Bosstart History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• England

The name Bosstart is rooted in the ancient Norman culture that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. It was a name for someone who was a child of illegitimate birth but such references are in jest.

Early Origins of the Bosstart family

The surname Bosstart was first found in Devon, where they are descended from "Robert Bastard, who held several manors in this county in the reign of William I. For several generations Efford, in the parish of Egg-Buckland, was the seat of this family. " ^[1]

"In Norman times illegitimacy was not regarded with the same contempt as now. The Conqueror himself, though illegitimate, not only succeeded to his father’s duchy, but frankly avowed himself as a bastard in official writings." ^[2]

"The church [of West Alvington in Devon] contains some good screen-work in carved oak, and a beautiful monument to a member of the Bastard family, whose ancient seat has been converted into a farmhouse." ^[3]

Important Dates for the Bosstart family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bosstart research. Another 338 words (24 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1201, 1273, 1273, 1379, 1566, 1700, 1721, 1779, 1784, 1816, 1832, 1565, 1618, 1598 and 1847 are included under the topic Early Bosstart History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bosstart Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Bastard, Basstard, Bostard, Bosstard, Baisterd, Bestard, Bastert, Basteder and many more.

Early Notables of the Bosstart family (pre 1700)

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Thomas Bastard (c. 1565-1618) an English clergyman famed for his published English language epigrams. He was born in Blandford Forum, Dorset, England and is best known for seven books of 285...
Another 38 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bosstart Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Bosstart family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Bosstart or a variant listed above were: Henry Bastard, who sailed to Virginia in 1657. George Bastert journeyed to Philadelphia in 1806. In Canada David Basteder was among the United Empire Loyalists who settled there in the 1780s and John Pollexfen Bastard was living in Leeds County, Ontario in 1878..

Citations

1. ^ Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
2. ^ Lowe, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
3. ^ Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.