site updated 25/08/11

The Vowles name is rooted in the West Country counties of Somerset and Gloucestershire. Of the 1436 people with the name in the 1881 census for England and Wales, almost half were from Somerset and a quarter from Gloucestershire. It is believed to have originated as a nickname, Fowle, (bird). Variants include Vowels, Vowells, Vouls along with the alternative spellings with F replacing V. Other branches on this side of the family - Weavers and Scrivens - have also been firmly rooted in the same area for generations.

The site explores the ancestors of Victor Vowles (b. 1908) and his wife Rachel Hoyland (b.1916) and this takes the family across many counties including Derbyshire, West Riding of Yorkshire, Berkshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Northamptonshire. Their ancestors include some interesting characters whose backgrounds are as varied as the places they come from ranging from paupers to a wealthy factory owner.

The site is organised around the four main branches of the tree. It's not all online in detail yet but for an overview see the ancestor trees for Victor Vowles and Rachel Hoyland in pdf - updated August 2009 (they'll open in a new window).

If you share ancestors with us we would love to hear from you.