Robert Bolling facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robert Bolling
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| Born | December 26, 1646 London, England
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| Died | July 17, 1709 (aged 62) |
| Resting place | Blandford Cemetery, Petersburg, Virginia, U.S. |
| Spouse(s) | Jane Rolfe (1674–1676) Anne Stith (1681–1709) |
| Children | 8, including John Bolling |
| Relatives | Robert Bolling (grandson) |
Robert Bolling (born December 26, 1646 – died July 17, 1709) was an important early American settler. He was a rich planter and merchant. People sometimes called him Robert Bolling, Sr., because he named one of his sons Robert too.
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Robert Bolling's Early Life
Robert Bolling was born in London, England, on December 26, 1646. His father was John Bolling. Robert was named after his grandfather, who was also called Robert Bolling.
When he was 14 years old, Robert traveled to the American colonies. He arrived in Virginia on October 2, 1660.
In 1674, Robert Bolling married Jane Rolfe. Jane was the daughter of Thomas Rolfe, and the granddaughter of the famous Native American woman, Pocahontas. Robert and Jane had one son together, named John Bolling. John was born on January 26, 1676. Sadly, Jane Rolfe Bolling is thought to have died soon after John was born.
John Bolling later married Mary Kennon. They had seven children together.
Robert Bolling's Second Marriage
In 1681, after his first wife passed away, Robert Bolling married his second wife, Anne Stith. Robert and Anne had several children together:
- Robert Bolling Jr. (1682–1749) married Anne Mary Cocke. Their grandson, Beverley Randolph, became the eighth Governor of Virginia.
- Stith Bolling (1686–1727) married Elizabeth Hartwell.
- Captain Edward Bolling (1687–1710) died from smallpox while at sea.
- Anne Bolling (1690–1750) married Robert Wynne.
- Drury Bolling (1695–1726) married Elizabeth Meriwether. Elizabeth's brother, Nicholas Meriwether, was a great-great-grandfather of Captain Meriwether Lewis, a famous explorer.
- Thomas Bolling (1697–1734).
- Agnes Bolling (1700–1762) married Richard Kennon.
Some people refer to the descendants of Robert Bolling's first marriage as "Red Bollings." This is because of the Native American family line from Jane Rolfe's grandmother, Pocahontas. Famous "Red Bollings" include Edith Bolling Wilson, who was the wife of U.S. President Woodrow Wilson. Robert Bolling's great-grandson, Robert Bolling, became a well-known poet in colonial Virginia.
The descendants from Robert Bolling's second marriage are sometimes called "White Bollings."
Robert Bolling's Career and Death
Robert Bolling was a very successful merchant and planter. He bought a large property called Kippax Plantation. He was also a colonel in the local militia. In 1702, he served as a member of the House of Burgesses for Charles City County. The House of Burgesses was an important governing group in colonial Virginia.
Robert Bolling passed away on July 17, 1709. He was buried on his plantation, Kippax, in Prince George County, Virginia. His tomb is still there today. However, in 1858, his remains were moved to the Bolling family mausoleum. This mausoleum is located at Blandford Cemetery in Petersburg, Virginia. His great-grandson built it.
Finding Robert Bolling's Home
In 2002, an archaeologist named Donald W. Linebaugh from the University of Kentucky found the remains of Colonel Bolling's house. It was located in Hopewell, Virginia.
