Individual Details

I do not know for sure that Knight and John Bowles were brothers. They were contemporaries, both married Curd daughters [though not from the same family] and had children baptized about the same time at St. James Northam in Goochland.

John Bowles, married Elizabeth Curd, 2 Dec 1764, The Douglas Register. She was the daughter of John Curd and Elizabeth Price and first cousin of Sarah Curd who married Knight Bowles. On 16 Jan 1759, there was a division of the estate [slaves] of John Curd which named wife Elizabeth and the following children: John, William, Joseph, Mary, Charles, James, Elizabeth, and Ann Curd. [Goochland records. Deed & Will Book 7, p.336]. The estate division assigned to the widow her dower, three slaves, and divided the rest among the eight children. Commissioners were Willm. Miller, Joseph Pollard, and Richd. Pleasants. 3 Sep 1758, the widow Elizabeth Price Curd married Richard Oglesby.

John and Elizabeth had four of their children, Benjamin, Sarah Waddie, Nancy, and Betsy Price, baptized at St. James Northam as recorded in The Douglas Register. The family left Virginia, settling in Union District, South Carolina. John's will names four living children, Benjamin Bowles, Charles K. Bowles, Sally W. Glenn, Betsey Bowles, and two deceased children, daughter Nancy Johnson and John Bowles. This list does not match any particular list of children found online. It is my interpretation of the Will. I believe a Thomas Bowles mentioned in the Will was a son-in-law, the husband of Betsy, not John's son. He would have been eligible for "his part" as the husband of a daughter.

However, the exact dates for the births of all six children were found online and it would seem they have come from a Bible record - they did not come from the Bowles book found on Google Books. Four of the birth dates are found in The Douglas Register, Goochland Co, VA. A son John was not among those baptized and the birth date given for him is a different John Bowles. The list of John's children in the Bowles book included a Mollie [instead of Betsey] who married Thomas Bowles, and did not include a daughter Nancy who had married a Johnson, and had a Betsy who married Robert Glenn which doesn't seem to work unless Betsy was married more than once. An examination of the The Douglas Register shows the only Molly Bowles baptized to have been a daughter of Knight Bowles & Sarah Curd. Given the names of the children in the Will, I believe there was no daughter of John's named Molly and that it was Betsy who was married to Thomas Bowles.

1830 Census. Union, South Carolina
John Bowles: 1m age 80-90
He was the only Bowles living in the county. It is evident from the will that his wife had died.

I John Bowles of Union District, and State of S. Carolina do make & ordain this my last will and Testament.
Item: That all my Just debts be paid.
Item: It is my will and desire that my Son Charles K. Bowles pay my two daughters, Sally W. Glenn and Betsey Bowles, or their heirs Eighty Dollars each; also alike sum to the heirs of my Daughter Nancy Johnson dec'd. This being the Substance of an agreement between my said C.K.Bowles & Myself relative to a tract of land in the State of Virginia. The said C.K.Bowles to pay the said heirs the amount of interest from the time of his, the said C. K. Bowles’s collecting the money for what said land was sold. Should the Said C.K.Bowles refuse to pay said Legatees the aforesaid amount with Interest from the time of his collecting the money for said land, then my Executor is to deduct with accruing Interest from his the said C.K. Bowles part of my estate, & pay it to my Daughters, Sally Glenn & Betsey Bowles or their heirs; and the heirs of my Daughter Nancy Johnson.
Item It is also my will & devise that my executors to reserve out of Thomas Bowles part, the Debt now due & owing by him to my son Charles K. Bowles with Interest up to the time of payment. Provided he the said Thomas Bowles shall fail to make payment, previous to this will’s going into operation; and in that event my Execs. Will pay the above to my son Charles K. Bowles. But if the said Thomas Bowles shall make payment of Said Debt, then he is to be dealt with according to the other provision if my will..
Item That my Exo'r. Provide for the comfortable support and maintenance of my Negro woman Amy.
Item that the balance of my Negroes be Valued & put into lots and drawn for by my Executors; & the Balance of my estate including my Lands be Sold, and my Exor. Make good & lawful titles to the Same; and be equally divided among my children; (viz) Benjamin Bowles, Charles K. Bowles, Sally W. Glenn and Betsey Bowles, or their heirs, & the heirs of my Son John Bowles & my Daughter Nancy Johnson; The heirs of my deceased children receiving collectively, their Fathers or Mothers part.
I hereby Constitute & appoint my Son Benjamin Bowles and Charles K Bowles of Virginia, and Clough S. Sims, and John B. Glenn of South Carolina my Executors to this my last will & Testament, as witness my hand & Seal this Twenty Sixth day of December in the year of our Lord One thousand Eight hundred and Thirty.
Signed: John Bowles
Test:
W. Sims
J. Askew
M. TE. B. Sims
Recorded in will Book B, page 227, 12th Day August, 1836, Union Co, South Carolina.

I believe it likely that John B. Glenn was a son-in-law, the husband of Sally W. Glenn.
In 1817, Knight Bowles' will named a son Thomas who had gone to Kentucky - is this possibly the same Thomas Bowles above? Married to his cousin?
In 1830, I found a John B. Glenn living in Spartanburg, SC - he was age 30-40 as was his supposed spouse. In 1850, Benjamin Bowles, son of John, was living in Fluvanna Co, VA, age 84. Charles K. Bowles was in Hanover Co, VA, age 63.

An online forum posts suggests this man left a will in 1811, naming a wife Mildred, but gives no location - also mentions land to a grandson. Since the names of the children in the Will in Union Co match those baptized at St. James Northam in Goochland, this must be some other John Bowles.
The forum also listed the following
John acquired considerable land in the western counties, in what is now Kentucky. He purchased 320 acres in Albemarle Co on 1/3/1765, from Henry Mosby. He served as a private in the Revolutionary War from Goochland Co VA #18535. A warrant to John Bowles for service in the Militia of the Commonwealth of Virginia was issued in 1781 for the amount of L4. (NS DAR #152443, Patriot Index p 76. After the war the land grants to John were: Commonwealth of VA to John Bowles 237 acres in Washington Co 7/12/1785 by Gov Patrick Henry; 400 acres in Washington Co 5/7/1787 by Lt Gov Beverly Randolf;
6,751 acres in Lincoln Co 5/12/1788 by Lt Gov Beverly Randolf; 157 acres in Washington Co 11/2/1793 by Gov Henry Lee; Later a deed was recorded from John and Elizabeth to son Benjamin.
http://genforum.genealogy.com/bowles/messages/2689.html

Birth	8 Jun 1743	Hanover County, Virginia
Marriage	2 Dec 1764	Elizabeth Curd
Death	5 Aug 1836	Union District, South Carolina

Spouse	Elizabeth Curd ( - 1830)
Child	Benjamin Bowles (1765 - 1857)
Child	Sarah Waddie "Sally" Bowles (1769 - )
Child	Nancy Bowles (1771 - 1818)
Child	John Bowles (1776 - 1824)
Child	Elizabeth Price "Betsey" Bowles (1781 - )
Child	Charles Knight Bowles (1787 - 1860)

Father	Bowles ( - )
Sibling	Knight Bowles (1745 - 1820)

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