Boulden History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland
Ireland

The roots of the Boulden surname reach back to the language of the Viking settlers who populated the rugged shores of Scotland in the Medieval era. The Boulden surname comes from someone having lived on the lands of Bowden, in Roxburghshire where the family held lands since the early Middle Ages.

Early Origins of the Boulden family

The surname Boulden was first found in Bowden, in Roxburghshire."For a period of about two hundred years various persons of the same surname are witnesses to a number of charters These are not mentioned as holding lands in the parish, but would appear to have been kindly tenants of the monastery who took their name from the barony. The monks of different periods were in the practice of sub-letting the lands of the barony, and some of the lands, on whatever condition originally let, came at length to be held by the parties in hereditary right". Between c, 1200 and c. 1240 one or more individuals named Richard de Boulden witnessed charters by Cecilia de Molle, Symon Maulverer, etc. Master Richard de Bouldone, parson of the parish of Edilstone, rendered homage to King Edward I of England in 1296. William de Bolden was Abbot of Kelso in 1370, and in 1399 we have mention of the tenement of John de Bolden in Westerkelsow.' [1]

Gilbert Boddane who witnessed an instrument of sasine at Bordland of Laik, Kirkcudbrightshire in 1552. Later, John Bodane in Meiklehalf, 1686 (Kirkcudbright), and John Boddane and Williame Boddane were recorded as masters of families in the parish of Buittle, 1684. [1]

Early History of the Boulden family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Boulden research. Another 140 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1150, 1296, 1450 and are included under the topic Early Boulden History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Boulden Spelling Variations

Spelling variations are extremely common among Scottish names dating from this era because the arts of spelling and translation were not yet standardized. Spelling was done by sound, and translation from Gaelic to English was generally quite careless. In different records, Boulden has been spelled Bowden, Bouden, Boulden, Bouldene, Bolden, Boldane, Boldan, Boden, Bodden and many more.

Early Notables of the Boulden family (pre 1700)

More information is included under the topic Early Boulden Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Boulden family to Ireland

Some of the Boulden family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 61 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Boulden migration to Australia +

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

Boulden Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Richard Boulden, (b. 1841), aged 42, Cornish farmer travelling aboard the ship "Duchess of Argyle" arriving in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on 5th February 1883 [2]
Mrs. Anne Boulden, (b. 1843), aged 40, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "Duchess of Argyle" arriving in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on 5th February 1883 [2]
Mr. Richard H Boulden, (b. 1872), aged 11, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "Duchess of Argyle" arriving in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on 5th February 1883 [2]
Mr. William J Boulden, (b. 1876), aged 7, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "Duchess of Argyle" arriving in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on 5th February 1883 [2]
Mr. Joseph M Boulden, (b. 1881), aged 2, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "Duchess of Argyle" arriving in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on 5th February 1883 [2]
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Boulden 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:

Boulden Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

George Boulden, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Edwin Fox" in 1875
Joshua Boulden, aged 27, a painter, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Hurunui" in 1877

Contemporary Notables of the name Boulden (post 1700) +

Timothy U. Boulden, American Republican politician, Member of Delaware State House of Representatives 23rd District; Elected 1998 [3]
Levi Boulden, American politician, Member of Delaware State House of Representatives from New Castle County, 1824 [3]
George M. Boulden, American Democratic Party politician, Postmaster at Elkton, Maryland, 1963-78 [3]

Citations +

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)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 19). Emigrants to Australia NSW 1860 -88 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/nsw_passenger_lists_1860_88.pdf
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 29) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html