'Boys01'Index links to: Lead / Letter
Families covered: Boys of Bonington (Bonnington), Boys of Denton, Boys of Fredville, Boys of Goodneston, Boys of Nonington, Boys of Nutfield
[This page was originally uploaded as 'Boys02'. Its name was changed on 30.03.17 following a review of the Boys family.]

                               
The family name probably originated from Bois or Bosco, meaning wood.
John Boys of Bonnington in Goodneston, Kent (a 1355)
m. Sarah
1. William Boys
  m. Jane Coles (dau of Richard Coles of Lincolnshire)
  A. John Boys the first mentioned by Visitation
  i. Thomas Boys of Goodneston (d 1479)
  m. Edith
  a. William Boys of Fredville (in Nonington) & Bonnington, Kent (d 31.07.1507)
  BHO (History & Topographical Survey of Kent, vol 9, 'Parishes: Nonington') reports that William acquired Fredville Manor in 1484-5. It appears that Fredville was originally written "Froidville, from its cold situation, which is both low and watry".
  m. Isabella Phallop (d before 02.02.1517/8, dau/heir of _ Phallop of Nonington)
  (1) John Boys of Fredville Manor in Nonington (b by 1479, d 04.03.1533, MP)
  m1. (by 1500) Elizabeth Alday (dau of Nicholas Alday or Adley or Aldry of Chequer Court in Ashe)
  (A) William Boys of Nonington (bur 22.12.1549)
m. Maria Ringely (sister/heir of Sir Edward Ringley or Ringsley of Knolton, Knight Marshal & Comptroller of Calais)
  (i) Edward Boys of Fredwell (Fredville) in Nonington, Sheriff of Kent (b c1527, d 15.02.1598-9)
  m1. (sp) Jane Engham (bur 19.01.1586-7, dau of Robert Engham of Bredgar, widow of Richard Ashenden)
  m2. Clara Wentworth (dau of Sir Nicholas Wentworth of Lillingston Lovell)
  (a) Sir Edward Boys 'of Fredvill' of Nonington (d 08.01.1634-5)
m1. (15.09.1578) Mary Wentworth (bur 17.10.1616, dau of Peter Wentworth of Lillingston by Elizabeth, sister of Sir Francis Walsingham)
  ((1)) Sir Edward Boys 'of Fredvill' (bpt 19.07.1579, d 1646, MP)
  m. Elizabeth Hamon (dau/coheir of Alexander Hamon of Bishopsbourne (Haman of Acris) by Catherine (probably not Anne), dau of Richard Knatchbull)
((A)) John Boys of Fredville (bpt 25.002.1604-5, a 1645-8, Lieutenanat of Dover Castle)
  m. Margaret Miller (dau of Nicholas Miller of Wrotham)
  ((i)) John Boys (bpt 06.01.1629-30, dsp 1687)
  m. Elizabeth (bur 13.04.1678)
  ((ii))+ other issue (dsp) - Edward (bpt 18.08.1625), Nicholas (bpt 06.08.1626, d 1686), George (bpt 09.12.1635), James
  ((B)) Mary Boys (bpt 18.06.1612) probably the Mary who married ...
  m. George Trotter of Skelton Castle (d 05.04.1647)
  ((C)) Elizabeth Boys (bpt 10.03.1615-6)
  m. Thomas Turner of Canterbury
  ((D)) Catharine Boys
  m. (30.09.1640) Edward Ewell (d 1685-6)
((E))+ other issue - Edward (bpt 14.12.1606), Robert (bpt 15.04.1610, bur 05.06.1625), Samuel (bpt 26.01.1614-5), Thomas (a 1637), Ann (bpt 30.11.1620), Margaret (bpt 11.12.1625, a 1637), Catharine (bur 11.08.1617)
  ((2)) Roger Boys of Whitfield, Kent
  m. Anna Rowe (dau of William Rowe of Walthamstow)
  ((A))+ issue - Edward, Mary, Anne, Anna, Elizabeth
  ((3)) Thomas Boys (bpt 06.10.1583, Captain)
m. (09.1603) Mary Halls of St. Mary, Bredin (widow)
  ((A)) Mary Boys
  ((4)) Peter Boys (bpt 31.03.1588, bur 22.07.1627)
  ((5)) Frances Boys
  m. Sir John Thompson of Petham (dsp 1645)
  ((6)) Anne Boys
m1. Francis Warnett (not Warner) of Sussex
  m2. Sir Thomas Sackville of Sedlescome (b by 1589)
  ((7)) Dorothy Boys (bur 30.11.1617)
  m. Sir Francis Swan of Denton
  ((8)) Elizabeth Boys
  m. Thomas Blechenden of Simnells
  ((9)) Mary Boys
  m. John Bode of Davington Priory
  m2. Anne (probably not Catherine) Knatchbull (d 06.1625, dau of Richard Knatchbull)
(b) Gersona Boys
  m. ?? (near Frankfurt in Germany)
  (c)+ other issue (dsp) - John, Nicholas
  m3. Joan Heath (bur 17.10.1616, dau of John Heath, widow of Sir Martin Calthrop)
  (ii) Thomas Boys of Eythorne (Eytham) (b c1527, d 28.02.1599-1600)
  m1. Christiana Searles (bur 28.07.1587, dau/coheir of Thomas Searles of Wye)
  m2. Mary Denne (dau of William Denne of Kingston, relict of John Coppin)
  (iii) William Boys of Tilmeston (dsp, MP)
  (iv) Vincent Boys of Bekesborne (a 1583)
  m. (09.09.1572) Elizabeth Barrey (dau/coheir of Richard Barrey of Dover Castle)
  (v) Sir John Boys of St. Gregory's (Priory in Canterbury), of Hoad Court, Kent (d 1612)
BHO (History & Topographical Survey of Kent, vol 8, 'Parishes: Bleane') reports that Sir John was recorder of Canterbury then Sandwich, judge, MP. etc., and that he devised the lease of Hoad Court to his nephew Thomas (Boys) with remainder to Thomas's son John. Visitation does not identify any nephew called Thomas. The dates for the successors to Hoad Court suggest that the Thomas mentioned in Sir John's will was in fact his brother Thomas. See above.
  m1. Dorothy Paw (dau of Thomas Paw)
  (a) Dorothy Boys (d infant)
  m2. (sp) Jane Walker (dau of Thomas Walker of London)
  (v) Mary Boys probably of this generation
  m. William Purefoy of Hollingbourne, later of Shalstone (b 01.03.1524, d 05.07.1595)
  (vii)+ 3 other daughters
  (B) John Boys of Denton, later of Deptford (d 20.05.1543)
  m. Elizabeth Lambard (dau of Sir Nicholas Lambard of London)
  Berry identifies John & Elizabeth as ancestors of Boys of Denton. BHO (History & Topographical Survey of Kent, vol 9, 'Parishes: Denton') & HoP ('William Boys") provide the following.
  (i) William Boys of Denton & Chartam (b 03.1541, d 31.08.1596)
m. Frances Isley (a 1596, dau of Thomas Isley)
  (a) Edward Boys, last of Denton Manor described by BHO as "eldest son"
  (b) Thomas Boys described by HoP as William's heir in 1596
  (c)+ 3 sons + 1 daughter
  (C) Thomas Boys of Walmer (Kent), Mayor of Calais (b 1502/3, bur 13/16.02.1562-3, Captain of Deal Castle, MP)
  m. (by 08.05.1534) Malyn Leigh (dau of Nicholas Leigh of Addington (by Anne Carew))
  Berry identifies Thomas as ancestor of the Boys family in Surrey. The following Anthony and his family are mentioned in Visitation (Surrey, 1662-8, 'Boys') which starts with Thomas Boys of .. in Kent who we presume was this Thomas. HoP ("Thomas Boys") identifies Thomas's wife and reports that he had 6 sons + 3 daughters, naming the elder sons as John & William.
  (i) Anthony Boys of Cowlsden, Surrey (younger son)
  m. Dorothy Harris (dau of Richard Harris of Hardwick)
  (a) John Boys of Nutfield, Surrey
  m. Anne Green (dau/heir of John Greene of Aldenham)
  ((1)) Anthony Boys of Nutfield (a 1662)
  m. Joane Husee (dau of George Husee of Slingford)
  ((A)) Anne Boys (b 1661-2)
((2)) Anne Boys
  (ii)+ other issue - John, William, 3 sons, 3 daughters
  (D) Elizabeth Boys
  m. Bartholomew Barham of Barham
  (E) Benet(ta) Boys
  m. (Robert) Pool
  (F)+ other issue - Edith, Anne
  m2. Alice or Margery or Agnes Roper (dau of John Roper of Eltham)
  (F) Edward Boys (monk)
  (G) daughter
  m1. _ Couldwell or Goodwell of London
  m2. _ Legg (treasurer of Calais)
  m3. Sir Thomas Wriothesley (Garter King of Arms, uncle of the Earl of Southampton)
  m3. Agnes or Alice Haman of Crayford (widow of John Somer of Sandwich)
  (2) Thomas Boys of Goodneston (d 1508)
m. Thomasine
  (A) William Boys of Bonnington this generation omitted by Visitation
  m. _ Guldiford (dau of Sir John Guldiford of Benenden)
  (i) Vincent Boys of Bonnington (b c1521, d 01.10.1558)
  m. Mary Honeywood (bur 18.03.1599-1600, dau of John Honeywood of Seend, m2. Edmund Gay)
  (B) Robert Boys in Sussex (a 1535)
  m. _ Thornhurst (dau of Stephen Thornhurst of St. Mildred's)
  (C) Richard Boys
  Berry describes Richard as the "supposed ancestor of the Hawkhurst family". Assuming that to be the case, he was probably father or grandfather of ...
  (i) John Boyes of Shoram (Shoreham)
  m. Johane Nowell
  (D)+ other issue - Edward (d young), Agnes, Mercy, Anne
  b. Alice Boys
  m. Thomas Butt

Main source(s): CountyGen (Kent, Berry, p440+) with support from Visitation (Kent, 1619, 'Boys') and as reported above
Back to top of page