138 EPONYMOUS FAMILIES OF DORSET. 



BOTILERS. 



The Botilers seem to have acquired their name from their 

 office, for we find that in the reign of Henry I. Ralph Botiler, 

 called Radulphus Pincerna de Legrecestria, was butler to Robert, 

 Earl of Leicester, and had settled at Oversley, co. Warwick. It 

 is probable, though not certain, that the Dorset Botilers 

 belonged to this family, but not to the senior branch. There 

 is some difficulty in identifying the manorial lords of Langton 

 Botiler with the Botilers, barons by tenure and subsequently by 

 writ. 



The Dorset Botilers had considerable possessions in the 

 county, and in 1 197 Alan Botiler gave up his claim to the Manor 

 of Handford (no doubt, for a consideration), and again, in 1231, 

 John Botiler effected an exchange of property with the King 

 Edward I. whereby John Botiler became the tenant in chief of 

 Long Blandford, in Dorset, and Wymering, in Hampshire, and 

 gave up to the King the Manor of Ringwood which perhaps 

 was inconveniently near the Royal Forest and six pounds in 

 land besides. 



This John Botiler died in 1330 in possession of these estates, 

 but they did not remain much longer in his family, for before 

 1347 a son of the above, being also a John Botiler, had sold 

 them to Henry le Gulden, retaining only the Manor of Wymering. 



Possibly John Botiler was induced to take this step by finding 

 his feudal obligations a little too onerous ; and his father's 

 assessment had shown a sprightly activity, which may have 

 alarmed him ; in 1297 John Botiler, the father, was judged to 

 have an income from land of 20 a year, and was ordered to 

 parade with horses and arms against the Scots ; three years later 

 he was similarly summoned on an assessment raised to ^40 to 

 a prudent housekeeper a very unwelcome change. 



BOYS. 



Chaldon Boys, or West Chaldon, was held by the family of 

 Boys, or De Boseo, in conjunction with the De Lincoln s, and 

 afterwards with the Gouises. 



