Boughen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Boughen is one of the many new names that came to England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Boughen family lived in Sussex. Their name, however, does not refer to that area, but to their former place of residence, the town of Bohun, in the French maritime department of La Manche, in western Normandy. 1

Early Origins of the Boughen family

The surname Boughen was first found in Sussex. Humphrey with the Beard (died c. 1113) was a Norman soldier and nobleman fought in the Norman Conquest of England of 1066 and is the earliest known ancestor of the de Bohun family. 2

He had three sons: Robert de Bohun, who had no issue; Richard de Bohun, progenitor through the female line, of the Bohuns of Midhurst; and Humphrey I de Bohun (died c.1123) who through marriage became "the founder of the fortunes of his family." His son, Humphrey II de Bohun (died 1165) continued the lineage. His son, Henry de Bohun (1176-1220), was the 1st Earl of Hereford and Hereditary Constable of England from 1199 to 1220. 3

"Humphrey de Bohun, Earl of Hereford, inheriting the honour of Essex from his mother, Maud, sister and heiress of William de Mandeville, last Earl of Essex, was created Earl of that county by Henry III., and in a few years after stood sponsor for Prince Edward. In 1250, he assumed the cross, and proceeded to the Holy Land, and in the great content between the King and the Barons, fought under the banner of the latter, in whose army his son Humphrey was one of the most distinguished leaders, and commanded the infantry at the Battle of Evesham. " 2

Early History of the Boughen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Boughen research. Another 156 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1176, 1215, 1220, 1275, 1298, 1342, 1368, 1372, 1373, 1394, 1397, 1587, 1645, 1660, 1698, 1699 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Boughen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Boughen 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 Bohon, Bohun, Bone, Boon, Boone, Bohan, Bound and many more.

Early Notables of the Boughen family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Edward Boughen, D.D. (1587-ca. 1660), an English royalist divine

Migration of the Boughen family to Ireland

Some of the Boughen family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 75 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Boughen migration to the United States +

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 Boughen or a variant listed above were:

Boughen Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

George Boughen, aged 24, who landed in America from Birmingham, in 1898

Boughen Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

George F. Boughen, aged 19, who settled in America from Norfolk, England, in 1909
Samuel Boughen, aged 26, who settled in America, in 1921
James Boughen, aged 73, who landed in America, in 1923
John Boughen, aged 39, who immigrated to the United States, in 1924

Boughen migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Boughen Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

William Boughen, aged 36, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1854 aboard the ship "Royal Charlie" 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Boughen (post 1700) +

Nicholas Boughen, American Primetime Emmy nominated visual effects specialist, known for his work on Blades of Glory (2007), J. Edgar (2011) and I, Robot (2004)
James Boughen, English writer and actor, known for Monday (2011), Pop Sludge (2016) and Class Dismissed (2016)
Michael Boughen, three-time Australian Film Institute nominated producer and actor, known for Killer Elite (2011), The Loved Ones (2009) and Tomorrow, When the War Began (2010)
Ray Boughen (b. 1937), Canadian Conservative politician in the electoral district of Palliser, Saskatchewan (2008-2015)

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
South Australian Register Thursday 25th May 1854. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Royal Charlie 1854. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/royalcharlie1854.shtml