William Kinsey Bolton CBE CMG VD (1860 - 1941)

Born 1 Nov 1860 in Lostock Gralam, Cheshire, England, United Kingdom

Husband of Jane Morpeth (Gillies) Bolton — married 29 Dec 1881 in Warrnambool, Victoria (Australia)

Husband of Margaret (Ford) Bolton — married 18 Aug 1894 in Bendigo, Victoria (Australia)

Descendants

Died 8 Sep 1941 at age 80 in Brighton, Victoria, Australia

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Biography

William Bolton CBE CMG VD is Notable.

William Bolton CBE CMG VD is an Anzac who served in World War One.

Brigadier General William Bolton CBE CMG VD was an English-born Australian soldier, Senator and founding member of the Returned Sailors and Soldiers Imperial League of Australia (RSSILA), forerunner of the Returned and Services League of Australia (RSL). He served for six years as a Nationalist Senator for Victoria. Independent living services provider Bolton Clarke is partly named in his memory.

Lieutenant Colonel William Kinsey Bolton

Formative years

William Bolton CBE CMG VD was born in Cheshire, England.

William Kinsey Bolton was born on 1st November 1860 in Lostock Gralam, a village and civil parish, east of Northwich in Cheshire, England, United Kingdom. He was the eldest of six sons of corn-dealer, John Hammersley Bolton, and his wife, Hannah Kinsey. ^[1]

William Bolton CBE CMG VD migrated from England to Victoria.

In 1869 he migrated with his parents to Victoria on The Douglas^[2]

William was educated at Darlington State School, Victoria.

William married Jane Morpeth Gillies on 29th December 1881 in the Presbyterian Church, Warrnambool, Victoria. ^[3] They had four children, one of whom died in infancy, before Jane passed away in 1893:

• Ethel Bolton ARRC (1886-1971) remained single
• Jeanne Bolton (1887-1905) died as a teenager
• Thomas Bolton (1889-90) died in infancy
• Hunter Bolton (1891-1963)

Following Jane's death, William married a second time, to Margaret Ford, on 18th August 1894 in St Andrew's Presbyterian (now Uniting) Church, Bendigo. ^[4] They had a further four children:

• James Bolton (1895-1910) died as a teenager
• Helen Bolton (1898-1989) married surname Hindhaugh
• Ena Bolton (1899-) married surname Blyth
• Sydney Bolton (1905-)

Building career

After completing an apprenticeship as a carpenter in Mortlake, William studied architecture at the University of Sydney for three years while working as a foreman-carpenter. In 1884 he set up as a builder in Warragul, Gippsland. From 1890 he was inspector of works in the Victorian Public Works Department, employed in the Bendigo and Ballarat districts. In the 1920s, when in his sixties, William occupied himself as partner in a building firm and in other business concerns.

Miitary career

William Bolton CBE CMG VD is a Military Veteran.
Served in the Australian Army 1878-1920
Victoria Military Force; Australia Military Force; Australian Imperial Force

In 1878, at eighteen years of age, William joined the Southern Rifles, Victoria Military Force. He was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the 3rd Battalion in 1891 and was promoted to Captain in 1897. He became an officer in the Commonwealth Military Force upon Federation in 1901; leading the officers' team at the inauguration of the Commonwealth and winning the officers' shooting-match. William was promoted to Major and posted to the 7th Australian Infantry Regiment in 1903 and then promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in 1910, commanding the 70th Regiment. In 1912 he was awarded the Volunteer Officer's Decoration (VD) for twenty years service and took command of the 70th Regiment.

Transferring to the Australian Imperial Force on 19th August 1914, William was appointed commanding officer of the 8th Australian Infantry Battalion, 2nd Infantry Brigade. ^[5] He led the battalion during its formation, training both at Albany, Western Australia and Egypt, and during the landing and initial battles of the Gallipoli Campaign. Bolton's Ridge on the right flank of Anzac Cove was named after him. After the gruelling Battle of Krithia (7-8th May) and brief command of the 2nd Infantry Brigade, Bolton's age and collapsing health led to his repatriation to Australia aboard the hospital ship Ballarat.

William's AIF appointment was terminated on 30th September 1915 and he reverted to the militia; ^[6] although he was re-appointed to the AIF for three months in 1916 as officer commanding troops at Port Lincoln, South Australia. ^[7] For his war service he was awarded the 1914-1915 Star, War Medal and Victory Medal.

After commanding, successively, the Ballarat Training Depot and the Defended Ports of Victoria, William retired from the Australian Army at the age of sixty years as an honorary Brigadier General in 1920. His military career had extended to 42 years.

RSL

In 1916, Bolton was elected the inaugural National President of the Returned Sailors and Soldiers Imperial League of Australia (RSSILA), forerunner of the present Returned and Services League of Australia (RSL). ^[8] He held that position until 1919. Bolton insisted on orthodox, polite representation of RSSILA views through recognised channels and he discouraged undisciplined demonstrations by returned men. He was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in 1918 in recognition of his veteran support and Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) on 4th October 1918 for his service as president with the league. ^[9] As dissatisfaction grew with government treatment of ex-servicemen, Bolton's 'law and order' policy met with opposition and he began to explore other means of assisting veterans.

Parliamentary career

William’s serious interest in politics began during the First World War. He attended the inaugural meeting of the Nationalist Party in January 1917 and in May was elected to the Senate for Victoria. ^[10] With a successful military career to his credit, it is not surprising that his time in the Senate was characterised by a strong interest in defence and military affairs.

In June 1917, the Government established a twelve-member parliamentary recruiting committee on which William served. In January 1918, he was appointed to the Senate select committee charged with investigating the effect on Australian soldiers of intoxicating liquor. ^[10] The committee recommended against prohibition, but William joined Senators Thomas and Guy in a dissenting report that supported prohibition, claiming 'perfect sympathy with the soldiers' who had to combat the adverse effects of alcohol on their compatriots. ^[11]

His concern for those soldiers who had served overseas was apparent during debate on the Australian Soldiers’ Repatriation Bill, ^[10] when he argued against administration of the Repatriation Fund by non-professionals—members of honorary commissions and various boards and committees. He was concerned that the fund might become dependent on public charity, believing that it was a soldier’s right to go directly to the Commonwealth government for help, and the Government’s responsibility to respond sympathetically. ^[12]

His concern for the plight of those on active service is evident in the debate on the Supply Bill in 1917 when he stated that, on their return to Australia, 'servicemen had little chance of attaining high positions in the defence department because senior places were already occupied by people (with little training or qualifications) who had not been at the Front'. ^[10] He also criticised proposed expenditure on the citizen forces as being of no military benefit. ^[10]

He did not forget Australian nurses who served under the British during the war (his eldest daughter, Ethel, amongst them), ^[10] speaking of the niggardly treatment these 'devoted women' had received at the hands of both the British and Australian Governments. ^[13]

William was defeated at the December 1922 election and vacated his seat on 30th June 1923. He contested the Federal seat of Henty unsuccessfully in 1929. ^[10]

Retirement

For many years he lived at Ballarat, also owning a house on the north eastern shore of Port Phillip Bay at Brighton and a small property near Camperdown in the south-west of Victoria.

William passed away of cancer on 8th September 1941 at his Brighton Beach home. ^[14] He was survived by his second wife and five of his children: a son and a daughter of his first marriage and a son and two daughters of his second.

Legacy

In 2015, the Royal District Nursing Service (Victoria) and RSL Care merged to form Bolton Clarke, one of Australia's largest providers of independent living services. The name honours two diamonds of health care, William Bolton and Lady (Janet) Clarke. ^[15]

Sources

1. ↑ UK FreeBMD Birth Index Dec qtr 1860, vol 8a, page 207
2. ↑ Public Records Office of Victoria - Search Terms: BOLTON - Ship: THE DOUGLAS - Date Arrived: 1868 to 1870

   Family name	Given name	Age	Year arrived	Month	Ship	Captain
   BOLTON	JOHN	31	1869	JUN	MARTIN LUTHER	PAIN THOS B
   BOLTON	HANNAH	28	1869	JUN	MARTIN LUTHER	PAIN THOS B
   BOLTON	ELLEN	C	1869	JUN	MARTIN LUTHER	PAIN THOS B
   BOLTON	JOHN	C	1869	JUN	MARTIN LUTHER	PAIN THOS B
   BOLTON	WILLIAM	C	1869	JUN	MARTIN LUTHER	PAIN THOS B

3. ↑ Victoria Marriage Index #5274/1881
4. ↑ Victoria Marriage Index #4318/1894
5. ↑ Australian War Memorial unit record: 8th Australian Infantry Battalion; accessed 24 May 2018
6. ↑ Australian War Memorial nominal roll: Lieutenant Colonel William Kinsey Bolton; accessed 24 May 2018
7. ↑ Australian War Memorial nominal roll: Lieutenant Colonel William Kinsey Bolton; accessed 24 May 2018
8. ↑ Wikipedia profile: William Kinsey Bolton; accessed 31 Oct 2019
9. ↑ Australian Honours: Commander of the Order of the British Empire; accessed 31 Oct 2019
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6} Wimbourne, Brian: The Biographical Dictionary of the Australian Senate Online Edition; accessed 24 May 2018
11. ↑ CPD, 14 Jun 1917, p. 28; Argus (Melbourne), 22 Jun 1917, p. 8; CPP. Report of the select committee on the effect of intoxicating liquor on Australian soldiers, 1918.
12. ↑ CPD, 19 July 1917, pp. 275–279, 26 Jul 1917, pp. 491–492, 1 Aug 1917, pp. 596, 626
13. ↑ CPD, 22 Aug 1917, pp. 1287–1291, 18 Apr 1918, pp. 4056–4064, 16 Oct 1918, pp. 6907–6909
14. ↑ Victoria Death Index #9072/1941
15. ↑ Wikipedia: Bolton Clarke; accessed 31 Oct 2019

Further reading

• Dawes, J N I. Bolton, William Kinsey (1860–1941). Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, published first in hardcopy 1979; accessed online 24 May 2018.