Vonda, I'm sending this to you through the Bowles-List so everyone will have it. I'm going to make a couple post to break the Bowles side down, that will take them back to England. Leathel, 6. JOHN POWELL (RICHARD) b. ca. 1669 in Norfolk Co., Va. d. 1747-9 in Perquimans Co., N. C. m. ca. 1689-90 ESTHER (HESTER), aunt of THOMAS BOWLES of Norfolk Co., sister of HENRY BOWLES, and probably daughter of RICHARD BOWLES, and granddaughter of JOHN BOWLES of ELIZABETH CITY AND NORFOLK COS., V A. The clue to ESTHER POWELL'S parentage is found in the WILL OF THOMAS BOWLES of Norfolk Co., Va., dated Mar. 4, 1718/19 and probated July 17, 1719. THOMAS BOWLES mentioned the following legatees: cousin THOMAS SMITH 100 acres i cousins JOHN and LEMUEL SMITH 30 acres; cousin LEMUEL POWELL son of JOHN POWELL 100 acres; aunt MARY SMITH: cousin JOHN SMITH the plantation I live on; cousin DORCAS BATTERS; cousins ANN, DORCAS, and DIANA "which is now in Pamplico" (i.e., on Pimlico Sound, N. C.). The aunt MARY SMITH mentioned in the will was the widow of JOHN SMITH, whose will, dated Oct. 21, 1710 and probated April 20, 1711, mentions son, John Smith, to whom he leaves the land adjoining HENRY BOWLES and William Ellis; sons Lemuel and Thomas Smith; and wife MARY SMITH. Since THOMAS BOWLES calls MARY SMITH aunt, we can be pretty sure that Thomas, Lemuel and John Smith, legatees of the will, were really his first cousins (not his nephews) ; and therefore, that the cousin LEMUEL POWELL, son of JOHN POWELL, was also a first cousin. ESTHER, wife of JOHN POWELL, was also therefore an aunt of THOMAS BOWLES; and the cousins, ANN, DORCAS BATTERS, and DIANA, were also her children, since they were not Mary Smith's children. The father of THOMAS BOWLES and brother of MARY SMITH and ESTHER POWELL was HENRY BOWLES who first appears in the records of Norfolk Co. Mar. 13, 1686/7 as witness to the will of Thomas Hallowell, Sr. (McIntosh "Norfolk Co. Wills, 1637-1710, p. 113). He was probably born about 1665. HENRY BOWLES was the owner of 330 acres of land in Norfolk Co. in 1704, the only BOWLES land-owner in the county (Va. Mag., 30, p. 27). He last appears Feb. 15, 1708/9, when he sued WILLIAM POWELL, SR. (No.3) for trespass. He must have died soon afterwards and his land have been inherited by his son THOMAS. HENRY BOWLES, MARY SMITH, and ESTHER POWELL were probably the children of RICHARD BOWLES mentioned in the 1702 deed of RICHARD and THOMAS POWELL to John Hodges cited previously (D. B. 6, pp. 262-4) .This is the only reference yet found to RICHARD BOWLES, but he seems to be the connecting link to the original patentee of the land, JOHN BOWLES of Elizabeth City and Norfolk Co., who first appears in 1636, so born at least as early as 1610-15, so that we may assume that RICHARD was JOHN BOWLES' son. That JOHN BOWLES \vas the original owner of THOMAS BOWLES' land is proved by a deed of WILLIAM POWELL (No. 18 or No.35) Sept.25, 1752, Who bought from John Smith the home plantation left by THOMAS BOWLES to John Smith; the 1752 deed states that the land was part of a patent to JOHN BOWLES in 1625 which was renewed in 1655 (D. B. 15, p. 155). We note that if the deed is correct and JOHN BOWLES was granted land as early as 1625, he must have been born about 1600. JOHN BOWLES appears in the following references in Nugent's "Cavaliers and Pioneers": ( 1 ) He was an adjoining land owner to William Morgan, alias Brookes, in Elizabeth City Co. May 22, 1637, p. 57. (2) p. 124. William Armistead of Elizabeth City to JOHN BOWLES 20 acres alongside Bowles' 50 acres by deed of gift from Mrs. Elizabeth Southwell, and 16 acres more near William Morgan. Consideration: 100 acres granted Thomas Keeling Nov. 18, 1635 and assigned by Thomas Casson to said BOWLES; also, certificate of 40 acres to be delivered to said BOWLES. The date of the above is June 11, 1641. Same page, Oct. 4, 1636, William Laighton and Henry Southell of the Back River to JOHN BOWLES 50 acres near William Morgan and Henry Southell. (The records here are rather significant, and would perhaps indicate a relationship between JOHN BOWLES and HENRY and ELIZABETH SOUTHWELL, as a deed of gift from the latter is mentioned. Perhaps BOWLES had married their daughter . Henry Southwell died about 1636-7, and by July 14, 1637 Elizabeth Southwell, the widow, was married to Lieut. Richard Popeley, p. 61.) (3) p. 131. JOHN BOWLES is again mentioned as an adjoining land owner to William Morgan alias Brookes, Aug., 1642. (4) p. 280. About 1653-4, JOHN BOWLES and Thomas Dyer are granted 400 acres in the Western Branch of the Elizabeth River . (5) p. 497. Feb. 15, 1663, JOHN BOWLES granted 350 acres on the Western Branch of Elizabeth River; renewed Oct. 12, 1675. (6) ANNE BOWLES, SENR. and ANNE BOWLES, JUNR. claimed as importees by THOMAS PURIFOY an a grant Mar. 13, 1655. These may have been the wife and daughter of JOHN BOWLES. JOHN POWELL, who married ESTHER BOWLES, is first mentioned in the will of his uncle and stepfather, JOHN POWELL, in 1687. His son, LEMUEL POWELL, is mentioned not only in the will of THOMAS BOWLES in 1719, but also in the will of WILLIAM POWELL NO. 7, dated 1701. JOHN POWELL NO.6 was deeded 100 acres of land by John Ferrabee Oct. 8, 1692 in Princess Anne Co., adjacent to the 100 acres that Ferrabee deeded JOHN'S brother, WILLIAM, on the same date (D. B. 6, p. 44). In 1699 JOHN POWELL deeded this land to Luke Havill (D. B. 6, p. 175), and seems to have moved in that year to Nansemond Co., Va., where he received the following grants : (I) Patent Bk. 9, p. 233. Oct. 26, 1699, JOHN POWELL granted 262 acres in the Upper Parish of Nansemond Co. on the N. E. side of Loosing Swamp. (2) Same, p. 230. Oct. 26, 1699, .JOHN POWELL 157 acres in the Upper Parish of Nansemond on the Mossy Swamp adjoining John Brothers. (3) Same, p. 454. April 25, 1702, JOHN POWELL 215 acres in Nansemond Co. on the S. side of Loosing Swamp adjoining John Harris and John Larkum. (The Nansemond Co. index of grants gives the date of this grant as Oct. 24, 1701.) (4) Patent Bk. 10, p. 440. July 11, 1719, JOHN POWELL 100 acres in the Upper Parish of Nansemond Co. JOHN POWELL is recorded as the owner of 758 acres of land in NANSEMOND CO. in 1704, being the only POWELL land-owner in the county at that time (Va. Mag., Vol 29, p. 403) .PRACTICALLY ALL HIS LAND FELL INTO CHOWAN AND PERQUIMANS CO., N. C. ON THE SETTLEMENT OF THE VIRGINIA-NORTH CAROLINA BOUNDARY DISPUTE, and he appears in the follow- ing records in North Carolina : (1) CSR 2, pp. 101 and 107. JOHN POWELL is mentioned July 28, 1713 and Oct. 27, 1713 as defendant in a suit for debt by John Blish, Merchant.