Boyvn

Home

The Bovyns

My grandmother, Lucille (Bovyn) Conroy, grew up in Saint Louis her whole life. At 88 years old, she is the only grandparent I have left. Her family's immigration history is not as detailed as the Conroy side, but we do know the basics of their immigration into America. My grandmother did not have much information on her Belgian ancestors, but I was able to acquire their arrival documents from Ellis Island.

Some basic information on Belgian immigrants...
    Most of Belgium's population is divided into the Flemish (those living in northern Flanders who speak Dutch) and the Walloons (who live in the region closest to France and speak French). The Flemish are normally upper class who, after immigrating to America, found jobs in universities and industrial jobs. The Walloons prided themselves on their handy trade skills, such as glass blowing and farming. Most of the Belgian immigrants came to America for reasons similar to many immigrants we have studied this semester- financial opportunities and a better life for their families.
    From 1820-1910, an estimated 104,000 immigrants settled in America. The Bovyns made their voyage during this wave.
(from www.everyculture.com/muliti?A-Br/Belgian-Americans.html by Jane Stewart Cook)

Making their way into Ellis Island...
    Not much is known about the Bovyn side, however we do know when they arrived at Ellis Island. Augustus VanBovign, my great-great-grandfather, arrived at Ellis Island on March 3, 1893. I was able to register at the Ellis Island website and retrieve his passenger records as well as the original ship manifest (click here to view). According to these records, he arrived on the ship Anchoria, along with 1100 other passengers. They departed from the Port at Glasgow. Augustus was 30 years old. I am not sure who else he was with, for the records only indicate his name, and my family is unaware of any other family members.

Like many immigrants coming into Ellis Island, Augustus VanBovign would not keep his Belgian name after entering America. Many immigrants cut their names short, either on their own accord or by the suggestion of those in charge. We are not sure why, but my great-great-grandfather cut his name to August Bovyn upon entering the United States.

Most Belgian immigrants settled in Michigan and Wisconsin, with many Flemish settling in Detroit. The Bovyns were Flemish, yet they moved to Saint Louis after Ellis Island. They had set up an arrangement with a host family in St. Louis, the Neerht family, who may have given them work or opportunities for education. My family is unsure of the details of this arrangement, as far as where they lived or what the Neerhts were like. However, I think they may have also moved to St. Louis because of the Brewery. My grandmother's father, Herman Bovyn, worked for Anheuser-Busch, and it seems very probable that his father August may have found work there as well. My uncle has tried retrieving employee records at the brewery to prove this, but their records do not reach that far back.

This is the original ship manifest from the Statue of Liberty- Ellis Island Foundation, Inc. You cannot see it very well, but August is the sixth from the bottom. This document lists the traveler's name, age, occupation, native country, last residence, and destination.
http://www.ellisisland.org/search/shipManifest.asp?