• General Notes

  WILLIAM, born about 1680. This William is assumed to be the son of James  Bolton. He was a Scotch Irish immigrant, so called, in Andover and  Reading, Massachusetts, in 1718. No proof is known of his parentage, but  (1) he was by family tradition " Scotch "; (2) he arrived at the same  time that Scotch Irish settlers from Londonderry and Coleraine came to  Boston, and is found with them at Andover; (3) he was followed to New  England ten years later by two persons supposed to be members of the family; (4) and no other Bolton family at this time is known to have been  in this part of Ulster.  WILLIAM BOLTON was born either in Londonderry, Ireland, or perhaps at  Dullaghy in the Parish of Desertoghill, Barony of Coleraine, about the  year 1680, the son, it is supposed, of James Bolton who is mentioned in  the records of Templemore Cathedral, Londonderry. He probably reached  Boston during the first week of August, 1718, in the ship William,  Archibald Hunter, master, from Coleraine. William Bolton appeared in Andover, Massachusetts, with a company of  Scotch Irish settlers in the autumn of the year 1718, and he and Robert  Stuart were "warned" to leave town 30 Jan. 1718/19. He seems to have  spent the spring in Andover and was published to Elizabeth White on May  16th. They were married 5 Jan. 1719/20, he being then a resident of  Reading. Elizabeth White was born at Andover 8 April, 1688, the daughter  of John and Sarah White. She became a member of the South Church, Andover, 1 June, 1712. He rented a house from Nicholas Nichols of  Andover, apparently paying his rent in advance. Nichols died Feb. 14th,  and in March the executor offered Mr. Bolton £1.11.0 if he cared to  resign his lease. He then moved to Reading.  In the summer of 1720 he, or a man of the same name, was at work in Marblehead when he was impressed by Captain Richard Trevett for service  at the Eastward, and in place of a member of his company. He was a poor  man, subject to lameness, and not in very good health, but he was  considered fit for duty as the following document shows:  Sept. ye 5 : 1720  Cornll Samuell Brown Sr In Obedience to your warrant directed to me I  have Imprest and Sent by Serg Joseph Andrews and pickett Two Able men Viz: William Bolton and Thos Perry for his Majesties Service Richd Trevett Capt.  On 17 November, 1722, the Governor was forced to inform the House of  Representatives "that the forces Desert in numbers and several complaints  have been made of great abuses practiced by officers in the service and  pay of this Government."  Whether William Bolton, ill and lame, deserted, as did half the army at  the Eastward, cannot now be ascertained, but he returned late in October,  1720, openly to Marblehead, the place of his enlistment, instead of going  to his wife in the North Parish of Reading. This might indicate that he  did not have reason to fear arrest. He was arrested, however, because he  had no proof of discharge or furlough, and was thrown into gaol. On the  18th of January of the year following the sheriff of Essex County stated  that William Bolton, whose wife was in Middlesex County, was "so very  poor & necessitous that he has not wherewithall to pay his court fees & prison charges," and that he was "lame & not well." The sheriff asked  that Bolton be dismissed and it was so ordered by the Court. William Bolton joined his wife at once and they lived in Andover. About  the last of July or early in August, 1721, Mr. Bolton moved to Reading.  There a son William was born 25 Oct. 1721, and was baptized by the Rev.  Daniel Putnam, pastor of the Second or North Parish Church in Reading.  A son John was born two and a half years later, destined to die in the  expedition to Cape Breton. Mr. Bolton, himself, died 10 Sept. 1725, Just five years after his impressment.  His widow would appear to have returned to Andover with her children, for  the publislirnent of her approaching marriage reads :  "Intention of marriage, at Andover, of Timothy Dorman of Boxford and Elizabeth Bolton, widow, December 17, 1738."  They were married on the anniversary of her former wedding day, 5 Jan.  1739, a pleasant intimation that the day had for her memories that she wished to perpetuate. Mr Dorman died 19 Dec. 1743, and the widow returned  to Reading. The date of her death is not known.

Details of William's family with Elizabeth White