From Pennsylvania to County Monaghan

JoAnn and Ron Bowes met with local volunteer and County Monaghan repersentative Jerome to rediscover their Bowes roots.

Jerome acting as a guide for the day directing them from Monaghan to Crocknaboghil to the Magheraveely graveyard where through hours of research, Jerome had determined their ancestors were buried. He took them to the local church and was able to show them some Bowes on ancient registers. They even met a local farmer whose land was adjacent from on old Bowes widow and had an endless chats about the family name in the region.

There were hours of stories and history shared and friendships began that will last a lifetime. Jerome prepared a detailed map with details of their ancestry that can be seen here.

One interesting discovery that they may have stumbled upon is the meaning of the townland of Crocknaboghil – this apparently translates as Hill of the Boys, however, the apparent phonetic sound of the Bowes surname in Irish (as below from Woulfe’s Irish Names & Surnames) or an alternative version of it, is Bohill which could be the root of the townland name? – i.e – Hill of the Bowes?