he was descended from an old family who at the beginning of the seventeenth century had no fewer than eight branches in kent. the dean was the son of thomas boys of eythorn, by christian, daughter and coheiress of john searles of wye. he was born at eythorn in 1571, and probably was educated at the king's school, canterbury, for in 1586 he entered corpus christi college, cambridge, where archbishop matthew parker had founded some scholarships appropriated to scholars of that school. he took his m.a. degree in the usual course, but migrated to clare hall in 1593, apparently on his failing to succeed to a kentish fellowship vacated by the resignation of mr. coldwell, and which was filled up by the election of dr. willan, a norfolk man.