Boldind History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland
Ireland

The Boldind name has descended through the generations from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. Their name comes from having lived in Lancashire and Yorkshire, where they derived their name from any of several places named Boulton or Bolton. The name literally means district characterized by bends from the Old English words boga and land. 1

There are numerous place names throughout the north of England named after this illustrious family including Bolton le Sands in Lancashire, Bolton Castle, Bolton Percy and Bolton upon Dearne in Yorkshire. The Domesday Book of 1086 refers to Bodeltone 2 and it is generally understood that this if the first reference for most of these places.

Early Origins of the Boldind family

The surname Boldind was first found in Lancashire, Yorkshire, Cumberland and Northumberland. The latter "is memorable as the scene of a meeting in 1209, between John, King of England, and William, King of Scotland." 3

The Boldon Book was prepared on orders of Hugh du Puiset, Bishop of Durham in 1183 and while similar to the Domesday Book from a century before, the book lists lands and properties of what would later become County Durham which is now known as the North East. Only four known manuscript copies exist today.

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had two listings for the family: Michael de Boulton, Yorkshire; and Thomas de Boulton, or Bolton, Lincolnshire. 4

In Scotland, the name was "probably from Bolton in East Lothian. Adam de Boultone was reeve of Dunfres, 1287. William fiz Geffray de Boultone del counte de Edeneburk rendered homage, 1296. John of Boulton was employed as a mason at Castle of Linlithgow, 1302, and Robert of Bolton, a Scot, was released from prison in Colchester, 1396." 5

More recently, some of the family were found at Wrightington in Lancashire. "Harrock Hall, the seat of the Boulton family, was purchased in 1839 from the Rigbys, of whom, in 1567, it had already been the residence for four generations: the house, around which are 420 acres, has been restored by the present possessor." 3

Early History of the Boldind family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Boldind research. Another 167 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1191, 1321, 1570, 1572, 1575, 1592, 1606, 1611, 1619, 1631, 1633, 1639, 1640, 1645, 1648, 1650, 1654, 1659, 1666, 1680, 1844, 1868, 1878 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Boldind History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Boldind Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Boldind has undergone many spelling variations, including Boulton, Bolton, Bolten, Boalton, Boultoun, Boultown, Boltan, Boulten and many more.

Early Notables of the Boldind family

Distinguished members of the family include Edmund Bolton or Boulton (1575?-1633?), an English historian and poet, born in or about 1575; Sir Richard Bolton (1570?-1648), English lawyer, son of John Bolton, of Fenton, Staffordshire; Sir Edward Bolton (1592-1659 ), an English-born judge who served for many years as Solicitor General for Ireland; Robert de Boulton, of Lancashire; Samuel Bolton (1606-1654), an English clergyman and scholar, a member of the Westminster Assembly and Master of Christ's College, Cambridge; Sir William Bolton (died 1680), an English merchant, Lord Mayor of London in 1666; and Sir Richard Bolton (1639-1650)...
Another 96 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Boldind Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Boldind family to Ireland

Some of the Boldind family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 237 words (17 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 Boldind family

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Boldind were among those contributors: Richard Boulten who settled in Virginia in 1623; Enoch Boulton settled in Virginia in 1660; Everard Boulton settled in Pennsylvania with his wife Elizabeth and two children in 1682.

The Boldind 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: Vi et virtute
Motto Translation: By strength and valour.

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)