Show ContentsBould History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Bould family

The surname Bould was first found in Lancashire. One branch of the family later held estates at Barkisland in the West Riding of Yorkshire.

"Barkisland Hall, the ancient seat of the Gledhill family, is a stately mansion in the old English style of domestic architecture, and has long been the property of the Bolds of Bold Hall, Lancashire." 1 Bould is a hamlet in Idbury civil parish, Oxfordshire.

Moving over to Whiston, again in Lancashire, the "Bolds held the manor in Henry VIII.'s reign, from which time its descent is not distinctly traced. " 1

Early History of the Bould family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bould research. Another 133 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1150, 1443, 1455, 1602, 1604, 1613, 1627, 1645, 1649, 1660, 1662, 1677, 1679, 1683, 1684, 1694, 1698, 1736, 1737, 1750, 1751 and 1754 are included under the topic Early Bould History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bould Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Bould family name include Bold, Bolde, Bould, Bolt and others.

Early Notables of the Bould family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

  • Henry Bould (or Bolde) (born c. 1602), was a Welsh academic at the University of Oxford in the 17th century; and Arthur Bold (c 1604-1677), was an English lawyer and politician who sat in the House of...


Bould migration to the United States +

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Bould surname or a spelling variation of the name include:

Bould Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Ed. Bould, aged 28, who landed in America, in 1893
  • Walter Bould, aged 19, who settled in America, in 1894
Bould Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Augustine Wm. J. Bould, aged 25, who immigrated to the United States from Wimbledon, in 1906
  • Aug W.J. Bould, aged 27, who landed in America, in 1907
  • William Francis Bould, aged 22, who immigrated to the United States from Cormbledon, England, in 1910
  • Theresa B. Bould, aged 22, who immigrated to the United States from Cormbledon, England, in 1910
  • John Bould, aged 20, who landed in America from Ossett, England, in 1912
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Bould migration to Australia +

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

Bould Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. George Bould, (Bowles), English convict who was convicted in Stafford, Staffordshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Elphinstone" on 20th January 1836, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 2

Bould migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Bould Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Robert Bould, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840
  • Mr. Robert Bould, (1807-1875), aged 32, British boot and shoe maker, born in Bagnall, Staffordshire, England travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Lord William Bentinck" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 24th May 1841 3
  • Mrs. Ann Bould, (1812-1884), aged 27, British settler, born in Macclesfield, Cheshire, England travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Lord William Bentinck" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 24th May 1841 3
  • Mr. George Bould, (1840-1841), aged 7 months, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Lord William Bentinck" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 24th May 1841, he died on board 3
  • Miss Mary Ann Bould, (1837-1926), aged 3, British settler, born in Tunstall, Staffordshire, England travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Lord William Bentinck" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 24th May 1841 3
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Bould (post 1700) +

  • James Bould (b. 1908), English television designer, known for his work on Are You Being Served? (1972-1973), BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (1950-1954) and The Three Hostages (1952)
  • Stephen Andrew "Steve" Bould (b. 1962), English former professional footballer and assistant manager of Premier League
  • Chris Bould (b. 1953), English BAFTA Award winning director, known for his work on Whose Line Is It Anyway? (1988), Smith & Jones (1984) and Bill Hicks: Revelations (1993)
  • Sam Bould (b. 1985), English Chlotrudis Award nominated actor, known for his work on The End of the Affair (1999), Hollow Reed (1996) and Ofelia (2008)
  • Bruce Bould, English actor from Bradford, West Yorkshire, known for The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin (1976), The Legacy of Reginald Perrin (1996) and Howards' Way (1985)
  • Stephen Andrew Bould (b. 1962), English former football player and current coach
  • Beckett Bould (1880-1970), English actor from Dewsbury, Yorkshire, known for Black Diamonds (1932), The Angry Silence (1960) and Anna Karenina (1948)
  • Sophie Bould, British theatre and television actress


  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elphinstone
  3. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html


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