Du boulay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
France

The Du boulay surname is generally thought to derived from the Old French word "boul", denoting a type of birch tree. As a name it was likely first used by someone living near such trees, or perhaps from a place with a name derived from the tree name. It has also been suggested that some instances of the Du boulay name find their roots in the French word "boule," which means "ball." In this case the name was likely originally a nickname for someone of a rotund shape. La Boulaye is a commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in the region of Bourgogne in eastern France. Fort De La Boulaye, also known as Mississippi Fort, was a fort built by the French in 1700, to take control over the Mississippi. Native Americans forced the French to vacate the fort by 1707.

Early Origins of the Du boulay family

The surname Du boulay was first found in Normandy (French: Normandie), the former Duchy of Normandy, where the family first originated, maintaining their status as one of the more distinguished families of the region. Simon Boulet, squire and Lord of Crahan, first registered the family coat of arms in Bayeux in 1696. The family prospered and branched out into other regions in France such as Poitou, Aunis, and Saintonge. 1

Robert Boulet, born in 1630, married Françoise Grenier, born in 1634, in France in 1657. Robert and Françoise, along with their daughter, Jacqueline, travelled from La Rochelle, France to Quebec, Canada in 1662. They remained together in Quebec until Robert's death on 24th March 1707. Françoise passed away two years later on 29th January 1709. 2

Early History of the Du boulay family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Du boulay research. Another 72 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1642, 1669, 1672, 1678, 1728, 1732, 1761, 1773, 1799, 1840, 1861 and 1942 are included under the topic Early Du boulay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Du boulay Spelling Variations

Most surnames have experienced slight spelling changes. A son may not chose to spell his name the same way that his father did. Many were errors, many deliberate. During the early development of the French language, a person usually gave his version, phonetically, to a scribe, a priest, or a recorder. Prefixes or suffixes varied. They were optional as they passed through the centuries, or were adopted by different branches to signify either a political or religious adherence. Hence, there a many spelling variations of the name Du boulay, including Boulet, du Boulet, Boulez, Boullet, Boullée, Bouley, Boulay, Boullay, Bouletot, Boulot, Boullot, Boulais, Bouloy, Bouloi, Boulois, Duboulay, Dubouloy, Boul, Boule, Boulle, Boulles, Bouleau, Boulleau and many more.

Early Notables of the Du boulay family

Notable amongst the family in this period was

César-Egasse du Boulay (died 1678), known as Bulaeus, a French historian

Migration of the Du boulay family

Approximately 110 years after the first landings by Cartier, there were only about 300 people in Quebec. France gave land incentives for 2,000 migrants during the next decade. Early marriage was desperately encouraged amongst the immigrants. The fur trade attracted migrants, both noble and commoner. 15,000 explorers left Montreal in the late 17th and 18th centuries. By 1675, there were 7000 French in Quebec. Migration to New France (Quebec) continued from France until it fell in 1759. In the year 1675 the Acadian presence in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island had reached 500. In 1755, 10,000 French Acadians refused to take an oath of allegiance to England and were deported to Louisiana. The French founded Lower Canada, thus becoming one of the two great founding nations of Canada. The distinguished family name Du boulay has made significant contributions to the culture, arts, sciences and religion of France and New France. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Du boulay were Bridgett Boulle, age 32, who arrived in Charlestown, Massachusetts in 1637; James Boullay, who arrived in Maryland in 1680; Germain Boulle, age 35, who arrived in Louisiana in 1719.

Contemporary Notables of the name Du boulay (post 1700) +

Professor Clair du Boulay FRCPath OBE, Australian-born, British retired expert in pathology and medical education, Vice-President of the Royal College of Pathologists from 2002-2005
Francis Robin Houssemayne Du Boulay (1920-2008), English distinguished medieval historian and Fellow of the British Academy
Sir James Houssemayne Du Boulay KCIE, CSI (1868-1943), British civil servant in India
The Ven. Henry Houssemayne Du Boulay MA (1840-1925), English Anglican priest, Archdeacon of Bodmin (1892-1923)
Shirley du Boulay, English author and biographer in Oxford who worked for the BBC from 1954 to 1978
Roger Houssemayne du Boulay, member of Her Majesty's Diplomatic Service

Citations +

Hozier, Charles D, and Antoine Bachelin-Delforenne. État présent De La Noblesse française (1883-1887): Contenant Le Distionnaire De La Noblesse Contemporaine Et Larmorial général De France, Dapres Les Manuscrits De Ch. D Hozier. Librairie Des Bibliophiles, 1884. Print.
Olivier, Reginald L. Your Ancient Canadian Family Ties. Logan: The Everton Publishers, Inc., P.O. Box 368, 1972. Print