Show ContentsBoulstrod History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Boulstrod is part of the ancient legacy of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is a product of when the family lived in Bulstrode, an estate in Buckinghamshire that has long been associated with the family. Today, Bulstrode is a large park and mansion to the southwest of the Buckinghamshire town centre of Gerrard's Cross.

Early Origins of the Boulstrod family

The surname Boulstrod was first found in Buckinghamshire, where the estate dates back to at least the Norman Conquest. An early poem states "When William conquered English ground, Bulstrode had per annum three hundred pound." The Conqueror gave the estate to the Norman follower, "he and his adherents, mounted upon Bulls, resisted the invaders and retained possession. Afterwards, accompanied by his seven sons, mounted in the same fashion, he went under safe conduct to William's court, and the Conqueror was so much amused wit the strangeness of the scene, that he permitted the stalwart Saxon to hold his lands under ancient tenure, and conferred upon him and his heirs for ever the surname of Bullstrode!" 1

Early History of the Boulstrod family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Boulstrod research. Another 133 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1205, 1221, 1273, 1407, 1588, 1592, 1603, 1610, 1617, 1650, 1659, 1675, 1711, 1717 and 1724 are included under the topic Early Boulstrod History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Boulstrod Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Boulstrod has been spelled many different ways, including Bulstrode, Bulestrod, Bulestrode, Bulstrod, Bullstrod and many more.

Early Notables of the Boulstrod family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Edward Bulstrode (1588-1659), a prominent lawyer. Edward was the second son of Edward Bulstrode of Hedgeley, near Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire. "He became a commoner of St. John's College, Oxford, in 1603, but left it without a degree. He died in or near the Inner Temple about the beginning of April 1659, and on the 4th of that month was buried in the body of the church on the south...
Another 75 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Boulstrod Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Boulstrod family

Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Boulstrods to arrive in North America: a number of settlers who arrived by the 19th century.



  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.


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