Bowmen

This interesting name is a variant of the surname Bowman, which is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and is an interesting name for an archer, derived from the Old English pre 7th Century "boga", bow, and "man", man. In some cases, however, the name originally referred to someone who untangles wool with a bow; this process originated in Italy and became common in England in the 13th Century. This is one of the many occupational names given to the maker of user of armour; other names include: Archer (a bowman), fletcher (an arrowsmith) and Tipper (a maker of arrowheads). The name development since 1223 (see below) includes the following: Thomas Bouman (1279, Northumberland) and Nicholas the Bowemon (1286 - 1287, Cheshire). The modern surname can be found as Bowman, Bowmen, Boman, Bohman, Bohlin, Bolin and Beauman. The marriages were recorded in London, of Christofer Boman and Elsabth Halley, on May 24th 1551 at St. Margaret's, Westminster, and of Richarde Boman and Ann Burgedge, on Novmeber 20th 1575 at St. Pancras, Soper Lane. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Adam Bogheman, which was dated 1223, Curia Regis Rolls for Westmorland, during the reign of King Henry 11, "The Frenchman", 1216 - 1272. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.