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Variants, Boswell, Bosswald, Bosswall. This name is of
French origin from a village near Yvetot, Normandy. The name is found in
many ancient manuscripts in Scotland. Examples of such are Robert de
Boseuille, the first of the name in Scotland, who witnessed several charters
in the earlier part of the reign of William the Lion.Henry de Boysuill
witnessed a charter by John, earl of Huntington to Norman, son of Malcolm in
the year 1225. Names were recorded in these ancient documents to make it
easier for their overlords to collect taxes and to keep records of the
population at any given time. When the overlords acquired land by either
force or gifts from their rulers, they created charters of ownership for
themselves and their vassals. Other examples of this name were found in the
person of Walter de Boseville who was taken prisoner at Dunbar in 1296 and
Roger de Boswell was the first of the name to settle in Fife. |
