John Bolling

John Bolling (January 27, 1676 – April 20, 1729) was an American merchant, planter, politician and military officer in the colony of Virginia, who served several terms in the House of Burgesses, all representing Henrico County. The earliest of four related men of the same name to serve in the Virginia General Assembly, he was the great-grandson of Pocahontas and her husband, John Rolfe. He is often confused with his firstborn son of the same name (who also held the same militia rank of major), John Bolling (1700-1757) who at various times because of the creation of new counties and his own establishment of "Bolling Hall" plantation in Goochland County, represented Goochland, Henrico and Chesterfield counties).

Early life

John Bolling was born at Kippax Plantation, which his father had established in Charles City County, in the east central part of Virginia, a site which is now within the corporate limits of the City of Hopewell. John Bolling was the son of Jane Rolfe (who died shortly after birth) and her husband, English-born merchant and later burgess Colonel Robert Bolling (1646-1709). Thus, he was the only great-grandchild of Pocahontas and her husband, John Rolfe. After this boy's mother died in 1709, his father remarried, to Ann Stith, who bore several additional children, including his half brother who also served in the House of Burgesses.

Merchant and planter Like his father, John Bolling was a merchant, later writing that he "devoted himself to commerce" and "received all the profits of an immense trade with his countrymen, and of one still greater with the Indians."

Personal life John Bolling married Mary Kennon (–1727), daughter of Richard Kennon and Elizabeth Worsham, on December 29, 1697. They had six children, whose names appear in John Bolling's will: John Bolling Jr. (1700–1757) married Elizabeth Lewis in 1720. Later he married Elizabeth Blair (daughter of Archibald Blair and the niece of James Blair, the first president of the College of William & Mary; her second husband was Richard Bland) on August 1, 1728. He had at least nine children, including John Bolling III, who married Mary Jefferson (the sister of United States President Thomas Jefferson ). His great-great-granddaughter was Edith Bolling, the future First Lady for her husband, Woodrow Wilson. Jane Bolling (1703–1766) married Colonel Richard Randolph in 1724 and had seven children. Elizabeth Bolling (b. 1709), married William Gay of Scotland and had three children. In either event, he was buried at Cobbs plantation. In addition to the land bequests described above, Bolling also left cash gifts totaling more than 700 pounds.