Our web site was launched in June, 2000, and we hope that you, our researching cousins, will find the information presented here to be interesting and of help to you in your researching efforts. Our primary purpose and mission is simple:
to serve as a focal point for bringing together descendant researchers interested in exploring, sharing, and preserving the heritage of the Bowlby Family.
One real joy of our family research efforts is that we all – without exception it seems – share a common ancestry with a man named Rychard Bolbie whose will was probated in North Yorkshire, England in 1552. We are indeed fortunate to have been left an amazingly well-documented lineage from Richard’s descendants down to those now being born 19 generations removed from him! Thomas Bowlby, one of Rychard’s 3rd great-grandsons, came to America in the 1720s with three of his sons, John, George and Richard, and all American – as well as Canadian – persons with the Bowlby surname can be traced to one of these sons. But, as we continue to gain exposure and reach out to more and more “cousins,” we are becoming increasingly international, and now have members as far away as Germany, England and Australia…We work collaboratively and encourage you to submit whatever information you have on hand in whatever means you choose.
Our site encourages you to participate with our " researchers working group ". (Right click and open in new tab) This is a yahoogroup with about 100 or so cousins, connecting and trying to help one another with research efforts and keeping cousins informed of events.
We are committed to doing whatever we can to present and share all information and efforts pertaining to the Bowlby lineages which we have onhand and continue to discover – for our own enjoyment as a family and, certainly, for future generations. Many have been somewhat modest about their contributions, but please, don’t be shy! Often one "tiny" bit of information turns out to be the exact missing piece to the puzzle that allows a frustrated researcher to find an ancestor and tie him or her into their line.
The primary focus of the site is to "connect" our dots! We maintain all data available to us on our relatives (including adopted and foster children) and their spouses who descend from Rychard and Alison Bolbie (1500's) and continually search for additional information on individual lineages.
In order to maintain a fair level of privacy for our living cousins, our database posts family information only to the 12th generation from Rychard Bolbie and his wife, Alison. We do share information with other descendant researchers beyond the 12th generation via email and do our best to allow you to be in direct contact with other descendant researchers in order that you may explore your more recent common ancestry.
FAIR WARNING HERE - While we do our best to present information as accurately as possible, we acknowledge that our work may contain errors and conflicting information. We have both compilers (people who accept information, and change as evidence becomes available which disproves it) and dedicated researchers (people who don't accept information until they feel they have obtained adequate evidence to prove a claim.) The collaborative family database attempts to retain, reflect, and rebute as much of this information as possible. If you can send us information (if possible, with appropriate sources) which may serve to disprove anything presented herein, PLEASE do not hesitate to bring it to our attention and contribute to the discussion in our endeavor to sort things out. Your input will be so very much appreciated!
A delightful feature of this web site is that we can publish so much more, and update with greater frequency, than could be contained in a hardcopy volume. But let’s face it, folks, it's difficult to curl up with a good web site or CD…. So, in time, one of our goals is to offer publications on the lineages of specific Bowlbys (most having been born in the 1700s), while, of course, encouraging anyone wishing to do so to pursue their own publications and individual web sites!
There are many fascinating and extremely helpful resources available on the Internet to help us work on this grand puzzle. While many are identified within these pages, they probably fail to even scratch the surface. We continually look for ways to improve and expand our site. If there is anything we are overlooking that might aid your own research efforts, please suggest it!
We are delighted to have met another cousin and sincerely hope that you will choose to be a part of our very special famiy. You are welcome to participate in any way that makes you comfortable!
Enjoy, and wishing the BFO and all Bowlby family and researchers, the very best!
c
(Cynthia Katzman Bowlby, wife of John Michael Bowlby, 16th generation from Richard (1), descendant of John (8)
Secretary/Treasurer
Marolyn Young Armstrong (TX)
John(8)
Board Member
Neil Bowlby [Canada]
Richard(7)
Board Member
John Hood [TN]
John(8)
Board Member
Charles Browning (VA)
Richard(7)
Board Member
Susan Ulfers Campbell (GA)
John (8)
Board Member
Julie Bowlby Miller (CA)
Thomas(8)
Board Member
Richard Titus (NJ)
Samuel(8)