This surname is derived from a geographical locality. 'de Bosville,' 'a village of 1400 inhabitants, near Yvetot, in Normandy. The family were in England in 1136, and probably from the period of the Conquest' (Lower's Patr. Brit). This is the true parentage of Boswell, although it has such an English local look.

John de Bosevill, Lincolnshire, 20 Edward I: Placita de Quo Warranto, temp. Edward I-III.

John de Bosevil, Yorkshire, 1273. Hundred Rolls.

Henry de Bosevil, Northamptonshire, ibid.

Simon de Bosevill, Bedfordshire, Henry III Edward I: Testa de Nevill, sive Liber Feodorum, temp. Henry III-Edward I.

Agnes Bosseuill, 1379: Poll Tax of Yorkshire.

Robert de Bosewill, or Bosville, Norfolk, 1360: History of Norfolk.

Walkcline de Bosevile, Norfolk, 1199: ibid.

Isabell Boswel, Norfolk, 1464: ibid.

William Boswell, Norfolk, 1620: ibid.

1752. Married — Thomas Simpson and Sarah Boswell: St. George, Hanover Square.

1780 — William Ward and Julia Bosville: ibid.

(1) From a vill near Yvetot, Normandy, or (2) from a place now Beuzeville near Bolbec. The first of the name in Scotland was Robert de Boseuille, who witnessed several charters in the earlier part of the reign of William the Lion, and is said to have held land in Berwickshire (Inchaffray, p. 304). He was witness to a charter by Walter de Berkeley to the Abbey of Aberbrothoc c. 1170 and to the king's confirmation of same (RAA., I, 56, 57). Between 1178—80 he witnessed gift by William the Lion of a "salina in Kars" to the same abbey, and last appears c. 1204 when he witnessed grant of a toft in Forfar (ibid., I, 7, 11). Paganus de Bosseuilla before 1200 gave a bovate of land in Edenham to the Abbey of Kelso (Kelso, 12). Henry de Boysuill witnessed a charter by John, earl of Huntingdon to Norman, son of Malcolm c. 1225 (Leslie family, I). Walter de Boseville was taken prisoner at Dunbar, 1296, and William de Boseville of Berwickshire and William de Boseville of Roxburghshire rendered homage, in same year. The seal of the latter, the charge of which is identical with that of Robert de Boyville of Ayrshire, a bull's head cabossed, S' Will'i de Boyville (Bain, II, p. 176,197, 199,207, 208), Noteworthy, too, is the fact that the names are alike spelled Boyville.' William de Boswill received payment of money for Sir Alexander de Seton, 1329 (ER., I, p. 184), and Roger de Bosseuyll or Bosvyll was custumar and burgess of Edinburgh, 1368—9 (ER., II, p. 608; Egidii, p. 1). Roger de Boswell married Mariota, daughter and co-heiress of Sir William Lochore of that Ilk, about middle of fourteenth century and was first of the family settled in Fife. The pedigree of the family from the time of William the Lion down to Samuel Johnson's bearleader is given in Rogers's Boswelliana, 1876. Boisuell 1584, Boisuill and Boiswall 1627, Bosewall 1685, Borssuale 1611, Bosswald 1677, Bosswall 1525, Bosuall 1594, Bosuel 1688, Bosuell 1506, Bosvell 1506, Bosvile 1463, Bosvill 1362, Bosvyle 1395, Boswald 1527, Boswele 1506, Boswille 1363; Bosuele, Bosewell, Bosswell, Boswall, Boswel.

Originally De Bosevil, (H.R.)-of Norman extraction. They migrated from England to Scotland in the reign of David I.

Local: from bosch, a wood, and vlle, a village. The family was established in Scotland, temp. David I.

Local. A corruption of Bosseville; from Bosch, a wood, and ville, a village. Bothel, Gaelic, the house of the powerful.