Events
Date of Birth: unknown.
Place of Birth: unknown.
Date of Burial: uncertain.
Place of Burial: uncertain.
The 1587 burial below may be his, if there is an error in the date of either the burial or of William’s will.
Relationships
Father: George Rowles.
Mother: unknown.
See the Commentary section.
Spouse: Margaret Browning. Married 16 November 1581 in Standish, Gloucestershire.
William names his wife in his will.
Children:
(Complete source citations for facts about the children on this page are currently outside of the scope of this project.)
George Rowles (born between 1571 and 1587 - died 1637) married (1) Alice Cowlston 9 May 1610 in Haresfield; married (2) Marlyn.
Evidence
from the Haresfield parish register:
William Rowles of Cutcrafte buried the xiijth day of Aprill Anno 1587
William’s will:
In the name of god amen The xv th Day of the moneth of December in the xxx th yere of the Raigne of our Soueraigne ladie Elizabeth . I William Rowles of Haresfield husbandman beinge sick in bodie but yett in sounde & p[er]fecte make [sic] my Testamt and last will in maner & forme follweinge: First I bequeath my Soule to Almightie god my maker to Jesus xr[]e my redemer & my bodie to be buried in the Churchyard of haresfield aforesaid/. Item I give & bequeath to George my Sonne, my Cowe calle browe minge with her calf or els three pounds in mony to be delivered unto George Rowles my brother ymediatly after my decease to & for the use p[ro]fitt & behouf of my said sonn george Item I geve to my Sonn George my newe bedd with his appurtenances & one peyer of pyllow beres, half my pewter, one Crocke the biggeste Cantherey & my Coffer to be delivered to hym or to my brother George, to & for the use of my sonne george) by margarett my wieff at the day of maridge of my said wieff yf she shippe[?], [lighyne to man ye ??], or els when the said george shall come to the full adge of sixtene yeres at the choyce of the said george my sonne./ Item I geve unto the said George my sonne, my mare to be delivered to my brother george Rowles to & for my said sonnes use ymediatlie after my decease. Item I geve to Henrie Rowles my brother the mony due to me by Robert Walkeley, for or by remison of the gyfte of mi uncke Barthelmewe deceused. Item I geve to my said brother henrie Rowles xvj s whiche the said henrie oweth unto mee. / Item all my goodes & chattells moveable & unmoveable not by me before geven nor bequeathed I geve & bequeath to margarett my wieff whom I doe make my full & sole executrix of this my will & Testamt to p[er]forme the same accordingly And to be my overseres, I desire & putt in trust my welbeloved Frends George Rowles & Thomas Rowles husbandmen to see this my will and Testamt p[er]formed accordinge to the true meaninge herof./
Depts to me oweinge
Walter Goslinge xj s
George Stratford xviij s
and for charge in l[...] iijs iiijd
Bartholmewe Rowles xxsjd
The same Bart xxvs
Barthol Broweninge ixs
hiis testibus
Henricus Rowles et
Foke Rowles scriptore
[Proved 27 November 1588]
Commentary
William’s parentage:
In his 1549 will, Thomas Rowles of Haresfield named his eldest son William Rowles, his son Bartholomew, and his son George.
In his 1573 will, William Rowles of Haresfield named his brothers Bartholomew and George Rowles, but no children.
In his 1588 will, the William of this page named his late uncle Bartholomew.
From the above, we can see that Willam must have been the son of a brother of Bartholomew and Bartholomew’s brother William had no children. Therefore, William was the son of Bartholomew’s other brother, George. This is consistent with his only son being named George.
References
Haresfield parish register. Digital images on Ancestry.com accessed 18 December 2020.
Will of Bartholomew Rowles. Proved 1585 in the Consistory Court of the Bishop of Gloucester. Digital images on Ancestry.com accessed 18 December 2020.
Will of Thomas Rowles. Proved 1549 in the Consistory Court of the Bishop of Gloucester. Digital images on Ancestry.com accessed 18 December 2020.
Will of William Rowles. Proved 1573 in the Consistory Court of the Bishop of Gloucester. Digital images on Ancestry.com accessed 18 December 2020.
Will of William Rowles. Proved 1588 in the Consistory Court of the Bishop of Gloucester. Digital images on Ancestry.com accessed 18 December 2020.