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The honourable Robert Boyle was deſcended from a family, whoſe name before the conqueſt was written Biuvile. The firſt footing, that we find of them in the county of Hereford, was at Pixely court, near Ledbury, of which Humphrey de Biuvile was lord, as is recorded in Doom's-day book, tit. 28. Terra Humfridi de Biuvile in Radelau Hund. Humfridus de Biuville tenet de Rege Pichelei Auſbil tenuit. Theſe words Auſbil tenuit, in the general conſtruction of antiquaries, import, that it was in the time of Edward the Confeſſor (a)(a) Letter of Doctor John Beale to Mr. Samuel Hartlib.
(b) Viſitat. Co. Hereford. in Biblioth. Harleyanâ 90. A. 17. p. 72, 73. apud Colins's Peerage of England, Vol. II. p. 358. ad. edit. London, 1741.
(c) Seager's Baron. M. S. in Biblioth. Cotton. apud Collins, p. 359.
(d) Viſitat. Co. Hereford, ut antea..

Lodowick Boyle (b), who lived in the reign of king Henry III. was father of John Boyle, and he of James, who had iſſue Lodowick, whoſe ſon was ſucceeded by James his ſon and heir, father (c) of Lodowick Boyle of Bidney, and of the Friers in the city of Hereford, in the reign of king Henry VI. This Lodowick married Elizabeth, daughter of William Ruſſel, Eſq; and had iſſuse (d) a daughter, Eleanor, married to Watkin Ruſſel, and two ſons, John Boyle, Eſq; who had the eſtate in Herefordſhire, and Roger Boyle, ſecond ſon. This Roger married Jane, daughter of Thomas Pattiſhal of the county of Hereford, and had iſſue John Boyle of Hereford, Roger, ſecond ſon, and Michael Boyle of London, third ſson, who left a numerous iſſue, whereof Richard, his ſecond ſon, was biſhop of Corke and Roſs, being allowed alſo to keep the See of Cloyne in commendam, was afterwards archbiſhop of Tuam, and died March 19, 1644. He left iſſue Michael Boyle, archbiſhop of Armagh, and lord chancellor of Ireland, who died, aged 93, in the year 1702, and was father to Murrough Boyle, created lord viſcount Bleſſington. Michael, another ſon of the ſaid Roger, was biſhop of Waterford and Liſmore; and Sir George Boyle, his fourth ſon, dies without iſſue. Roger Boyle, the ſecond ſon, married Joan, daughter of John Naylor of Kenvile in the county of Kent, and had iſſue John Boyle, biſhop of Corke and Roſs in Ireland; Richard Boyle, ſecond ſon, earl of Corke, and father of that great man, of whom I am to treat; Hugh Boyle, third ſon, who died without iſſue; and a daughter married to Sir Pierce Power of Ireland, Knt.

Richard, the ſecond ſon, was one of the greateſt men of his age; and as he has left ſome memoirs of himſelf, written in 1632, in the ſixty-ſeventh year of his age, which were never yet publiſhed entire, I ſhall inſert ſo valuable a piece here in juſtice to his character and memory.