House of Bošković/Boshko

The House of Bošković, also "Boshko", was the last name of a couple families of some renown in the Adriatic city of Dubrovnik between the 15th century to 19th century.

History

One was a noble family that migrated into the Republic of Ragusa after the Turkish conquest of Bosnia in the 15th century. This family claimed ancestral ties with the Pokrajčić or Potkravić family, a noble medieval Serbian family.

Another Bošković family settled in the city at the end of the 18th century, coming from the village of Orahov Do in the neighbouring Herzegovina. Although this Bošković family never rose to become city nobility, many of its members excelled in arts and sciences, most notably Ruđer Bošković, a well-known physicist. The first member of this family to settle in Ragusa was Ruđer's father, Nikola Bošković.

This Bošković family spreads from Orahov Do in Popovo Polje in western Herzegovina. Today this the family is split into branches wearing different last names though some retain last name Bošković,Slobodan Šćepanović, О поријеклу породице и коријенима предака Руђера Бошковића, Историјски записи 3/1995, Podgorica 1995, pg. 150] mostly Roman Catholics though there are branches which are Muslim or Serb Orthodox. Some Croatian historians have claimed that Rudjer's grandfather's name was possibly Boško and that his family took the last name after him. [Franjo Rački, Ruđer Josip Bošković, životopisna crta, Rad JAZU, book 87, 88, 90, 1887-8, pg.2] However, his grandfather's name was actually Matijaš (Matija) which could be seen from marital permission which he gave to Rudjer's father Nikola [Š. Ljubić, O odnošajih među republikom mletačkom i dubrovačkom, Rad JAZU, LIV, 1880, pg. 564-5] [M Filipović - Lj. Mićović, Попово у Херцеговини, Sarajevo 1959, pg. 63] meaning Bošković's had that name before, as could additionally be concluded by the fact that most Bošković's, who have moved from Popovo to surroundings of Stoce, Čapljina and Mostar, have the same last name.Stevan Popović, Ровца и Ровчани у историји и традицији, Nikšić 1990, pg. 279]

Other, mostly with clerical background held view that Bošković's had that last name before settling in Orahov Do, but have claimed that they moved there from Dubrave near Stoce, and ultimately from western Bosnia [J. Zovko, Boškovići u selu Orahovi Dol, 1918] ; this is family tradition of Kristić's, who are descendants of Bošković's who still live in Orahov Do. However, Bošković's who live near Stoce themselves have family tradition that they moved from Popovo to Hutovo and then to Dubrave. Bošković's who live around Mostar and Čapljina also have family tradition according to which they settled there from Popovo. All three branches, also, claim that they have settled to Popovo from northern MontenegroSlobodan Šćepanović, "Op. cit.", pg. 149] and are proud of their Montenegrin origins. This is further strengthened by tradition recorded in Rovci in Montenegro according to which a part of their kinsmen have moved from Rovci and settled in western Herzegovina in period consistent with tradition of Bošković's.Slobodan Šćepanović, "Op. cit.", pg. 151] Patriarch of the family would then be Boško Stanišin Šćepanović from Rovci in Montenegro, most likely Ruđer's great-great-grandfather. This is also strengthened by the fact that the village Crnići, where Bošković's are the most numerous was also sometimes called NikšićStevan Popović, "Op. cit.", pg. 280] and that the family of Rudjer Bošković themselves claimed their common ancestor took the last name after his father.

The members of this other Bošković family who lived in Dubrovnik have also later themselves claimed they originate from a noble family Pokrajčić. Though this is sometimes accepted even today,Marko Atlagić: [http://www.komunikacija.org.yu/komunikacija/casopisi/zbornikpristina/XXX/d006/document Grbovi nekih srpskih plemićkih porodica u Dubrovniku] ] it might be that they undertook this so they could elevate their social status (the family was pejoratively called "Vlachs"Stevan Popović, "Op. cit.", pg. 281] ), although we cannot cofirm, the two families were indeed possibly related. Bošković's maybe gained nobility on April 15 1718, though it is possible that this is again a reference to the first Bošković family.

References

General references

* Željko Marković, "Ruđe Bošković", Jugoslavenska akademija znanosti i umjetnosti, 1968-1969., Zagreb, 1968-69.
* Marijan Sivrić, Nenad Vekarić, "A Genealogical Presentation of the Bošković Family", Proceedings of the International Symposium on Ruđer Bošković, Dubrovnik, 5th-7th October 1987; Jugoslavenska akademija znanosti i umjetnosti, Zagreb, 1991.
* [http://www.arhimed.rs.ba/lica/biography/boskovic/zoran.htm Of the ethnicity of Rudjer Boskovic in Serbian] , made by "Archimedes" scientific club
* Justin V. Velnić, "Ancestry of Ruđer Bošković", Proceedings of the International Symposium on Ruđer Bošković, Dubrovnik, 5th-7th October 1987; Jugoslavenska akademija znanosti i umjetnosti, Zagreb, 1991.
* "Development of Astronomy among Serbs volume II", "Publication of the Astronomical Observatory of Belgrade", "Belgrade", "2002"