family seat [for this particular Bowes family]."
1389-1392 - William Bowes
| William | Bowes | Archer | Stanley, John de, Sir [Capt.] | Stanley, John de, Sir [commander] | 1389-1392 | Standing force Ireland |
? - Sir William Bowes - "the fourth descent from Sir Adam de Bowes, and sole surviving heir of the whole family, married Jane, daughter of Ralph, Lord Greystock. Before a twelvemonth the young wife died, leaving him an infant son, ere she had attained her twentieth year; and Sir William mourned her loss by living a widower for the rest of his life. He was engaged for twenty years in the wars in France, and was knighted at the battle of Verneuil in 1424. He was subsequently Warden of the Middle Marches and Governor of Berwick, and died in 1465, at the age of 86." It is probably this William Bowes mentioned in the Norman Rolls: 1417 - "It looks like a treaty of surrender for the castle of Courtonne, Calvados, presumably as part of Henry V's conquest of Normandy in 1417-1419. It seems William Bowes was in the retinue of the Thomas of Lancaster, Duke of Clarence, and was acting for Clarence in accepting the surrender." [volunteer translator]
1495?-1554 - Sir Robert Bowes - English lawyer and military commander; Son of Sir Ralph Bowes.
1644-1645 - Francis Bowes - member of Parliament. Had been a sheriff, possibly in Yorkshire.
1689 - General Foord Bowes of Yorkshire served under William of Orange. He is said to have had three sons. One went to Scotland, one to Wicklow, Ireland, and one stayed in England. He died 23 June 1812 and was buried with military honors during the Peninsular War. "Barnard Foord Bowes was born Barnard Foord s/o Barnard & Ann (nee Bowes) Foord & bapt at St. Saviours in York YKS on Jul 10 1769. He added his mother's name Bowes to his name to inherit her family property. His parents had been married 1767 in Bridlington YKS so that may be where the Bowes were from." [GenForum] Any male Bowes descended from this general would match Foord Y-DNA not Bowes Y-DNA.
1691-1767 - Lord John Bowes - 1st Baron Bowes of Clonlyon, Co. Meath, Ireland, Irish peer, Lord Chancellor of Ireland (highest judicial post), born in Ireland, son of a Thomas Bowes. He never married and had no known issue.
1701-1760 - George Bowes - English Member of Parliament and businessman, father of Mary Eleanor Bowes (see below)
1737-1776 - John Bowes-Lyon (born John Lyon), 9th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, Scottish politician and peer, married Mary Eleanor Bowes (see below)
1749-1800 - Mary Eleanor Bowes - Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne, English playwright, among the wealthiest heiresses in Britain of the late 18th c. She married John Lyon, who became John Bowes-Lyon. A book about her was published in 2009. They are ancestors of Queen Elizabeth. Many bearing the Bowes surname have been told by their family they are related to the Queen Mother, but the DNA project shows numerous distinct genetic lines bearing the Bowes name and its variants. They cannot all be related to this line. Any males or females descending directly from Mary Bowes and John Lyon would only share autosomal DNA with Mary Bowes. She would not carry and pass on the male Y-DNA used to track paternal lineage because she is female. The Lyon Y-DNA markers carried by any male descendants have been established through the Lyon DNA project under the group for "Sir Adam Lyon, 1285." But we do seek a male Bowes with a substantiated or suspected lineage to the male Bowes line that Mary came from.
1769-1820 - John Bowes - 10th Earl of Strathmoroe and Kinghorne, son of John and Eleanor Bowes-Lyon (see above), Scottish politician and peer
1781 - William Bowes - United Empire Loyalist in the British Legion: muster roll of Capt. Donald McPherson’s company from 25th October to 24th December 1781.
1811-1885 - John Bowes - English art collector and thoroughbred racehorse owner, built the renowned Bowes Museum in Barnard Castle, County Durham, England
1812-1864 - John George Bowes - Irish-Canadian national politician
1816-1900 - Euphemia Bridges Bowes - Australian (Scottish born) social reformer, temperance advocate and women's activist
1874-1946 - Major Edward Bowes - American radio personality. See Ancestry.com message board for for some of his ancestry notes.
1891-? - Anna de Planter Bowes - wrote first eight volumes between 1937-1957 of Bowes and Church's Food Values of Portions Commonly Used, the classic guide to nutrition, now in its eighteenth edition. (Family History)
1893-1988 - Sir Harold Leslie Bowes - Managing Director, Pacific Steam Navigation Co.
1894-1929 - Cliff Bowes - American comedic actor
1908-1987 - Bill Bowes - English cricketer known for his bowling ability
1908 - Walter Harold Bowes - American (English born) incorporates Universal Stamping Machine Co. and provides canceling machines to the post office; in 1920 co-founded the Pitney Bowes Postage Meter Co. with Arthur H. Pitney
1908-1982 - Frederick Bowes, Jr. - American executive, Vice President, International Pitney-Bowes, Inc., Stamford, CT
1928-2005 - John Garland Bowes - Businessman and art collector; behind the company that invented the frisbee and hula hoop. Some immediate family in brief obituary.
1933 - David Bowes - American journalist/White House correspondent/travel writer, and author of Trail Mix: A Writing Life Enhanced by Attention Deficit Disorder, born
<1940 - William K. Bowes - born. Highly successful San Francisco Bay Area venture capitalist began backing entrepreneurs in the 1950s as a hobby.
1941 - Margie Bowes - American musician born
1944 - Richard Bowes - American writer born
<1949 - Bob Bowes - English actor born
<1956 - Carallyn Bowes - Canadian athlete, first woman to run across Canada born
1957 - David Bowes - American painter born
1960 - Danny Bowes - English musician born
<1987 - Shirley Bowes - English county politician notable for receiving 0 votes in county election, born
1989 - Hollie-Jay Bowes - English actress born
1990 - Will Seatle Bowes - Canadian actor born
2000 - Present - Bowes Brothers - musical band from Ontario
2008 - Tommy Bowe - Won Irish rugby players' 2008 Player of the Year award
2010 - Lt.-Col. Ray Bowes - died. "Bowes was a part of the “golden age” of Salvation Army music. He was a member of the International Staff Band for 42 years. As a player in the ISB he was a member of the solo cornet section and also played flügelhorn. He also served as the Bandmaster of the ISB for several years, and was the bandmaster of the Harlesden Corps band for many years. Bowes was also a noted Salvationist composer, contributing many items to the Band Journals and other publications throughout the years."