Boscum History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Boscum was brought to England by the Normans when they conquered the country in 1066. The ancestors of the Boscum family lived in Boscombe, Wiltshire where one reference from 1273 suggests that "Boscumbe" may have derived from the Old English words meaning a 'valley overgrown with spiky plants.' Today Boscombe is a suburb of Bournemouth, Dorset and includes Boscombe Manor, built by Phillip Norris in 1801. "The Boscombe Valley Mystery" was one of the 56 short Sherlock Holmes stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle first published in the Strand Magazine in 1891.

Early Origins of the Boscum family

The surname Boscum was first found in Wiltshire, where they held a family seat from ancient times, after the Norman Conquest in 1066. They were conjecturally descended from Edward a tenant of William d'Eu as shown in the Domesday Book taken in 1086 by William Duke of Normandy showing the lands granted by the king to his nobles.

Early History of the Boscum family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Boscum research. Another 75 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1600 and 1975 are included under the topic Early Boscum History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Boscum Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Boscum are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Boscum include Bascum, Bascomb, Bascome, Bascombe, Bascom, Baskomb, Boscomb and many more.

Early Notables of the Boscum family

More information is included under the topic Early Boscum Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Boscum family

Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Boscum, or a variant listed above: Thomas Baskom who settled in Nantasket, Massachusetts in 1630; George Bascomb settled in Somers Island in 1673; B. Bascomb arrived in Portland, Maine, in 1821.

The Boscum Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Forti et fideli nihil difficile
Motto Translation: Nothing is difficult to the brave and the faithful.