The Boones originally came from Normandy (now northern France). They are descended from Humphrey I , "With the Beard" DE BOHUN, the son of Humphrey de Bohun and Adeliza de Grentmesel. Humphrey I was b. 1040 and d. 1113. Humphrey I , Lord of Talesford, was a kinsman of William I, "The Conqueror". He came to England with William the Conqueror, and brought to England the family name, de Bohun (from a villiage in the Cotentin by the Vire River). By association and right, this started a long line of descendants that held power by force and by politics in England.
Humphrey II de Bohun (b. 1170, d. 1140 and married to Maud deSalsbury d'Evereau) and was Sheriff of Wiltshire, England.
His son, Humphrey III de Bohun (b.1100, d. 4-6-1187) married Margaret of Hereford and of Gloucester. He was the Constable of England and Steward of King Henry I.
Humphrey de Bohun IV (b. ?, d.1182 and married to Margaret Huntington) was also Constable of England. This was now an inherited title.
Their son, Henry de Bohun (b.1176, d. 6-1-1220) married Maud Fitz Geoffrey. He died 5 years after the signing of the Magna Carta by King John, who was the brother of King Richard the Lion Heart. Henry was the 1st Earl of Hereford, Sheriff of Kent, and also Constable of England. In the middle of all this he made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land for this was the time of the Third Crusade and the legendary Robin Hood..
Their son, Ralph de Bohun married Saveric Fitz Geoffrey. He held the title of "The Earl of Midhurst, Ford and Rustington, Sussex". Ralph and his brother-in-law, William, made a voyage to St. James of Campostella, Spain. Since Ralph's wife, Saveric, was the Countess of Ballymadden Co., Kildan, Ireland, he gained her titles in Ireland.
Their son, Franco de Bohun inherited titles from both parents and was the Sealer of Writs to King Henry III.
Franco's son, John de Bohun (b.1247, d. 9-28-1284, married to Joan de LaChapelle) became the Sealer of Writs for King Edward I (also known as Longshanks---yes, this is the tyrant King in the movie Braveheart) .
His son, James of Ballymadden (b.2-3-1280, d.June 1304) married Joan deBraose and held titles and lands in Ireland and England.
As England began to become a land of laws, their son , Sir John deBohun, Baron by Writ of lands in England and Ireland (b.1-6-1301, d. 12-5-1367, married to (1) Cicely Filliol and (2) Isabel de Trego) became a member of Parliament as Baron Midhurst. He served in the retinue of Earl of Arundel in the French Wars. This was also the time of the Black Plague. His son was Sir John II.
Sir John II (b.1-6-1361/62, d. 1-25-1431/32, married Anne Halsham) was never asked to serve in Parliament even though he was a Baron. His titles went to his oldest son. A younger son, John III, was our ancester.
John III BOHUN (note new spelling of name) married Avelina deRos, who was the daughter of Sir Robert Ros. Since he was a younger son, he inherited no titles (thus the drop of "de" from the name). He went to Wales as a sessein knight to the family de Braose, land holders. A knights' training usually started at the age of 7 , serving as a Page to a Lord. At age 14, he would become a Squire, and learn how to handle a sword, ride to battle, and accompany his Lord to war. By 21 years of age, he would become a full Knight. Knight's sold their service to the "highest bidder" so to speak --making them some of the first "soldiers of fortune". Thus, with John III, ended the long line of inherited titles and power for our line of de Bohuns.
The son of John III and Aveline deRos was Geoffrey BOHN (note change in spelling of name). He was b. 1450, d. 5-7-1472 in Penmynydd, Anglesy, Wales. During his short lifetime he saw Joan of Arc fight against the English rule of France. John's wife was Petrolina deArderne
Their son, Geoffrey II Bohn (b.1471, d. 1530) married Anne Magerly. Geoffrey died the same year Henry VIII became King of England.
Their son , Gregory BOON (note name change) , was born 1517 in Gwynned, North Wales, and died in 1589, Devonshire, England. He married Constance ApComyn of Wales. The 17th generation from Humphrey I, now starts a long line of Georges which will soon find the family moving to the New World.
George Boon (b.1561 in Stokes, Exeter, Devonshire, England; d.d. 1618) married Ann Fallace, daughter of Walter Fallace. Their son , George , began the current spelling of the surname---BOONE.
George I was born in 1610 and died in 1676. He married Catherine Morgan.
Their son was George Boone II, b. about 1640 in Exeter, Devonshire, England and d. about 1700. He is buried in Stoke Canon, England. His wife, Sarah Uppey was born in 1646 lived for 80 years (d. 1726) The Family's Bible records that Sarah never complained of an aching bone or bad tooth in all her 80 years. George Boone II was a blacksmith by trade. A picture of his blacksmith shop is in the book "Our Boone Families--Daniel Boone's Kinfolk" by Sarah Ridge Rockenfield. The photo was furnished by Mary Ann Stokes of Louisville, KY. George II and Sarah had 4 children. Twins, Henry and John, were born in 1673 in Stokes Canon, England, and choose to stay in England. Their sister, Percis , and brother, George III (b.1666 and d. 7-27-1744 in Berks Co., PA), decided to go to America. Thus starts our journey into the New World.
George Boone III married in 1689 to Mary Milton Maugridge, b. 1669 in Bradninch, England and d. 2-2-1740 in Berks Co., PA. She was the daughter of John Maugridge (a weaver, born in 1630 to Robert Moggridge (b. 1623) and Dorthie Soveringe) and Mary Milton. Both Mary and George Boone were members of St. Disen's Church in Bradninch, England. In 1702 they became members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) which had been founded in 1652 by George Fox. In 1713, George's 3 oldest children , Sarah (b.1691,d.1744), Squire (the father of Daniel Boone and b.1696, d. 1765), and George Boone IV (our ancestor) (b. 1690, d.1753 ) went to America to look for land. Before returning to England , Queen Anne died. Since the Act of Settlement in 1701barred a Catholic from inheriting the throne, England's closest Protestant heir was George Louis , a German Elector of Hanover . Thus when George IV (our ancestor) returned to England to bring his parents, his 6 other brothers and sisters, and his Aunt Percis, to America, they were ruled by a foreign king. They left England at the town of Bristol on Aug. 17, 1717. The fare for the family was 35 pounds. The ocean voyage lasted 8 weeks and they landed in Philadelphia, PA on Oct. 10, 1717. The family settled on 400 acres in Oley Twp., Berks Co., PA which is on the Schuykill River (5 miles south of Reading, PA). Percis Boone married George Henton in 1719. His family had came to America with the Boones. George Boone III became a Justice of the Peace. While there, they befriended a family named Lincoln. There were 5 inter-marriages between the two families while they lived in Berks Co., PA. The Boone families and the Lincoln families stayed together , through-out almost two centuries , in various moves through PA, VA, KY, and IN. On July 27, 1744, George Boone III died , leaving 8 children and 10 grandchildren. Some of the farm land he owned at the time is now Georgetown, Washington, DC.
George Boone IV was born in 1690 in Bradninch, England and died 1753 in Chester Co., PA. On July 27, 1713 he married Deborah Howell , who was born on Nov. 23, 1691 in Haverford, Chester Co., PA and died in 1759 PA. During the later years of his life, France and England battled for the control and rule of the Americas. His brothers and sisters became farmers and tradesmen. One brother, John (b.1701, d. 1785), never married but became a school teacher and family historian. His other brother, Squire Boone , moved his family to North Carolina around 1773, as did his brother Benjamin. Squire Boone was the father of Daniel Boone "The Great Frontierman" who was b. 1734 in Reading, PA.
George IV and Deborah had 10 children. They were George V b. in 1714 , Mary, Hannah, Deborah, Dinah, William, Josiah, Jeremiah, Abigail, and our ancestor, the youngest child, Hezekiah was born May 22, 1732 in Exeter, Berks Co., PA. Two years later, his famous cousin, Daniel Boone, would be born on 11-2-1734 , close to the town of Reading, PA.
The French and Indian War (1754 to 1763) started while Hezekiah was still a young man. His cousins, Daniel and John, were serving in the Rowen County, NC militia. In 1767, almost five years after Chief Pontiac attacked Ft. Pitt, PA and about 3 years after Patrick Henry had given his speech against the Stamp Act (imposed by England to help pay for the French and Indian War ), Hezekiah meet and married a young Quaker girl named Rebecca Freelove. England now controled and ruled the American colonies. Hezekiah and Rebecca had 9 children all born in Culpepper Co., VA. They were: Solomon (our ancestor) b. 6-20-1768, Abigail b. about 1770, Hiram, Mordecia who was b. about 1774, Sarah and Isaiah both (?) born 10-4-1788, Hezekiah Jr. , Elizabeth, and Deborah. Between the time of the birth of their first child and the last , they saw the British colonies of American become the United States of America. Hezekiah died in 1823. Rebecca and Hezekiah are both buried in old Clover Bottom Churchyard near Versailles, Woodford Co., KY
Solomon Boone, born on June 20, 1768, grew up during the American Revolution. He carried on the family tradition of farming and hunting. On July 3, 1793, after the end of the War and during the second term of President George Washington, Solomon meet and married Lavinia Wells in Wytheville, Wythe Co., VA. Little is known of "Vinie" but she was a hard working and loving wife and mother. She had 11 children. The oldest daughter, our ancestor, was Freelove (named for her Grandmother Rebecca's family). Freelove was born October 12, 1794 in Virginia. Soon after her birth, the family moved to Tennessee. Here Moses was born 10-25-1795 in Washington Co., TN and then a sister, Sarah ("Sally"), was born in Carter Co., TN on Nov. 30, 1799. Two weeks after Sally's birth the news of George Washington's death, on Dec. 14, was spreading throughout the country. Another sister, Elvina was born in 1804. After her birth, the family left the Carter Co., TN area and moved on to Kentucky. Here in Woodford Co., KY , Vinie bore the rest of her children. They were: John b. 1-16-1807, Polly, Solomon Jr., Hannah, Priscilla, Margaret, and Eliza Ann (dates and order of birth not known) In 1810 Solomon's cousin, Daniel Boone, returned to Kentucy from Missouri. He visited with friends and family, paid off debts, then returned to Missouri to live out the remainder of his days with his son and daughter.
Lavinia and Solomon along with his brother, Hezekiah Jr., moved to the Paoli , Orange Co., Indiana area some time before Indiana became a state in 1816. There they farmed , hunted, and raised their children. At this same time another family of friends moved into the area of Pigeon Creek, Spencer Co., IN. The 8 year old son of this family would become President Abe Lincoln. Hez Jr. met and then married, on 6-7-1819 , Jenny Ducan. Hez Jr. and Jenny continued living in the Paoli area with Solomon and Lavinia, and raised 5 children of their own. In 1820, the two families heard of the death of Daniel Boone. Then in 1823 Hezekiah Boone Sr. was laid to rest in Kentucky. We don't know if he or Rebecca died first, but they rest together in the cemetery of the Old Clover Bottom Church near Versailles, KY. Solomon died some time before 1830. He and Lavinia are buried in Northeast Twp., Orange Co., IN (Sec 19, T2N, R2E) .
Freelove was about 33 years old when she meet a widower, John Rainbolt, b. 3-17-1788 TN and d. 4-11-1873 Orange Co., IN. His first wife, Elizabeth Van Hess, had died and left him with 5 children (Elisha, Auds, Jacob, Harriet, and Susan). Freelove Boone and John Rainbolt married on June 28, 1827 in Paoli, Orange Co., IN. Freelove raised John's children and bore him three other children : Solomon (named for his grandfather), Lavine (named for her grandmother) and our ancestor, Elizabeth who was born June 30, 1830 and died 9-27-1888 , she married, on Jan. 31, 1850, a handsome nineteen year old , Joel Byers, who was born in Washington Co., PA on Jan. 24, 1829, he served in the Civil War, and died 10-17-1911. Joel and Elizabeth rest side by side in the Dishman Cemetery, Bloomfield, Green Co., IN. Elizabeth and Joel had 9 children: William, Frank, Manford, James, Mandy, Tima, Sissa, Nancy, and our ancestor Sarah Freelove Byers who was born 3-5-1857 and died 5-27-1943 after 70 years of marriage to Johiel Martin Strauser (b. 10-17-1853 , d. 11-24-1943). Johiel and Sarah Strauser rest together in the Grandview Cemetery in Bloomfield, IN. They had 13 children. One, Arlie Strauser, was my grandmother.
Freelove Boone's life began on October 12, 1794 during the second term of President George Washington, twenty-five generations after Humphrey I de Bohun came to England with William the Conqueror. She had grown to adulthood by the time we fought our second war with England in 1812. In 1834, news of a railroad in Shelbyville, Indiana was exciting farmers and merchants alike. She lived through the Mexican War of 1846. After the end of this war, friends and neighbors throughout the country side would be struck by "fever"--gold fever. They would leave their farms and shops to "strike it rich" in California. Some of these folks, Freelove and John would never see again. Towards the end of her years, the sounds of war were heard again. In 1859, John Brown spear headed a raid on Harpers Ferry. This was to become a prelude to a war that would tear our nation apart. Before her death, she watched Abe Lincoln, the son of family friends, become the 16th president of the United States. Abe Lincoln's grandfather, Mordecai Lincoln, had been a friend of her grandfather Hezekiah Boone and his cousin, Daniel Boone. In the 67th year of her life, Freelove and John watched as friends and members of their family left to fight in the great Civil War. Freelove Boone Rainbolt died before the end of that war on June 2, 1864 and was laid to rest in the Storm Cemetery, Greene Co., Indiana. Her husband, John Rainbolt died on April 11, 1873, and rests beside her. Thus ended our family tree name of BOONE.
Compiled by Beverly SILVERS NESTER as a work of love for family and history, and in awe of how our lives are like streams slowing flowing into great rivers that become the Ocean we call Life.
Information sources: the family Bible owned by Malcolm E. Silvers (oldest son of Arlie Strausser Silvers), various Boone family web. sites, and the books "Our Boone Families: Daniel Boone's Kinfolk" by Sarah Ridge Rockenfield and "The Legend that was Daniel Boone" by Lawrence Elliott.