Boswell

Boswell
Recorded in several forms incling Boswell, Buswell, Busswell and Baswell, this is an Anglo-Scottish medieval surname, but unusually perhaps, of French locational origins. It is a name that was introduced by a follwer of Duke William of Normandy after the Invasion of England in 1066, and later into Scotland. It originates from the town of Beuzeville, in the department of Seine Martime, Normandy. The placename means "the village or settlement of Beuze", the derivation being from the Old French personal name "Beuze", itself of Germanic orign from "boese" or "bose", meaning "reckless", plus "ville", meaning settlement or village. In Britain the final element has over the years become transposed, because of the more familiar English place name ending of "well", originally describing a spring or mountain stream. Amongst the famous nameholders associated with the surname was James Boswell (1740 - 1795), the biographer of Dr. Johnson. He descended from Roger de Bosvil, who held lands in Fife, Scotland, in the 13th Century. Boswell, Buswell and Baswall are the modern-day forms of the surname. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of William de Boesavilla. This was dated 1130, in the Staffordshire County Records, and during the reign of King Henry lst of England, known as 'The Lion of Justice', 1100 - 1135. 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.

Surnames reference. 2013.

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  • Boswell — ist der Name mehrerer Orte in den Vereinigten Staaten: Boswell (Arkansas) Boswell (Indiana) Boswell (North Carolina) Boswell (Oklahoma) Boswell (Pennsylvania) Boswell Corners (New York) Boswell ist der Familienname folgender Personen: Arthur… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Boswell — may refer to:In places: * Boswell, Indiana, US * Boswell, Oklahoma, US * Boswell, Pennsylvania, US * Boswell, British Columbia, a rural community on Kootenay Lake in British Columbia, Canada * Boswell, British Columbia (Central Coast), a former… …   Wikipedia

  • Boswell — Boswell, OK U.S. town in Oklahoma Population (2000): 703 Housing Units (2000): 377 Land area (2000): 0.686245 sq. miles (1.777367 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.010697 sq. miles (0.027706 sq. km) Total area (2000): 0.696942 sq. miles (1.805073 sq.… …   StarDict's U.S. Gazetteer Places

  • Boswell's, St. —    BOSWELL S, ST., a parish, situated in the district of Melrose, county of Roxburgh, 4 miles (S. E.) from Melrose; containing, with the village of Lessudden, 747 inhabitants. This place derives its name from its church, which is supposed to have …   A Topographical dictionary of Scotland

  • Boswell, IN — U.S. town in Indiana Population (2000): 827 Housing Units (2000): 361 Land area (2000): 0.474389 sq. miles (1.228662 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km) Total area (2000): 0.474389 sq. miles (1.228662 sq. km) FIPS code …   StarDict's U.S. Gazetteer Places

  • Boswell, OK — U.S. town in Oklahoma Population (2000): 703 Housing Units (2000): 377 Land area (2000): 0.686245 sq. miles (1.777367 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.010697 sq. miles (0.027706 sq. km) Total area (2000): 0.696942 sq. miles (1.805073 sq. km) FIPS… …   StarDict's U.S. Gazetteer Places

  • Boswell, PA — U.S. borough in Pennsylvania Population (2000): 1364 Housing Units (2000): 681 Land area (2000): 0.736424 sq. miles (1.907329 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km) Total area (2000): 0.736424 sq. miles (1.907329 sq. km)… …   StarDict's U.S. Gazetteer Places

  • Boswell —   [ bɔswəl], James, schottischer Schriftsteller, * Edinburgh 29. 10. 1740, ✝ London 19. 5. 1795; bereiste 1764 66 den Kontinent, wo er u. a. Voltaire und Rousseau begegnete; war dann Rechtsanwalt in Edinburgh (bis 1783); begleitete 1773 Samuel… …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Boswell — (spr. Baß nell), 1) James, geb. 1740 in Edinburg; studirte in Glasgow u. in Holland, durchreiste 1764 Europa u. st. als Advocat 1795 in London; er schr.: Account of Corsica, Glasg. 1768, 3. A., Lond. 1769 (deutsch Lpz. 1769); Journal of a tour to …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Boswell — Boswell, 1) James, engl. Schriftsteller, geb. 29. Okt. 1740 in Edinburg, gest. 19. Mai 1795 in London, war von seinem Vater, Richter am schottischen Obertribunal, für den Advokatenstand bestimmt, studierte anfangs in Edinburg und Glasgow, begab… …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Boswell — Boswell, James, engl. Schriftsteller, geb. 29. Okt. 1740 zu Edinburgh, gest. 19. Mai 1795, Freund Samuel Johnsons, von dem er eine meisterhafte Biographie lieferte. – Vgl. Fitzgerald (1891). – Sein Sohn Sir Alexander B., geb. 1775, gest. 26. März …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

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