Boscoe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

Etymology of Boscoe

What does the name Boscoe mean?

The surname Boscoe derives their name from the local Boscawen, in Cornwall best known for Boscawen-Un, a Bronze age stone circle close to St Buryan. It consists of 19 upright stones in an ellipse. An old Welsh triad mentions a principal gorseddau on the Island of Britain as "Beisgawen in Dumnonia", which most believe refer to Boscawen-Un by the Gorseth's founders. In more recent years, Boscawen, New Hampshire was named after Edward Boscawen, the British admiral who distinguished himself at the 1758 Siege of Louisbourg.

Early Origins of the Boscoe family

The surname Boscoe was first found in Cornwall where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Tregothnan. "Descended from Henry who lived in the reign of King John, and who took the name of Bascawen from the lordship of Boscawen-Rose, still the property of the family. " 1

So as to confirm this very early claim, another source notes: "that the Boscawens possessed this place so early as the reign of John, and that it was the original seat of that ancient family, who took from thence their name; and that the Boscawens removed to Tregothnan, in consequence of a marriage with an heiress of the Tregothman family, in the reign of Edward III. at which place their descendants still continue to reside." 2

Another interesting note about the family: "According to Hals, one of the Cornish historians, the first Boscawen who settled in Cornwall was an Irishman whose name does not appear to be now known; but whatever it may have been, it was soon exchanged for that of the place (which still bears the same name) in the parish of St. Buryan, a few miles from the Land's End, where he took up his abode, viz. at Boscawen Ros - the valley of elder trees. Other branches of the Boscawens settled in later times at Tregameer, in St. Columb Major, and at Trevallock in Creed, or St. Stephen's. All traces of the marriages of the earliest Boscawens seem to be lost until we reach the reign of Edward I, when Henry de Boscawen (about 1292) took to wife Hawise Trewoof. In 1335 John de Boscawen. by marrying an heiress, Joan de Tregothnan, acquired the Tregothnan property on the banks of the river Fal, where the family seat still is; the present building, however, dating only from 1815. " 3

Early History of the Boscoe family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Boscoe research. Another 125 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1079, 1164, 1510, 1600, 1625, 1627, 1628, 1646, 1654, 1680, 1685, 1689, 1701, 1711, 1734, 1756, 1757, 1758, 1759 and 1761 are included under the topic Early Boscoe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Boscoe Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Boscowen, Boscawen, Boscoan, Boscoe, Boscow and others.

Early Notables of the Boscoe family

Charles Boscawen (1627-1689), an English politician, Member of Parliament for Cornwall between 1654 and 1689; and his brother Hugh Boscawen (1625-1701), an English politician, Member of Parliament for Cornwall between 1646 and 1701; Edward Boscawen (1628-1685), an English politician; and Hugh Boscawen, 1st Viscount Falmouth (c.1680-1734), a leading Cornish politician of his time. In the latter year of his life, he was raised to the peerage as Baron Boscawen and Viscount Falmouth. Admiral of the Blue Edward Boscawen, PC (1711-1761) was a...
Another 80 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Boscoe Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Boscoe migration to the United States +

Boscoe Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Mr. Nicholas Boscoe, aged 57, British farmer who arrived in New Orleans aboard the ship "John Cummins" on 26th April 1842

Contemporary Notables of the name Boscoe (post 1700) +

Donald D. Boscoe, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from California, 1956, 1964 4

Sources +

Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html