Boohyn History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Boohyn reached English shores for the first time with the ancestors of the Boohyn family as they migrated following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Boohyn family lived in Sussex. Their name, however, does not refer to that area, but to their former place of residence, the town of Bohun, in the French maritime department of La Manche, in western Normandy. 1

Early Origins of the Boohyn family

The surname Boohyn was first found in Sussex. Humphrey with the Beard (died c. 1113) was a Norman soldier and nobleman fought in the Norman Conquest of England of 1066 and is the earliest known ancestor of the de Bohun family. 2

He had three sons: Robert de Bohun, who had no issue; Richard de Bohun, progenitor through the female line, of the Bohuns of Midhurst; and Humphrey I de Bohun (died c.1123) who through marriage became "the founder of the fortunes of his family." His son, Humphrey II de Bohun (died 1165) continued the lineage. His son, Henry de Bohun (1176-1220), was the 1st Earl of Hereford and Hereditary Constable of England from 1199 to 1220. 3

"Humphrey de Bohun, Earl of Hereford, inheriting the honour of Essex from his mother, Maud, sister and heiress of William de Mandeville, last Earl of Essex, was created Earl of that county by Henry III., and in a few years after stood sponsor for Prince Edward. In 1250, he assumed the cross, and proceeded to the Holy Land, and in the great content between the King and the Barons, fought under the banner of the latter, in whose army his son Humphrey was one of the most distinguished leaders, and commanded the infantry at the Battle of Evesham. " 2

Early History of the Boohyn family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Boohyn research. Another 156 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1176, 1215, 1220, 1275, 1298, 1342, 1368, 1372, 1373, 1394, 1397, 1587, 1645, 1660, 1698, 1699 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Boohyn History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Boohyn Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Bohon, Bohun, Bone, Boon, Boone, Bohan, Bound and many more.

Early Notables of the Boohyn family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Humphrey VII de Bohun (d. 1298), 3rd Earl of Hereford and 2nd Earl of Essex, who, along with Roger Bigod, Earl of Norfolk, led the barons in opposition to King Edward I; Humphrey de Bohun (1342-1373), 7th (and last) Earl of Hereford, 6th Earl of Essex and 2nd Earl of Northampton; and Mary de Bohun (c.1368-1394), who was the...
Another 66 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Boohyn Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Boohyn family to Ireland

Some of the Boohyn family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 75 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Boohyn family

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Boohyn name or one of its variants: Lawrence Bohun, who arrived in Virginia in 1610; Ann Bone, who settled in Virginia in 1663; William Bone settled in Virginia in 1643; John Bone settled in Maryland in 1747.

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print