2.1.1) Thomas Bowling (c. 1703 – 1775) was the oldest son of John Bowling and Mary Langworth. He is the first of the Bowlings to have been born in Maryland, not long after his parents’ marriage in 1700 or 1701.  His year of birth can be determined fairly closely from the age he gave at several depositions: aged 60 on 7 May 1764 and aged 63 in February and June 1767 (Charles Co. Land Rec. Liber 56:591; 60:195, 503).

In his father’s will of 1711, he was bequeathed the properties Charley, Chessham and Charley Addition after the life of his mother (but his mother lived a long life and other arrangements were eventually made). He was also given “a negro man called James Mancusso” and “a good feather bed, boulster, Rugg and blanketts.”

He married Mary Green (c. 1702-1790), the daughter of James Green and Charity Hagan, to whom he was related by marriage (Thomas’ aunt Elizabeth Anne Langworth was the wife of Mary’s uncle James Hagan). They wed sometime before 14 February 1727/28, when James Green Sr of Prince George’s County wrote his will bequeathing his daughter Mary Bowling 200 acres of “Strife, where Daniel Clark now lives”. She also received a bequest in her mother’s will (probated 1754, P.G. Co.) and was next of kin for the inventory of her brother James Green (1776, P.G. Co.). Mary gave her age as 74 in the 1776 census in Prince George’s County.

Strife was on the north side of Mattawoman Branch, bounding the main road from Piscataway to Port Tobacco.  James Green and Thomas Frederick had acquired the 600 acres of Strife in 1701, and then in his 1709 will Frederick had left his share of 200 acres to young Mary Green and another 200 acres to her brothers, his godsons. By her father’s will, Mary received the other share of that. Starting in 1737, Thomas Bowling “planter” of Charles County and his wife Mary rented those 200 acres of Strife to Charles Robertson for 13 years. The yearly rent was 8 shillings sterling for the quit rents for the first 3 years, and after that 700 lbs of merchantable tobacco (27 Sept 1740; PG Co. Land Records Liber #Y:211). In 1759, an additional 27 acres of Strife were surveyed and laid out for Thomas Bowling (PG Co. Rent rolls p.27).

Like his brother William and his stepfather, Thomas Bowling must have been a carpenter because in 1734 he was paid 200 lbs by Marsham Queen, administrator of the estate of Thomas Jameson, for making the deceased’s coffin (Charles Co. L13 Feb 1734, Md. provincial records, 12:702-5). In 1736, Thomas Bowling and Mary his wife sold John Baptist Boarman part of a tract of land called Boarman’s Reserve lying on the north side of Speaks Run bounded by Boarman’s Rest and Calvert’s Hope (Charles Co.  Liber #02:186 Annap). On 14 June 1737, he conveyed to his brother William 21 acres of Charley for 600 lbs tobacco. (CC Land Liber O#2:197).

In January 1749/50, his brother William made an arrangement with their mother and stepfather, Joseph and Mary Routhorn, for their lifetime care in return for the lifetime use of tract Charlie and the labor of several enslaved persons as well as household furniture, etc. But this deal did not work out for some reason and in March 1752 William passed on the care of his parents (and most of the related property except the land) to his brother Thomas.

In January 1755, probably after the death of his mother and clear title to inherited land, Thomas and Mary sold to their son Roger Bowling for £1 sterling, the tract Chessam of 125 acres which Thomas had inherited from his father (1 Jan 1755, Annap. Liber #A3:342). Likewise on 10 November 1756, Thomas Bowling “of Prince George’s County” sold his brother William Bowling “of Charles County” 100 acres of Charley, lying on the south side of Horse Run, for 10,000 lbs of tobacco (6 April 1757, Chas Co. Land Rec. 1756-61, p.59). In 1761, Thomas sold 23 acres of Charley to Barton Wathen for 2300 lbs of crop tobacco; witness Roger Bowling  (8 June 1761, Chas Co. Land Rec. #L3:61).  [Regarding the family property Charley (152 acres laid out for James Bowling in 1670), the final disposition needs more research —in the Rent Rolls for Charles County, Newport Hundred, there are also various conveyance notes: 130 Acres – John Lomax Jr. from Thomas Marshall Jr. and back from John Lomax Jr, 29 Feb 1752.]

Thomas also appears in miscellaneous court records. Thomas Bowling and his brother-in-law James Green were the appraisers of the modest estate of William Dyer, Jr. of Prince George’s County in 1753. In May 1725, the same pair were sureties for John Thompson, executor of Thomas Thompson. Thomas Bowling and James Bowling (presumably father and son) were listed on the debts due to the estates of Edward Cole, Jr of Charles County in 1761 (Inventories, Liber 76:260-68).  At a session of the Provincial Court in 1767, Thomas Bowling stated that he knew Leonard Brooke who he always understood married Major Boarman’s daughter and he knew Richard Brooke and his wife Clear (Clare), the daughter of Major Boarman.

In 5 October 1765, Thomas and Mary took a number of steps to liquidate assets and distribute them to their children. First, they sold 130 acres to Strife to Basil Smith for 13,865 lbs crop tobacco, and the indenture explains the history of the property and Mary Bowling’s inheritance of it. They gave the remaining 70 acres of Strife to their son Basil (but he died a few years later). They also made a gift of “Negro girl Rachel” to their daughter Elizabeth Bowling and “Negro boy Joseph” to son Basil, with James Bowling as witness to both (PG Co.; Md Land Records Liber #TT:480, 481, 482, 495.).

At the end of 1774, Thomas Bowling seems to have been putting his affairs in order for the last time. On 21 December, an indenture was made among Thomas Bowling, William Langworth Bowling, and William Shircliff that, since they were all “joined in bond to Capt. Thomas Dent”, should Thomas Bowling fail to pay his share of the bond, the other two would accept in payment for said bond “a negro man named Tom and his wife Doll”. A few days later, on 24 December, Thomas Bowling sold to William Langworth Bowling an enslaved boy named Francis, with Elizabeth Bowling witnessing both documents (PG County; Liber #CC2:64, 63; Annap.). 

Thomas Bowling indeed died in the subsequent months. His moderate amount of possessions were valued at £59.2.10 in an inventory of his estate filed in Prince George’s County in June 1775 by Langworth Bowling and William Shircliff as administrators and John Bowling and Elizabeth Bowling as relations;  payment was made to Thomas Bowling, Jr. (Annap. PG Co Lib. 46:203, 47:8, Bond 19/7; Liber ST#1:60, Liber 123:234, box 24, folder 25).  Thomas Bowling had been the administrator of the estate of Leonard Shircliffe (d. 1753) and William was his son; Leonard’s wife is unknown and it is not clear whether the families were related (possibly through the Greens).

Apparently, only John, Elizabeth and William Langworth Bowling survived their father.

Mary Bowling was one of the next of kin for the inventory of her brother James Green in 1776. Along with two other widows, Mary Bowling received a legacy of five bushels of wheat in the 1777 will of her niece Elizabeth Green. When Mary Bowling died in 1790 “near Mattawoman”, she named her son William Langworth Bowling as her executor and left him “that tract or parcel of land whereon testatrix now lives called Strife“. She signed the will in her own hand and the witnesses were John Manning, Charles Smith, Ann Thompson (probated 18 August 1790, Prince George’s, Md. Wills Liber T No. #1:295).

Although both Thomas and Mary died intestate, we can deduce at least the following offspring, born 1724-48, but their birth order is unclear.

Children of Thomas Bowling and Mary Green:

Note on Thomas Jr.

Although Thomas Bowling (d. 1775) is referred to as “Thomas Bowling Sr.” in the will of his son Basil, there is no direct evidence that the older man had a son named Thomas. In fact, Basil’s will makes no mention of a brother Thomas.

Rather the occasional use of “Thomas Bowling, Jr.” seems to refer to the older man’s nephew (Thomas son of William) who lived in Charles County, or to his grandson (Thomas son of John) who lived in Prince George’s County. Usually family association or place can distinguish them.

The 1790 census for Prince George’s Co. (p. 277 with other B’s) lists a Thomas Bowling, whose household contains 1 male over 16, 1 boy under 16, 4 females, and 2 persons enslaved. Rather than a son of Thomas Sr, this seems like a young family, suitable to be his grandson Thomas son of John, who then emigrated to Kentucky.

2.1.1.1) Roger (b. before 1734—d. 1767-75), single.

Named for his father’s uncle. He progressively disposed of the 125-acre tract Chessam which he received from his parents in 1755.  In 1758, he sold 84 acres to Barton Wathen for 8400 lbs of crop tobacco; in 1760, he sold 8 acres to William Bowling for 832 lbs of crop tobacco; research should be done on the rest of the property. The estate of Francis King filed an inventory in P.G. Co. dated 9 April 1773 with a list of hundreds of debts due, among which were those from James Bowling, Roger Bowling, William L. Bowling. But James was deceased by then and Roger might have been also. He was not recorded in the 1776 census.

2.1.1.2) John (c. 1733 — after 1790) marr. Mary —

Caution: Both Thomas Bowling (d. 1775) and his brother William (d. 1789) had sons named John (after their own father and brother), and both these John Bowlings were born in the 1730s and spent several years in Prince George’s County and had families of similar sizes, so often it is not easy to identify which one a document refers to.  Fortunately, they can sometimes be distinguished by mention of their wives: John (son of Thomas) married Mary —, whereas John (son of William) married Sarah —. Furthermore, William’s son Joseph named a son John, who remained in Bryantown, Charles County.

This John Bowling is clearly the John who was next of kin for his father Thomas’ inventory in 1775. Likewise, we recognize him in the 1776 Maryland Census for Prince George’s County: John Bowling was aged 43, with other males aged 13, 16, 1; his wife Mary aged 38 and other females aged 15, 11, 8, 4, 28; 10 enslaved males, 6 females.

Which John Bowling is the one on the March 1778 list of those who took the Oath of Fidelity in King George Hundred of Prince George’s County?

[The John Bowling who appears on the the 1775-78 list of adult males in Bryan Town Hundred, Charles Co. is apparently the son of Joseph (of William).]

There is a John Bowling (Boulins) in the 1790 Census of Prince George’s County with 4 males over 16, 2 males under 16, 6 females and 17 persons enslaved. It is not clear which John Bowling this refers to. Because the census list was compiled, grouping all surnames with “B” together, nothing can be inferred from the adjacent names on the list.

Sometime in the 1780s or early 1790s, John Bowling emigrated to Kentucky with his family, and his numerous descendants are found there. The lack of any mention of him or his children in the 1793 will of his sister Elizabeth suggests he had left Maryland by then.

Some researchers have proposed that he married Mary Green (b. 1732), daughter of James Green and Elizabeth Dyer, but there are a number of problems with that (birth years, her mother’s 1776 estate, Wm.Lang. Bowling as a witness).

Children: Thomas,  John Jr., James (?)  — Further PAGE IN PROGRESS.

2.1.1.3) Basil (d. 1769/70), single.

In his will (written 1768, probated 16 Jan. 1770), he left his 70 acres of Strife, “now in the possession of Thomas Bowling Sr” to his brother William Langworth Bowling, and the balance of his estate (after paying £20 plus interest to William Maccatee) to his sister Elizabeth Bowling. Witnesses: Edward Dickens, Wm. Hamilton, Henrietta Baggot.

2.1.1.4) James (1730s — 1766), marr. Mariamne Read

He married Mariamne Read c. 1760 and then died intestate in 1766 in Charles County. His wife’s name was  recorded different ways in colonial documents so it must have been somewhat unusual. Most likely it was the Greek name Mariamne (cf. Hebrew name Miriam), from which the French and English Marianne derive. After Fenton’s play Mariamne in 1723 (and Voltaire’s play of the same name in 1724), the name had some limited popularity as a girl’s name in Britain.

His widow “Margamare” (transcription of Maryamane?) Bowling was the administratrix, with Thomas Bowling and Roger Bowling next of kin for the inventory. At the bottom of the final Nov. 1767 account, “Representatives are the widow Mary Ann Bowling and her three children, viz. Philip Bowling 6 years old last July, Alexious Bowling 4 years old last February, William Bowling 2 years old last May.” Sureties: William Hamilton, John Manning. (Prerog Ct. Inv. Lib 5:47, Lib 92:336; Chas. Co. Lib 1759-79: fol. 227).

We learn more of the children from the will of their uncle Philip Read of St. Mary’s County, written June 1792, probated January 1793. He provides for his wife Eleanor Walbert Read,  leaves 100 pounds current money to “my nephew William Bowling” and 100 pounds to his niece Ann Floyd, and then bequeaths the residue of his real and personal estate to “my nephew Lewis Bowling, reserving half of the profits arising therefrom which I give and bequeath to my dear sister Mary Ann Bowling during her natural life.” He named Lewis Bowling his executor.

Contrary to the wishes of their family, both Mariamne Read and Philip Read had married Catholics. His first marriage was recorded at the Jesuit missions in St. Mary’s County, and Mary An Bowling is also found several times in those records. Probably, she is the “Mary Anna” Bowling who died 9 December 1794 (aged 52) at the Jesuit plantation in Little Bohemia on the Eastern Shore.

“Mariainna” Bowling wrote her will November 1792 leaving half of her estate to her son Lewis (named executor) and half to her granddaughter “Mariainna” Bowling . Likewise, her son Lewis wrote his will in March 1794, describing a debt due him from his aunt Eleanor Walbert Read which was to support his mother during her life, with further bequests to his niece “Mariainne” Bowling, nephew Lewis Bowling, nephew Ignatius Bowling, with the residue to his brother William. He appointed his mother sole executor.

But Mariamne and Lewis both died shortly thereafter leaving no executor, so in March 1795 Lewis’ uncle Jesse Floyd was granted authority to appraise Lewis’ estate. However, William Bowling ended up as the administrator for both his mother and brother, and filed an account of the estate of his mother “Mariamni” with value of £52.15.2 in 1797. But in December 1799 his securities for both estates petitioned the court for counter security, alleging that the estate was wasting, and in April 1800 he did not appear despite the citation — and we see the reason why the three other family members had written their wills to avoid giving William much control. He only filed the first account for Lewis Bowling’s estate in June 1805, with initial value of £518.18.1 and final distributions of £255.15.9 among “Mariamine”, Lewis, and Ignatius Bowling.

Children:

2.1.1.4.1) Philip Bowling (July 1761 – before 1792), named for his mother’s father.
2.1.1.4.2) Lewis (February 1763 – 1795). No doubt given the name of the Jesuit saint Aloysius Gonzaga (recorded in 1767 as “Alexious”), and shortened to “Lewis” (similarly there was a “Lewis Gonzagoe Smith”).
2.1.1.4.3) William (May 1765 – after 1805)
—Marianna (bef. 1792 – after 1805 )
—Lewis (bef. 1794 –  after 1805)
—Ignatius (bef. 1794 – 1828).  Because of the St. Mary’s connection, this is possibly the Ignatius Bowling who married Ann Booth in Washington DC on 25 Oct 1826. Then December 1827, William Ignatius Bowling wrote a will in Washington, D.C., with wife Ann, son William Henry Clinton Bowling, and stepdaughter Mary Matilda Booth. “Lawyer Cassin may recover money due to me in a case at the next March court of St. Mary’s Co.”

2.1.1.5) Elizabeth (d. 1793), single.

In her will (written April 1793, probated 26 July 1793),  she named her brother William L. Bowling executor and left him the enslaved Rachel (inherited from her father), 1 cow, and 1 feather bed. Various gifts, including  money, cow, saddle, riding skirt were made to female friends: Mrs. Anne Mathews, Christiana Edelen, Ann Wattham, Ailsey Stonestreet, Sarah Conner. Witnesses: John Spalding, Richard Boarman.

2.1.1.6) William Langworth Bowling (1748 – 1803), marr. Mary Eleanor Lanham

He was named for his mother’s father and was regularly recorded by his full name (or “William L.” or sometimes  just “Langworth”) to distinguish him from his uncle William Bowling. Although the youngest child, he was clearly very competent and served as administrator of both his parents’ estates. He was also witness to the will of his uncle James Green of Prince George’s Co., whose land adjoined his father’s (written 1774, probated 1776).

After his father died in 1775, he continued to live with his mother on Strife, which he eventually inherited. In the 1776 Maryland Census for Prince George’s County, “William L. Bowling” was aged 28, and in his household was another male aged 24; his mother Mary aged 74 and other females aged 26, 22; enslaved males aged 51, 11, females 51, 18.

Sometime between 1777 and 1782, he married Mary Eleanor Lanham, the daughter of Zachariah Lanham (d. 1767) and his wife Mary (d. 1782). Mary E. Lanham was still unmarried when she approved her brother Richard’s inventory in August 1777. (Lanham documents). Mary Eleanor Lanham’s siblings were Richard, Winifred Ann (m. Edward Burrows), Mary Ann “Mealy” (m. Basil Green, WLB’s cousin), Edward. William Langworth Bowling approved the inventory of (his brother-in-law) Basil Green as kinsman in 1782, and he and Mary Eleanor his wife were the administrators of Basil’s final accounting made on 16 October 1787.

On 30 January 1778, “William Lang Bowling” signed the Oath of Fidelity in Prince George’s Co. He is probably the “W. Bowling” who was an appraiser for the estate of Thomas Brightwell (PG 1775).

In the 1790 census PG Co., the household of “William Lang. Bowling” had 2 males aged 16 and upward, 3 males under 16, 2 females; 8 enslaved.  In 1791, when his cousin John Bowling (of William) died, William L. Bowling took the administrative bond along with the testator’s wife Sarah Bowling, son Walter, and son-in-law John Spalding. So these Bowling cousins in Prince George’s County kept close company.

In the 1800 census, he was recorded as “Langly Bowling” in Prince George’s County (living near Sarah Bowling, Mary Edelin, and Thomas P. Edelin), whose household had 1 male aged 26-44, 1 male 16-25, and 1 male 10-15, no females and 10 enslaved.  The lack of a male over 44 or any female makes this an awkward fit for our William Langworth Bowling, but it generally fits the unusually small household of WLB and his two sons. It also fits the 1798 list of Maryland slave owners and superintendents, where William L. Bowling was listed with 10 enslaved in Prince George’s Co. The enumerator perhaps mistook his unusual name for the common local surname Langley.

On 11 February 1802, he sold Samuel Edelen (swamp) land on the Mattawoman from William L. Bowling for 5 shillings.

William Langworth Bowling wrote his will 12 August 1793, but he lived another decade, and it was only only probated on 7 June 1803. The first item in his will was a bequest of 10 pounds current money to Ann Matthews, presumably Mother Bernardina (born Ann Matthews), foundress of the Carmel Monastery near Port Tobacco. After that he instructs that debts be paid and James Greene, son of Basil Greene, be paid according to his rights (WLB was executor for Basil). Then the remainder of the estate both real and personal is to be divided among testator’s three children: son Francis Bowling, son Ignatius Charles Bowling, and daughter Mary Bowling.  Clearly he was widowed with minor children in 1793 and asks [his brother-in-law] Edward Burrows and his wife Winifred to take his children and their estate into their care until the sons are of age 21 and daughter at 16. He named the Burrows executors of the will and instructed that his wearing apparel be distributed among the poor at their discretion. Witnesses were John Spalding, Joseph Edelen and Edward Bowling (presumably his cousin, son of John of William) (PG Co, Will Liber T No. #1:548; 1803-1808). Edward Burrows, residing in the city of Washington and in ill health, renounced his right to act as executor in favor of his wife. The inventory was approved with Ignatius C. Bowling and Mary Bowling as next of kin, so they were both of age. The final accounting of the estate of $836 was filed by Winifred Burrows in 1812, with $238 then distributed to the three children. A distribution was also made to Ann Matthews (Mother Bernardina had died in 1800, but her niece Ann Teresa Matthews was also a nun there and perhaps the Carmel accepted it in her name.)

Children: all still living in 1812.

2.1.1.4.1) Francis Bowling
2.1.1.4.2) Ignatius Charles Bowling (b. before 1782)
2.1.1.4.3) Mary Bowling (b. before 1782)