Bosworth

Recorded in several spellings including Bosworth, Bosward, Boswood, Bozward, Bozworth and probly others, this is an English medeival surname. It is locational from either of two Bosworth parishes in the county of Leicestershire. The first is Husbands Bosworth, recorded as Baresworde in the Domesday Book of 1086 from the pre 7th century word "bar" meaning a boar, and "worth", a fenced enclosure. It is unclear why it should have adopted the prefix of Husbands, although the word did describe farmers, and was perhaps deliberate to avoid confusion with Market Bosworth, a place of commerce! Market Bosworth recorded in the Domesday Book as Boseworde, is also the site of Bosworth Field, the famous battle in 1485 between Henry Tudor, the future Henry V11th and the soon to be late Richard 111rd. This village derives it's first element from the Old English personal name Bose, meaning "reckless or daring", with "worth". Early recordings include William de Boresworth in the Leicestershire County Rolls in 1328, John de Bosworth in the Fines Court of Norfolk in 1377, and Joseph Bozward of Birlingham, Worcestershire, on March 3rd 1698. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Richard de Baresworth, in the Pipe Rolls of Leicestershire for the year 1206. This was during the reign of King John, known as "Lackland" 1199 - 1216. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was sometimes known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.