Boorman Family Genealogy - Growing Our Family Tree
Connect:
  • Home
  • Surnames
  • Trees
    • ANDREW Pedigree
    • BOORMAN Pedigree
    • HENSON Pedigree
    • THOMAS Pedigree
  • Boorman
    • Johnston / Dever
    • Kerfoot / Neeland / Smith
    • Robson / Stigant / Gouge
    • Green
    • Hayward
  • Thomas
  • Henson
    • Hunt >
      • Crow + Patterson
      • Poland + Crouch
    • Orrick + Dyer
    • Fraley + Flannery
    • Osburn + Lemaster
  • Andrew
    • Richardson >
      • Harris + Randall
      • Packham + Stevens
      • Sweetlove + Huckstep
    • Compton >
      • Coates + Abbott
      • Cossey + Robinson
      • Haszard, Hazard
      • Jeffery
      • Lisle + Beconsaw + Whitaker
      • Rider + Saunders
    • Hopgood
    • Grigg + Cornish >
      • McDonald + Clark
    • Neale + Trick
  • Military
    • Military - Fred May
  • Blog
  • Contact Us

BOORMAN Origins

7/10/2013

57 Comments

 
last updated 31 Dec 2013
A fellow Boorman researcher recently sent me an old digitized book of lineages published in 1899 - quite the find!  Although the main title of the book included the names "King and Henham", there were some Boormans listed in it as well as the names Martyr and Wild.  In it is mentioned "William Boorman of Lamberhurst, Sussex whose ancestor came from Holland circa 1620".  This got me thinking about the origins of the Boorman families of Kent England, the origins of the Boorman surname,  the various Boorman branches in Kent England, and Boorman heraldry, including crests and coat of arms . 
BOORMAN BRANCHES
Another researcher once told us (quite a while ago) that researchers were looking into  3 distinct Boorman branches: Lamberhurst (definitely not Lambeth as I had thought), Biddenden and Lenham.  He recently confirmed that "When I first started my research I was told the lines were Lamberhurst, Lenham and Biddenden [all in Kent England].  My line was supposed to be Biddenden but much as I love that most beautiful of villages I think Cranbrook would be much more accurate."  Back then these lines hadn't been linked, although perhaps by now they've all been merged - I'm out of date on this.    All these places are so close together by Canadian standards at least, that it seems probable they are all somehow connected. The old files I have for these Boorman branches don't go back as far as 1620.  My copy of the old Lamberhurst file starts with a William Boorman who married a Mary Loud in Maidstone in 1732; he died in 1765 in Lamberhurst. But a lot of research has occurred since then.

My own Boorman file now goes back as far as a William Boorman (c1635 Kent) and his wife Sarah, whose children were born/christened in Hawkhurst Kent, just south of Cranbrook and SE of Lamberhurst (10km or so, from the looks of the map).  So I'm wondering if this William is the same as the "William from Lamberhurst" mentioned in the 1899 book?  I did not have a Thomas Hugh Boorman in any of my trees (as listed in the 1899 book), nor the Martyr surname except for a Jane Martyr (1770-1842 East Peckham) who married a John Hicks Boorman (1765-1832), son of William Boorman (~1722-1793) and Elizabeth Lynn.  Hmm... John Hicks Boorman and Jane Martyr were also mentioned on one of the early pages of this 1899 book, which also states that their daughter Margaret Boorman married Thomas Henham of Grove House.).  So this book gave me some new information on the descendants of John Hicks Boorman as well as earlier details of the tangled "Boorman, Henham, Martyr and Wild Alliance" which was dated back to the late 1700s.
BOORMAN FAMILY ORIGINS
updated 22 Sep 2013 - adding another legend
updated 31 Dec 2013 - added another quote (Holland hop farmers)
Regarding the earlier origins of the Boormans of Kent, did they really come from Holland?  A modern day researcher recently said: "The interesting thing is that so many Boorman researchers were told by their fathers and grandfathers, long before they started searching, that the family came over to England with the Flemish Weavers. In the early 1980's [when I was in] Maastricht on the Dutch/Belgian border, [I] lost count of the times that I was told by both sides that Boorman was a Belgian/Dutch name."

If the early Boormans were indeed Flemish weavers (Belgian Dutch), they would have come from the Flanders area of northern Belgium, where there was a booming wool, cloth and drapery industry in the middle ages (according to wikipedia).  I also found an interesting site on the history of weavers guilds and immigration to England: http://www.weavers.org.uk/history.

In a similar fashion, another researcher told me: “... the Boorman’s were Flemish weavers who came over from Flanders in the 14th Century. ...  Up until the late 16th Century Cranbrook was the world centre for woollen cloth production and there were certainly a lot of BOORMANs in Cranbrook. “

Yet another researcher also mentions weavers: “This BOORMAN family were wheelwrights for 300 years and for centuries before that they had been broadweavers.  Both broadweaving and wheelwrighting were skilled trades involving specialised workshops, equipment and tools.  Consequently they were very much trades that were passed down from father to son.”

I had heard the Dutch mentioned before in relation to Boorman early origins, always as family lore and without any concrete sources.  One of the legends passed down in our Canadian branch of the "Biddenden Boormans" was that the Boormans came over with (or followed) William the Conqueror from Normandy, and perhaps before that from Holland.  Other stories involved the killing of a pesky wild boar by a resourceful ancestor and receiving recognition and the name of "boar man". 

Also under consideration is the Dutch word "Boer," meaning farmer, which became known in reference to the descendants of the Dutch-speaking setters of the eastern Cape frontier in Southern Africa during the 18th century, and the associated Boer wars with the British: 1880-1881 and 1899-1902 (according to wikipedia).  But there were likely Dutch farmers in England too who could have used that term and name.  Giving more credence to this idea, another researcher says "... a possible potato famine that hit Kentish farms in the 16th century and that Dutch farmers were invited over to show the Kent farmers how to grow hops for beer as a successful alternative. So I assumed that our surname, Boorman, was from the Dutch word Boer or farmer. See "Hops - Wikepedia". Much later and after the industrial revolution meant machines replaced manpower, a lot of farm workers moved into London looking for work."

Boorman immigration dates seem to vary widely in these tales (1066, C14 or c1620...).  If the 1620 legend is true, it might have been the father and/or grandfather of William (c1635 Lamberhurst Kent) who came to England from Holland in c1620.  No proof of course.  Speculation continues, and it is interest to collect these different legends and notice the similarities.

To add to the many story variations, here's another family legend I recently read on the rootsweb Boorman forum:
"When the Spanish invaded Holland poss in 16th century, if the people didn't convert to the Catholic faith they were killed.  Apparently two people fled in a boat and settled around the Maidstone area, where there are still many Boormans.  There are also many Boormans along the north Kent coast, mainly, I think, between Sittingbourne and Faversham.  My theory is that some of the Maidstone people had land reclamation expertise learned in the low countries; the Kent marshes were starting to be drained and so work was available in north Kent and /or the people wanted to live in a flat marshy area similar to Holland."

BOORMAN SURNAME ORIGINS
The internet abounds with theories as to the origins of the Boorman surname, with its many variants.  One site suggests an Anglo Saxon origin, first recorded as William Bureman in 1204 in Yorkshire - http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Boorman.  Ancestry.com says it is English, a variant of Bowerman.  Another site also says it is Anglo Saxon, but comes from when the family lived in Boreham, a parish four miles from Chelmsford, Essex, and predates the Norman Conquest of 1066 - http://www.houseofnames.com/boorman-family-crest. 

Regarding the distribution of the surname in England, ancestry.com shows that in 1891 the highest concentration was definitely in Kent, then in Sussex.  Smaller numbers of Boormans also show up in many other counties in England.  This high concentration in Kent seems at odds with proposed origins of the surname being in Essex or Yorkshire, seemingly anywhere but Kent!

In 1995 when our son was in England prior to attending the Scouting World Jamboree in the Netherlands, he purchased a certificate from a kiosk vendor in York that outlined the origin of the Boorman family name.  Similar to other sources, it claims that "of Boreman" was a locational name, referencing a parish near Chelmsford, Essex.  It also lists early records for Thomas de Borham (1273, Suffolk), Walter Boreman (1300, Essex), and William Booreman (1379, Yorkshire).  All the rest of the text contains only general information, including the emergence of the use of surnames in the 13th and 14th centuries.

All these sources credit England rather than other European countries as sources of the name, which makes sense if these ancestors came to England very early before the widespread use of surnames.  One would think that if they came later, like in 1620 for instance, they would have brought a surname with them from Europe, presumably.  So far I haven't found any others speculating on a European origin for the Boorman surname.  This also leads me to wonder if different groups came to England at different times, perhaps over centuries, leading to a hybrid history of the name, merging similar-sounding names of different origins into a single standardized spelling.

BOORMAN COAT OF ARMS
Updated 31 Aug 2013 - Thanks to those who contacted me with additional information.
PictureArms granted 1829 to Thomas Hugh Boorman
In the Boorman surname certificate mentioned above, it describes both a Boorman arms and crest associated with the surname - citing Sir Bernard Burkes General Armory  published in  1884 - but is quick to disclaim any specific genealogical reference.  It describes the Boorman arms as "Argent on a bend engrailed gules between two hop vines with poles proper growing out of mounts vert three stags heads cabossed".  The crest: "A bee volant between two oak branches fructed proper."  Hmm, somehow I'm none the wiser as to what it looks like!

I downloaded a copy of this Burkes General Armory reference from Google Books and found an entry for Boorman.  The description provided is very similar, although it is even more cryptic as it is further abbreviated.   Unfortunately the Burke's book does not provide a drawing of this coat of arms. So what does this Boorman coat of arms really look like?  According to other researchers who know more about translating these descriptions than I, the coat of arms displayed here seems to match the above description.  Our son colorized it using the conventions found on the International Heraldry site.  The critical parts are the shield, and the very top "crest" where the bee and oak branches are displayed.  The helmet and surrounding banners and embellishments are apparently open to artistic license. So other variations of this crest may also be valid as long as they match the official description. 

PictureTerry's home grown Cascade hops
As an aside here, Terry has taken a particular shine to the inclusion of the hops in this particular coat of arms.  Some of his ancestors grew hops on their farms, I believe, and if I remember correctly, issued hop tokens to their workers as interim currency.  Kent is known for its history of hop growing.  Terry also likes to grow a couple of varieties of hops in our garden (a small row each - one shown in this photo), and to make and enjoy his own beer.  So this coat of arms feels like his own. I think he comes by his interest honestly! 

However, it is now quite clear that arms are granted to individuals and their direct male descendants, and not to everyone with the same surname. Burkes did mention that, in 1829, the above described arms was "granted to Thomas Hugh Boorman, Esquire of East Peckham, County Kent".  This is the same name as mentioned in the 1899 book of lineages mentioned above, which stated: "Thomas Hugh Boorman, son of William Boorman of Lamberhurst, was of East Peckham, Kent and Brixton, Surrey, died 1859.  Arms granted to him 1829, and the descendants of his father.  Married Margaret Martyr. s.p. [without issue]"  The book's chart also lists John Hicks Boorman as a brother to this Thomas, who was therefore also a son of William.  Although all of these individuals were Terry's distant cousins, Terry is not a direct male descendant of this particular family, so his line does not have the official right to display these arms as their own.

PictureArms granted in 1939 to Henry R P Boorman
Another researcher has recently told me that there is a different coat of arms that was granted to a more recent Boorman in 1939, specifically to Henry Roy Pratt Boorman, MBE (1900-1992) who was the proprietor of the Kent Messenger Newspaper.  He also wrote several books, including "Kent, Our Glorious Heritage" where he is listed as "H. R. Pratt Boorman, MBE, MA, FJI, Editor and Proprieter of the 'Kent Messenger,' the County Paper of Kent, [published by] 'Kent Messenger' 1950.”  A history of his Boorman family and their publishing business is posted elsewhere online.  He also endowed one of the bells in the Canterbury Cathedral when they were recast in 1991, and I believe his coat of arms was inscribed on the bell as well.

I have been unable to find the official description of this later grant of arms, but this black and white graphic shows the one actually used in his publications.  It includes the white horse of Kent on the shield, and a boar's head and sword in the crest.  So perhaps he believed the legend that one of our early ancestors was named as the "boar man" after slaying a wild boar?  This coat of arms is obviously very different from the earlier one.

While neither of these coats of arms apply directly to us, they are connected to side branches in our family tree, and of much interest to the overall story of the Boormans of Kent England.

57 Comments
Kent Boorman
11/9/2013 12:08:37 am

Your rendition of the arms does match what I have been given. My grandfather recieved a book entitled the amazing story of the Boormans in Canada by Sharon Taylor copyright 1984 by halbert's inc.

Reply
Don Boorman
12/23/2013 03:20:20 am

A friend of mine has read about a possible potato famine that hit Kentish farms in the 16th century and that Dutch farmers were invited over to show the Kent farmers how to grow hops for beer as a successful alternative. So I assumed that our surname, Boorman, was from the Dutch word Boer or farmer. See "Hops - Wikepedia". Much later and after the industrial revolution meant machines replaced manpower, a lot of farm workers moved into London looking for work and my fathers family are from Deptford, South London. Thank you for your website and I hope this is of interest?

Reply
Lydia Twining
4/25/2014 02:24:44 pm

I stumbled across your site today and would like to add to the known family tree. Arthur William Boorman was my grandfather, born in Maidstone/Dartford, Kent, married Dorothy Rose Small, and they had two children, twins Lesley and Lyn Boorman. In the mid-1950s after WWII, Arthur chose to emigrate to Canada instead of Australia, settling in the Toronto area. He was a master tool-and-dye tradesman/craftsman, and designed research equipment for Nobel prize-winning scientists while working for the University of Toronto.

I too have grown up with similar tales of the Boorman name and our family history, and my mother thinks that the name Boorman came from the English name for immigrant Dutch pig farmers.

On a side note, Terry, I known we share a common lineage because I can recognize my grandfather's eyes in your photo!

All the best,
Lydia

Reply
Derx Eibergen
6/6/2014 01:19:56 pm

I was looking for possible "boer" connections to the Boorman surname, and came across your site. Are you aware that there were/are Boorman families, in Antrim/NI? They were neighbors of my McQuillan ancestors in clachan Cruck, Mullaghsandall. Glens of Antrim Historical Society has info.

Cheers.

Reply
Claudia Boorman link
6/8/2014 02:44:55 am

Hi Derx,
Thank you so much for your comments. I was not aware of Boormans living in Northern Ireland nor of any Irish connection to our Boorman tree. I have visited the Historical Society site you mention and did find several references to a Richard Boorman, born about 1834 in Co. Antrim, son of John Boorman who died about 1888 (from one of the references: http://www.antrimhistory.net/clachan-project/glenarm/cruck/change-in-cruck-1860s-to-1900s/richard-boorman-of-cruck/ )

In order to connect these Irish Boormans to our tree, a branch would most probably have had to move there from England. I read on wikipedia that there were English settlements in/near Antim as early as the late 1500s. Richard was born in Ireland, but perhaps his father John was the immigrant? Of course I have lots of Johns in my tree and not all have death dates yet but all in this time period seem to be non-conformists from Kent. If it was an earlier anscestor that moved to Ireland, it's going to be very difficult to connect. But it is certainly very intriguing! Thanks for opening up a new possibility for me.

Please let me know if you find anything further on the Boorman name and origins :)

Reply
Monica
3/31/2015 04:01:30 pm

Hi, just to let you know that my ancestors in Co Antrim were called Boardman and in various records they were referred to as Boorman. An elderly gentleman remembers my family as being called Boorman. I do not know where they originated from. I have no Richard but a few John's and Charles.
Thanks for the interesting reading.

Reply
Claudia Boorman
4/3/2015 03:30:06 am

See my reply below. Sorry I clicked the wrong button ...

Reply
Claudia Boorman
2/11/2021 10:50:10 am

Hi Monica, On this subject of Boormans living in Co Antrim, I have been contacted by a researcher descended from Richard Boorman's daughter Catherine who married James Duffin. So Catherine was the granddaughter of a John Boorman. Might there be a connection to you?

Reply
Claudia Boorman
4/3/2015 03:29:00 am

Thanks Monica for this added twist on the Boorman surname - first time I've heard it equated to Boardman. I have not found any connection to these Irish branches. But it makes me wonder how many other similar names have morphed either in and out of the Boorman circle over time, and what their roots were. Fascinating! Thank you for sharing :)

Reply
Greg Jenkins
3/4/2016 01:41:33 pm

Glad I found this web page, as recently I found that I am adopted, and my birth mother's name is Boorman. So, if anyone knows a lady my this name from Rochester or Webster, NY, do let me know. I can also see the 'hops' connection as I love beer! Make perfect sense.

Cheers!

Reply
Claudia Boorman
3/6/2016 11:36:52 am

Thanks for your comments. I will contact you privately via email:)

Reply
Jane Boorman
4/4/2016 02:11:49 pm

When typing "Boorman surname origin" into Google, it does state it is of Anglo Saxon origin. Searching Anglo Saxon history it states that after the Romans left England in the 6th Century, Hengist and Horsa and their Germanic and Frisian (see Frisian and Dutch/Danish links) settlers were invited to England to fight back the Picts and Celts from the north. This then led me to the history of Jutes settling mainly in Kent. Jutes were early Danes/Frisians from Jutland or modern Denmark. Centuries later (9th Century) Vikings came to England from Denmark too and their base or capital in England was established in York, which could explain the link to Yorkshire as well as Kent in your research? Good luck with your quest and thank you for your fascinating site.

Reply
Claudia Boorman
4/5/2016 12:02:56 pm

Thanks, Jane, for this Anglo Saxon perspective on our Boorman origins, very worthy of further research and being included in our Boorman story.

Reply
Alison Boorman
5/24/2016 12:49:03 am

Hello from Australia! My ancestors were James and Jane Boorman who lived at Yew tree Farm, Lamberhurst, Kent and migrated to Australia in 1840. They and most of their descendants lived on the North coast of NSW. My father Rev. Donald Fraser Boorman was very interested in our family history. Kind regards, Alison Boorman

Reply
Claudia Boorman
5/24/2016 11:15:27 am

Thanks for this, Alison! I have heard of this Yew Tree Farm in relation to William Boorman and Ruth Hickmott (your James's parents, I believe). Unfortunately, we have not yet found a connection between our Boormans and your "Lamberhurst" line. I have sent you a private message with more details on this research :)

Reply
Jane Wilcock
8/19/2017 04:31:35 am

Hello Alison,

Hello Alison
I too have Jane and James Boorman from Yew tree farm in my family tree .... James Boorman 7/6/1806 , is my 4th great Uncle , I have recently been following the Boorman links in Australia but have not yet connected to a Donald Fraser Boorman .... I still have a lot of research to do ..... Maybe I need to look up this book ??

Reply
Alison Mackay nee Boorman
8/19/2017 06:13:42 am

Hello Jane Wilcock, well we must be cousins of some kind....perhaps 4th or 5th cousins!! Where do you live now?

Christine
7/16/2021 05:13:34 am

James and Jane are my G.G.G. Grandparents. I live in Northern NSW

Reply
Claudia Boorman
7/16/2021 10:13:28 pm

Thanks for joining this discussion. Which of James and Jane's children do you descend from?

Jane Wilcock
8/19/2017 06:39:22 am

Hello Alison,

At the moment I live in Spain, but I was born in Sheffield England , my tree goes as follows ...

William Boorman1772-1853 / Ruth Hickmott 1775-1864
Father and Mother of ....
Eliza Boorman 1814-1887. One of her brothers being , James
- Boorman 1806-1899 ... married to
- Jane B Watts 1813-1886.
Mother of
James Doust 1853-1897
Father of ..
Frederick William Doust 1878-1968
Father of ..
Dorothy Doust 1897-1959
Mother of ..
Cecil Wilcock 1927-2009
Father of ..
Jane Wilcock

Reply
Claudia Boorman
8/19/2017 02:57:48 pm

Hi Jane,
Thanks for posting your comments on my blog - it aways nice to connect to another Boorman descendant even when we don't yet know how our 2 lines connect.

I wish there was something I could do about the formatting glitches with comments; many of these messaging systems seem fond of corrupting formatting layouts! I appreciate you clarifying your details:)

I am in contact with other Boorman researchers in your line, so will send you a private email with details.

Reply
Jane Wilcock
8/19/2017 06:44:29 am

Looks like my line came out a bit mixed .... that's not how I typed it in ... Eliza Boorman is the mother of James Doust ... not Jane watts ... I had typed her brothers details to the right hand side only ... looks like in sending the message it mixed in ... sorry

Reply
Alison Boorman Mackay
8/19/2017 02:34:50 pm

Hello again Jane Wilcock...yes I am familiar with all those names as one of our Doust relatives has done a family tree going back to Kent. According to my father Jane Watts was the niece of Sir Isaac Watts the hymn writer...a connection of which my Dad was very proud, since he was a Methodist clergyman. It must be a lot warmer living in Spain than Sheffield! Do you love it there?

Reply
Elizabeth McGuire
4/20/2018 01:36:11 am

Hi Claudia,
John Hicks Boorman married Jane Martyr and had a daughter Margaretta.
Margaretta married Thomas Henham and had a son John Boorman Henham.
John married Francis Ellenor Whitehouse and had a daughter Julia Ellen.
Julia married Donald Macdonald and had a son Norman Alexander John.
Norman married Elizabeth Logan Gibson and they had me Elizabeth Ann Macdonald.
I live in Sydney New South Wales Australia.

Reply
Claudia Boorman
4/20/2018 05:00:22 pm

Hi Elizabeth. Thanks so much for your comments. You and my husband Terry are 7th cousins once removed (7C1R)! It's been a while since we last corresponded via email about this connection (Jan 2015), so I'm glad you are still pursuing your interest in Boorman and family history. Have you had any new and interesting developments since then?

Reply
Paul Knight
9/7/2019 11:52:53 pm

Hi - my late mother Daphne was a Boorman and although her dad Bill Boorman hailed from Kent, was part of the Boorman family that settled in South Wales. I have been researching our tree mostly via Ancestry.com and appear to have gotten back to 1500 or so. At a family reunion yesterday there was talk of Boorman’s having been Dutch settlers and smugglers on the Romney Marshes. There was talk of a crest with rampant dog holding a bloody dagger - but nothing to verify these claims!

Reply
Claudia Boorman
9/8/2019 12:31:56 pm

Hi Paul, thanks for posting. Dutch is a common theme but you've certainly added some colourful twists with smugglers and bloddy daggers. Most interesting!

Reply
George Boorman
2/13/2020 03:42:52 pm

There was a Boorman family in Faversham Kent.
George Boorman and his wife
Children
George, Constance and Molly.

Reply
Kathleen Boorman Francis
7/22/2020 02:29:43 pm

This is so very interesting, thank you for all this research. I was born in Kingston, Jamaica in 1960 and still live in Kingston, Jamaica. My father was Jack William Boorman born in 1926 in Kingston, Jamaica, his father was Walter St. George Elliott Boorman, Born in Golden Grove, Jamaica 1897, his father was Thomas Hugh Boorman, born 1850 New York, USA. His father Thomas Boorman was born in 'stuttit House East Peckham, his father Thomas Hugh Boorman b. 1768 East Peckham, Kent England.

There is more of us through out the world. thank you all you have done for the Boorman clan.

Reply
Claudia Boorman
7/23/2020 03:56:41 pm

Thanks Kathleen, I appreciate your kind words. I would love to learn more about your Jamaican branch. I have just sent you a private email with my version of your lineage. I'd love to hear back from you.

Reply
Mr D E Boorman
8/6/2020 10:11:04 am

Dear Terry & Claudia,
Following on from the Jute/Anglo-Saxon connection made by Jane Boorman in her post of 4th April 2016, I visited the following webpages of “Jutes - Wikipedia”, “Kingdom of Kent - Wikipedia” and then the interesting “Named.Public Profiler” free website that shows area origins and clusters of U.K. surnames. It looks like the Boorman Jutes were indeed early Saxon settlers largely in Kent from Jutland, arriving after the Roman Empire began to decline. Invited to Kent most likely as mercenaries to repel Pictish and Celtish attacks from the North, thereby protecting the last of the remaining Roman elites in their former strongholds such as, Canterbury, The Weald in Kent and London. The Anglo-Saxons then went on to help establish the Land of the Angles or Angle Land later to become England. Looks like we’re from the Garden of England either way and even helped to create the new nation of England, albeit we’re originally from the Germanic, Anglo-Saxon tribes in Jutland (5th-6th Century A.D.) as well as possibly from Anglo-Saxon, Dutch & Flemish settlers many centuries later. Finally, thank you both for your Boorman family website for us all to appreciate and hope this may help?
Kind regards.
Don Boorman. Orpington, Kent.

Reply
Michael Hobbs
12/7/2020 02:09:13 pm

Hi just came across this great information.
My grandmothers maiden name was Boorman.Her name was rosy Bookman she was born in south wales then as a child the family moved to Cranbrook lamberhurst area she married Stephen Ernest Hobbs.
We don't really know much about our relatives.She had a sister Ada Boorman who lived in lamberhurst.
If anyone can help me trace the family I would be most greatful.
Yours faithfully M G Hobbs.

Reply
Jane Lobaco
12/8/2020 02:20:56 pm

Hi Michael,
I have a Rose Boorman in my tree, born 3:6:1910 Pontypridd, Glamorgan. Married to Ernest (Sam) Stephen Hobbs 27 Oct 1911 from Lamberhurst . I have one son Bryan Ernest Hobbs 1938-2009.
Brothers and sisters I have are:-
Rose Mary ... died age 4
Ada Gertrude, William Alexander, Nancy May, James Henry, Walter.
Please feel free to email me I would love to check that my details are correct.

Reply
Claudia Boorman
12/8/2020 04:13:10 pm

Jane - thanks for this added information from your Boorman Lamberhurst line. I believe Michael is your 5th cousin. As Michael cannot see your email address, I will pass it on too him via email, as you obviously want to connect with him offline.
Take care - Claudia

Claudia Boorman
12/8/2020 03:29:53 pm

Mike, thanks for reaching out. Although Terry is not related to your Rosy Boorman, I do have some information on her, her parents Alexander Boorman and Ada Goodman, and earlier ancestors. I have already sent you a private email with some of it and received your reply. Hoping that other relatives will see this and also comment. - Stay safe and well - Claudia

Reply
Jane
12/8/2020 05:10:32 pm

Thank you Claudia, and yes I think a 5 th Cousin, as I have Rose as a 3rd Cousin 2x removed. It’s great to see more lines filling out.
Keep Safe..

Jane

Reply
Ryan Seager
9/6/2021 01:25:23 am

My mums mum was a boorman and she lived in hythe nr folkestone.... And her side steam from just a few miles from hawkhurst

Thomas Boorman
B:3 Apr 1795 Woodchurch, Kent, , England

D:6 Nov 1836 Woodchurch, Kent, , England

Reply
Claudia Boorman
9/15/2021 11:37:35 pm

Thanks Ryan for joining this conversation. As yet I have not found a connection between your Thomas Boorman 1795-1836 and Terry’s Boorman lines, but it would be nice to explore that possibility further. The world tree on familysearch lists 6 children for Thomas Boorman and wife Sarah Rummery - see https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/KCL5-VVF
Which of their children do you descend from? I hope you can contact me at [email protected] so we can discuss this in more detail.

Reply
Debbie Murphy
11/27/2022 09:38:00 am

My Boorman family tree spans six generations on my paternal grandmother’s side of the Boorman family. I am planning to visit Lamberhurst in 2023. Here is what I know:

Richard Boorman (1670-1695)
William Boorman (1693-1765)
James Boorman (1735-1815)
William Boorman (1772-1853)
Thomas Boorman (1819-1997)
James Boorman (1852-1937)
Alice Dorothy Boorman Murphy (1893-1947). My grandmother

Reply
Michael Hobbs
11/28/2022 05:56:11 am

Hi my grandmother was Rosie Boorman
I also have been finding my roots.
I do have some info if you would like to contact me.i will send what I have also maybe you have something i don't.
Hope to hear from you soon.
Michael Hobbs

Reply
Debbie Murphy
11/28/2022 09:18:40 am

Not sure who Rosie Boorman’s parents are. My great grandparents, James and Sarah had 9 children - Ernest, Gertrude, Kate, Edith, Ella, Edith, Mabel, Herbert (James) and my grandmother, Alice Dorothy. They lived in Camberley. From what I know the Boormans moved to Camberley from Wadhurst in the 19th century via Bagshot attracted by a building boom associated with the army.. my grandmother is buried in St. Michael’cemetary with her parents.

Look forward to learning more about my Boorman family connection. I am planning a visit to the area in April, 2023.

Best Regards,
Debbie

Debbie Murphy
11/28/2022 11:37:57 am

Not sure who Rosie Boorman’s parents are. My great grandparents, James and Sarah had 9 children - Ernest, Gertrude, Kate, Edith, Ella, Edith, Mabel, Herbert (James) and my grandmother, Alice Dorothy. They lived in Camberley. From what I know the Boormans moved to Camberley from Wadhurst in the 19th century via Bagshot attracted by a building boom associated with the army.. my grandmother is buried in St. Michael’cemetary with her parents.

Look forward to learning more about my Boorman family connection. I am planning a visit to the area in April, 2023.

Best Regards,
Debbie

Claudia Boorman
11/28/2022 08:51:15 pm

Hi Michael, thanks for your comments. Your ancestors are part of the "Lamberhurst" Booman line. I will contact you by private email.

Debbie Murphy
11/28/2022 07:01:46 am

Trying To Reply To Michael Hobbs

Reply
Michael Hobbs
11/28/2022 07:29:49 am

[email protected]

Reply
James Boorman
2/14/2023 07:52:11 pm

Debbie … we are distantly related … I have traced my line back to that same William (1670-1765) in Lamberhurst … my line extends forward through the James’ where you split off with a William to Thomas … I would very much like to know if you have found anything further … and particularly interested in any new information from your trip to Lamberhurst, Kent, England … good luck and safe travels. You have my e-mail ([email protected]), my phone is 605-370-1047.

Reply
Oliver
2/11/2023 08:18:51 pm

Hi there, the Boorman family have been in Cranbrook since the 1400s at least. The Boormans intermarried with the Peendes who wee landed nobility so it’s very unlikely they were just random Dutch weavers. According to the will of Alexander Peende he and 3 siblings of his were married to 4 Boorman siblings who were children of John Boorman and Joan.

Reply
Claudia Boorman
2/13/2023 01:33:55 pm

Hi Oliver - it sounds like you have a connection to the 4 Boorman and Peende sibling pairs? My husband Terry Boorman descends from John Boorman and Judith Peende. The other 3 sibling pairs are William Boorman and Elizabeth Peende, Thomas Boorman and Catharine Peende, Elizabeth Boorman and John Peende. Which couple do you descend from?

I believe that the Alexander Peende (Jr), who thankfully wrote his informative will in 1592, was the oldest of the Peende siblings but died without issue. Alexander (Jr) was listed in his 1592 will as a husbandman who both leased and owned a variety of properties. His father Alexander Peende (Sr) wrote his will in 1562 and was also a husbandman with property. Going farther back, his father William Pynde (1520 will) was also a husbandman with lands and tenements, as was HIS father Richard Pende (1509 will). So they seem to be landed gentry going back to at least the 1400s.

On the Boorman side, John Boorman (who married Joan and was the father of the 4 Boorman siblings who married into the Peende family in Cranbrook) is likely the man who wrote a will in Hawkhurst in March 1569, which was not proved until March 1570/71. He left one of his looms and half its accessories to his youngest son John (who was a broadweaver as per his own 1624 will, so was a working tradesman). This has led to the conclusion that the father John Sr was also a working broadweaver and owner of looms. It was a prestigious trade.

We have not been able to trace this Boorman line back further, so can’t go back to the 1400s. I would surmise that these early Boorman tradesmen improved their lot when they married 4-fold into the Peende family - quite the alliance!

I would be very interested in learning where you found evidence of the Boormans being “landed gentry” back in the 1400s.

Reply
Shanae
1/15/2024 04:46:40 pm

Greetings Oliver,

My family tree holds the same info of the Boormans marrying the peende's and my dad is Frederick James argyle Boorman Born in Islington London 20-1-1913.
His father was Thomas Edward Luke John Boorman.
There is a family tree belonging to my dad's sister's daughter on Ancestry. If I remember rightly it's under Jacks Boorman on the website.
My family tree is incomplete but what is there is also on Ancestry if you care to take a look. User name Shariz or undre Boorman Leech.

Reply
Pat
5/2/2025 07:38:03 am

Hi Shanae - I hope you don't mind me reaching out. While I was looking through records from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, searching for soldiers buried at a war cemetery in Naples, Italy, I believe I may have come across someone who could be an uncle of yours. His name was John Henry Boorman, and his parents were Thomas Edward Luke John and Rebecca Annie Boorman, of Islington, London. I happened to come across your message by chance and thought I'd share this with you. Here's the link: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2239194/john-henry-boorman/

Claudia Boorman
5/3/2025 09:00:00 pm

Hi Pat and Shanae,
It's very kind of you to reach out to Shanae with War Grave information about her relative John Henry Boorman. In case Shanae doesn't see your message here, I have copied your link to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission into a comment field for John Henry Boorman in Shanae's online tree on Ancestry. Many thanks.

yvonne stevens link
2/12/2023 05:25:03 am

MY 4th Great Grandparents were Sarah Rummery B. Warehorne Kent ,
D. 1866 Woodchurch Kent married 1816 to Thomas Boorman B.1795 Woodchurch Kent D. 1836 Woodchurch Kent. Does anybody have them in their Tree.

Reply
Claudia Boorman
2/12/2023 04:09:40 pm

Hi Yvonne, thanks for posting on my blog. My husband Terry Boorman is descended from a different Boorman branch, but I am interested in other branches as I attempt to link more of them.

RYAN SEAGER (who commented above back in 2021) mentions the same ancestors as you. >>> Unfortunately I don't have his email address so hope he sees your post and responds here. <<<

Thomas Boorman 1795-1836 can be found in the world family tree on familysearch (login with free account to access):
Thomas's original profile: https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/KCL5-VVF
It is now inactive and merged with: https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/G4Z9-LRQ

This merged profile contains many duplicate or alternate profiles for Thomas, his parents, his spouse and his children - quite the mess. I have just added their marriage details to the profile already linked to his 6 children, so it is now the preferred option. Sarah’s surname is listed as RUMMERY, RUMREY and RUMNEY in various records.

Their 6 children are: William 1817, Thomas 1819, Samuel 1822, Sarah 1824, James 1827, Mary 1830.
Which of their children do you descend from?

Reply
Darren Boorman (near Lamberhurst)
4/17/2023 11:14:19 pm

Hello, my family grew up very close to Lamberhurst. My father grow up in Frant, where half the cricket club were Boorman’s.
All of my close ancestors lived in Frant and Lamberhurst. I have a tree going back 5-6 generations. I must dig it out again.

Reply
Claudia Boorman
1/16/2024 12:37:17 am

Hi Darren - have you been able to find you tree yet? Who were your ancestors? Happy to help if I can.

Reply
Lauren Birman
1/14/2024 05:44:37 pm

Just came across this post and it’s so interesting, my dad is roger boorman, his dad was Robert boorman he married ivy and lived in Orpington. My dad siblings are ronnie, Robert, Richard, June, Rosie, roger.

Reply
Claudia Boorman
1/15/2024 10:32:16 pm

Thanks, Lauren, for your comment. I don't yet have this Boorman branch in my tree, so would like to learn more. If you know who they were, would you mind sharing the names of your Boorman great-grandparents, and great-great-grandparents? Even further back if you can. I'm trying to find an earlier connection through your father's ancestors.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Authors

    Terry and Claudia Boorman have been interested in their family history since the 1980s.  They live in Victoria BC Canada.

    Picture
    HOME
    CONTACT US
    Picture

    Categories

    All
    About This Blog
    Andrew
    Boorman
    Compton
    DNA
    Genealogy Mutterings
    Genealogy Tips
    Henson
    Hunt
    Richardson
    Thomas

    Blogroll

    Other genealogy blogs by friends, family and others:
    Genealogy Gals
    Their Own Stories
    Scott - Our Scotland Roots
    Victoria Family History
    Canadian Medal of Honor
    Lowe Bader Family Ancestry
    Victoria Jo's Family Stories

    Sorting Through Shoeboxes
    No Story Too Small
    ​
    Amy Johnson Crow, Pro     Genealogy Services

    Olive Tree Genealogy
    Armchair Genealogist
    Geneabloggers
    10 Genealogy Blogs
    Genealogy Canada

    Ultimate Beginner’s Guide   to Genealogy

    And if you're on Facebook:
    Twisted Twigs on Gnarled   Branches Genealogy

    Amy Johnson Crow -   Helping Family Historians   Make More Discoveries

    Archives

    December 2022
    June 2022
    December 2018
    August 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    June 2017
    December 2016
    July 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    September 2014
    June 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.