Bonville family

The first mention of the Bonville name was found in a document issued during the reign of King Henry III, at which time the precinct Wiscombe was granted to Nicholas de Bonville. The name - de bonne ville - 'from the fair village' unmistakably pointed to the original birthplace of his family, as being found in the land immediately beyond the southern sea, from which his ancestor doubtless also migrated in the train of the Conqueror. All we know of the life of this Nicholas de Bonville, presumably the first of his name as possessor of Wiscombe, is that he married a lady name Amicia, and it was probably he, who in accordance with the religious curtom of the age, was the donor of a rent-charge to the Abbey of Newenham, and that he was buried in the church there: "against the north wall of the choir lay Sir Nicholas Bonville, a benefactor to the abbey who died in 1266." He left a son named William.

But according to another account of the early generations of Bonville, the first recorded was Nicholas Bonville who was living in 1199. To him his son William (not Nicholas), who married Amicia, did homage for lands in Somerset in 1265, and was succeeded by his son William, who married Joan, a widow. William died in 1273 and was succeeded by his son Nicholas. .. . ... more

The effigy of Sir Nicholas Bonville in Broad-Clyst church

• A1. Sir Nicholas de Bonville of Wiscombe, lvd:1199;
  • B1. William de Bonville, d:1266, m. Amicia;
    • C1. Sir William de Bonville, d:1273, m. Joan;
      • D1. Sir Nicholas de Bonville of Shute, d:1295, m. Hawise de Pyne;
        • E1. Sir Nicholas de Bonville of Shute, b:1293, m. Joan de Champernon;
          • F1. Sir William Bonville, Sheriff of Somerset, d:1408, m. Margaret d'Aumale;
            • G1. John Bonville, b:1371, m. Elizabeth FitzRoger;
              • H1. Sir William Bonville, 1st Lord Bonville, b:1393, m. Margaret Grey;  ==>  Grey family
                • I1. William Bonville, m. Elizabeth Harington;  ==>  Harington family
                  • J1. Sir William Bonville, 6th Lord Bonville, d:1460, m. Margaret Neville;  ==>  Neville family
                    • K1. Cecilia Bonville, m. Thomas Grey;  <==  Grey family