Show ContentsBostain History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Bostain family

The surname Bostain was first found in the Scottish Borders at Gattonside where "their name appears in record as Boustoune and Bowstone. There is a town named Boston in Lincolnshire, but the Scottish name may be of local origin. Bernard Boustoun was one of the witnesses to a charter by Andrew, abbot of Melrose, 1540. " [1]

Further to the south in Boston, Lincolnshire, "this place derived its name from St. Botolph, a Saxon, who founded a monastery here about the year 650; from which circumstance it was called Botolph's Town, since contracted to Boston. " [2]

Philip Baston or Boston (d. 1320?), was a Carmelite, brother of Robert Baston and was born at Nottingham. He was ordained priest on 22 Sept. 1296. His brother Robert Baston (fl. 1300), was also a Carmelite monk. He became Prior of the Abbey of Scarborough. "He seems to have acquired a great reputation in his own age for elegant verses. At Oxford, says Pits, he was not unworthily crowned with laurel as a rhetorician and a poet. He is said to have been taken to Scotland by Edward I to sing his praises at the siege of Stirling (1304.) " [3]

The Poston variant originated in Essex where John de la Posterne was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1202 and then later in the Feet of Fines for 1242. [4]

Early History of the Bostain family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bostain research. Another 170 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1410, 1634, 1638, 1676, 1677, 1713, 1732 and 1767 are included under the topic Early Bostain History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bostain Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Boston, Bouston, Bowstone, Bostown, Bostowne, Bostoun, Bawston, Bauston, Bawstone, Baustone, Bowsting, Bowstain and many more.

Early Notables of the Bostain family

Notable amongst the family name during their early history was Buriensis Boston (fl. 1410), or John Boston of Bury, author of the 'Catalogus Scriptorum Ecclesiæ' and the 'Speculum Cœnobitarum,' an Augustinian monk belonging to the abbey at Bury St. Edmunds. His full name was probably John Boston, his surname being perhaps taken from the town of his birth or...
Another 59 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bostain Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Bostain family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Henry Boston settled in Virginia in 1643; Joseph Boston settled in Maryland in 1728; followed by Thomas in 1731; Mr. Boston settled in San Francisco, Cal. in 1850..



  1. 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)
  2. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  3. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  4. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)


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