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Bolling Pocahontas Fabrication

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Contents

Pocahontas' Real Family

Pocahontas -- or Amonute Matoaka Powhatan was born about 1596 in what would become Virginia after the Jamestown settlers landed in 1607. She adopted Christianity and took the name Rebecca. In 1614 she married John Rolfe. They had one child, Thomas Rolfe.

Centuries later, claiming descent from Pocahontas has become a popular pastime, and false genealogies to assist in that pastime have been fabricated. The account below is intended to clarify the borders between the real descendants of Pocahontas, and those that are fabricated.

The First Three Generations

Generation 1

Pocahontas -- Amonute Matoaka Powhatan -- was born about 1596, She first came to the attention of the Virginia colonists as the Indian maiden who saved John Smith's life and brought food to the early colonists. She married John Rolfe about 5 April 1614. John Rolfe was born before 6 May 1585 and died about 10 Mar 1622. Pocahontas was her childhood pet name. Upon her conversion to Christianity and her marriage, she became Lady Rebecca Rolfe. They were the parents of one child, Thomas Rolfe..

Generation 2

Thomas Rolfe was born about 30 January 1615 and died before 23 Apr 1681. In about 1644 he married Jane, her birth surname unknown, born about 1630 and died January 1679. They had one child, Jane Rolfe.

Generation 3

Jane Rolfe was born about 1655 and died after 27 Jan 1677 at the Kippox Plantation, Hopewell, Virginia. PPP by Southern Colonies. In 1675 she married Colonel Robert Bolling (26 Dec 1646 - 17 Jul 1709). PPP by Southern Colonies. They had one child, John.

Robert Bolling and the Red, White and Blue Bollings

Col Robert Bolling, the immigrant, son of John and Mary Bolling who lived in the parish of Allhallows Barkin parish, Tower Street, London, was born in London in 1646. He immigrated to Virginia in 1660, at the age of 14. In 1675 he married Jane Rolfe, his first wife, daughter of Thomas Rolfe.. They had one son, John, born 1676; Jane herself died that year. [1]

Robert Bolling then in 1681 married his second wife, Anne Stith, daughter of John. Robert Bolling lived at "Kippax in P:rince George County, Virginia, and died in 1709 aged 62. Robert and Anne had a number of children. [1]

Red White and Blue

The descendants of Robert and Jane were descendants of Pocahontas and in the family were called the "Red Bollings." The descendants of Robert and Ann Stith were not descendants of Pocahontas and in the family were called the 'White Bollings."

In addition, there were other Bollings who also had descendants. Because these Bollings "came out of the blue" they were called "Blue Bollings." Sometimes these Bollings also claimed descent from Pocahontas, but these descents are fabrications.[2]

The Red Bollings: Generation 1: Family of John Bolling and Mary Kennon

The following confirmed children of Robert Bolling and his first wife Jane Rolfe are Pocahontas descendants:

  1. John Bolling (Bolling-10) (27 Jan 1676 - 20 Apr 1729), was the son of Robert Bolling and Jane Rolfe. On 29 December 1697, he married Mary Kennon (Kennon-4) (29 Jun 1679 - 29 Jun 1727). She was the daughter of Richard and Elizabeth (Warsham) Kennon. "John Bolling devoted himself to commerce...and lived agt Cobbs, on Appomattox River, where he received all the profits of an immense trade with his countrymen, and of one still greater with the Indians....They had one son and five daughters:[1]
    1. Jane (Bolling) Randolph (23 Jul 1698 - 04 Mar 1766) m. Richard Randolph (02 May 1686 - 17 Dec 1748) on 17 Dec 1715.
    2. John Bolling Jr (20 Jan 1700 - 06 Sep 1757) Married first Elizabeth Lewis (07 May 1706 - bef 1727) abt 1720. Married second Elizabeth Blair (20 Jan 1708 - 22 Apr 1775) on 1 Aug 1728. See Generation 2.
    3. Elizabeth Blair (Bolling) Gay (1709 - abt 1766) m. William Gay (abt 1705 - 01 Mar 1749) on 1730. Ptogilr PPP by Virginia Project
    4. Mary (Bolling) Fleming (1711 - 10 Aug 1744) m. John Fleming (Nov 1697 - 06 Nov 1756) on 20 Jan 1727.
    5. Martha (Bolling) Eldridge (1713 - 23 Oct 1749) m. Thomas Eldridge Jr. (abt 1710 - 04 Dec 1754) on 4 Dec 1727.
    6. Anne (Bolling) Murray (abt 12 Dec 1718 - 29 Sep 1800)

The Red Bollings: Generation 2: Family of John Bolling, Jr and Elizabeth Blair

John Bolling Jr was born 20 Jan 1700 and died 06 Sep 1757. John Bolling, Jr, "possessed the gay spirit of his father, without his taste for commerce...as he had no evil propensity, he thought himself entitled to enjoy innocent pleasures: Horses, Dogs, Hunting, Fishing, good Living, Dancing, his Wife and his Children." [1] About 1720 he married first Elizabeth Lewis. She was born 7 May 1706, daughter of John and Elizabeth (Warner) Lewis of Gloucester Couty. She died before 1727 without issue. On 1 August 1728 John married second Elizabeth Blair. She was born 20 Jan 1708, daughter of Archibald and Susan (Fowler) Blair, and died 22 Apr 1775.

They had at least 11 children. Several died in their infancy (indicated in bold below). The children that survived to adulthood were mentioned in his will or codicil, and all eleven were mentioned in the Robert Bolling memoir.[3]

Elizabeth (Blair) Bolling survived John as widow and later married Richard Bland II (1710-1776) of "Jordan's", with no issue. She died in April 1775.[4]

  1. 'Archibald Bolling (died as infant)
  2. Thomas Bollling (Bollling-1) J.P. (1735-1804) Named in Will
  3. John Bolling (Bolling-1) (1737-aft.1800) Named in Will
  4. Robert Bolling (Bolling-201) (1738-1775) Named in Will. Writer of "Memoirs of the Bolling Family"[3][1]
  5. Sarah Bolling (died as infant)
  6. Anne Bolling (died as infant)
  7. Mary (Bolling) Bland (Bolling-102)(1744-1803) Named in Will
  8. Edward Bolling (Bolling-212) (1746-1770) Named in Will
  9. Sarah (Bolling) Tazewell (Bolling-211) (1748-1781) Named in WIll
  10. Archibald Bolling (Bolling-210) (1750-abt.1829)]] Named in Codicil to Will.
  11. Anne (Bolling) Dandridge (Bolling-55) (abt.1751-1802)]] Named in Codicil to Will.

The White Bollings

The following confirmed children of Robert Bolling and his second wife Ann Stith are not Pocahontas descendants:

  1. Robert Bolling
  2. Stith Bolling
  3. Edward Bolling
  4. Anne Bolling married Wynne
  5. Drury Bolling
  6. Thomas Bolling
  7. Agnes Bolling married Kennan

Fabrications: Zelma Wells Price and The Price List

The Price List

In 1963 Zelma Wells Price released her multivolume work, "Of Whom I Came, From Whence I Came..." [5] Robert Hof noted that "Price was a noted genealogist with impressive credentials.": She resided in Greenville Mississippi. Volume VI of her work addressed the Bolling family, and "recorded the Pocahontas-descent tradijtions of several Bolling, Bolding and Bowling families. The end result was a list of 21 children said to have been born to John and Elizabeth Blair Bolling." [6]

The list below shows 9 names in bold. These are the 11 Red Bollings of John and Elizabeth (Blair) Bolling of generation 2, less 2 daughters, Sarah and Anne, who died in infancy. To them are added 12 undocumented "Blue Bollings" who are not shown in bold; the combined list recorded, on pages 7-9 of Vol. VI, the "Price list." [6]

1.Meotaka (Meta) Bolling, 3 July 1729 -
2.Archibald, 1 June 1730 - "apparently d. young"
3.William, 5 April 1731-1776 ("while serving as Col. In Revolutionary Army"). This is the William L. Bolling shown following under Disproven Existence.
4.Elizabeth,(twin of William), 5 April 1731 -
5.Jared, 3 June 1732 -
6.Martha, 15 July 1733 -
7.Dorothea (Dorothy), 30 June 1734 -
8.Benjamin (twin of Dorothea), 30 June 1734-1832:
9.Thomas, 7 July 1735-7 August 1804
10. John, 24 June 1737-1797. This John married Mary Jefferson. This is not the John Kennon Bolling who married Mary Tarpley.
11.Robert, 17 August 1738-1775
12.Jane, 13 July 1740-
13.Rodney, 18 September 1742-19 November 1778
14.Rolfe, 16 July 1744 -
15.Mary (twin of Rolfe), 16 July 1744-1775
16.Edward, 9 September 1746-10 August 1770
17.Sarah, 16 June 1748 -
18.Archibald, 20 March 1749/50-1829
19.Anne, 7 February 1752 -
20.Powhatan, 16 April 1754- It appears that Powhatan — did not exist. The "real" Powhatan Bolling (1767-1803) was a grandson of John and Elizabeth Blair Bolling. [6]
21.James, 9 January 1756-

Sources of the Price List

Hof writes that "Zelma Wells Price cited "Affidavits Made by Ara Janet (Bolding) Stegall," a relative of hers. Hof adds that, "In reviewing research notes I've made from Price's work I've found the following verbatim passages relating to the affidavits in question:

"Our ancestor John Bolling came from Va. to South Carolina after the Revolution.His father was Col. William Bolding. Our John married Miss Mary Tarpley.They had Sons named John Tarpley, and James, and other children." "I copy now for you the children of John Bolding & his wife Elizabeth Blair.She was his 2nd wife.The old list you Spoke of must have been the one in [the] hands of Ellen Weatherbee as I know for sure she had one.The list gives names & birth dates of twenty children & is said to be in the Handwriting of John Tarpley Bolding.The one I have is very old & yellow & almost crumbled but I still have it.I copy this from a copy my papa made years ago."There then follows the list of 20 children, seven of whom with the surname "Bolling," 13 of whom with the surname "Bolding" and one of which (Powhatan -- born 1754) whose very existence is doubtful.The 12 "blue" Bollings are within this list.

Hof continues: "It appears, therefore, that what the affidavit attested to was the possession by Ara Janet Bolding Stegall of a list or a copy of a list "said to be" in the handwriting of John Tarpley Bolding, a man whose questionable grasp of Bolling family reality goes to the heart of the "blue Bolling" controversy. Boiled down to its essence, all the affidavit attests to is the good-faith recording of a list (original or copy, said to be in someone's handwriting) by Mrs. Stegall for Judge Price's use." Hof adds, "Some or all of the 12 "blues" may someday achieve consensus "red" status.Yet if John Bolling's will and Robert Bolling's memoirs (neither of which mentions any of the 12 "blues") are worthy of doubt, skepticism and even disbelief, how can an "affidavit" of this nature be elevated to the status of unquestioned "proof?"[6]

Hof then adds that "In reality, the "Price" list could be called the "Ara Janet (Bolling) Stegall" list, because it was she, a cousin of Judge Price, who wrote it down, signed it, had her signature notarized, and sent to the genealogist."[6]

"The 20 names listed by Mrs. Stegall were: (1) Meotaka Bolding; (2) William Bolding; (3) Elizabeth Bolding; (4) Jared Bolling; (5) Martha Bolding; (6) Dorothea Bolding; (7) Benjamin Bolding; (8) Thomas Bolding; (9) John Bolding; (10) Robert Bolling; (11) Jane Bolding; (12) Rodney Bolling; (13) Rolfe Bolling; (14) Mary Bolling; (15) Edward Bolding; (16) Sarah Bolding; (17) Archibald Bolling; (18) Anne Bolding; (19) Powhatan Bolling; (20) James Bolding. [Note: the mixture of Bolling and Bolding surnames is exactly as recorded by Price on pages 70 and 71 of Vol. VI.]" [6]

"Concerning sources for the 12 disputed names, Price — who on page 97 details what she believes to be her own four-way descent from Pocahontas, all through blue Bolling number 3 [William L. Bolling]— does not use footnotes.She does, however, offer an extensive bibliography.Yet one is struck by twounsettling discoveries in reviewing her many pages of discussion about the Bolling family." [6]

"First, she relies to an extraordinary degree on "affidavits" — notarized letters sent to her by relatives — in constructing her list and fleshing it out with details. [6]"

"Second — and this can be confirmed perhaps only by viewing her papers — there is no indication in her text that she ever focused her own well-trained genealogical eye on the "very old & yellow & almost crumbled" piece of paper containing a list attributed to John Tarpley Bolding/Bolling (1778-1849), who would have written it in the early 1800s." [6]

"Mrs. Stegall sent cousin Zelma Price a copy of a copy, one which she said was written down by her father, Wesley Washington Bolling." [6]

"Nothing in Price's narrative states that she herself examined either the "original" or W.W. Bolling's copy of the original.She may have, but she does not say so." [6]

"About her father, Mrs. Stegall said the following: "When I was a very young girl [note: she was born in 1876] my papa almost let us starve while he took off to find out about family genealogy & look up kin folks all over the country . . . He went into Ala. Tenn. the Carolinas, Virginia & other States & was gone better than a year . . ." [p. 71] Clearly the research activities of Wesley Washington Bolling deserve far more scrutiny than has been brought to bear thus far.It may well be that he — not his grandfather, John Tarpley Bolling/Bolding — deserves most of the credit for launching the process that resulted in Zelma Price's famous list." [6]

"Mrs. Stegall's affidavits were not the only ones used by Judge Price."

"Citing "old family Bible records and many other records which I now have," Martha Elender (Ellen) (Weatherbee) Edmonson affirmed the following on May 16, 1932: "William Bolling and his wife, Amelia Randolph, were the parents of John Bolling Sr. [Note: the father of John Tarpley Bolling.] They were both born in Va.Her father was Richard Randolph.His [William's] birthdate is Apr. 5th, 1731, and hers is June 15th, 1739.He was a soldier in the Revolutionary War, and is said to have been a Col. He died on the battlefield at the age of 45 years in the year 1776.His wife died at her home in Henry Co. Va on Sept. 5th, 1780.They were married at her fathers home on Jan. 1st 1755.William Bolling was the son of Maj John Bolling, and from him just about 4 generations back to Pocahontas." [pages 72-73]" [6]

"This testimony seems to have created difficulties for Price, who gives no indication of having personally examined any of the Bible records or other documents.There were two relevant Richard Randolphs: father and son." [6]

"Price decided, on a basis not specified, that Richard, Jr. was the father of Amelia. This necessitated a year of birth for the father consistent with a 1739 year of birth for the daughter and, in turn, a "new" year of birth for Jane Bolling Randolph, mother of Richard, Jr. and younger sister of Col. John Bolling.Here is how Price, with no footnote and no reference, handled the difficulty: "Some records have shown Jane Bolling (4) to have been born in 1703, but this is incorrect.She was the first child born to her parents, and she was born in 1698.For her to have been born in 1703, she would have been only eleven years of age when she married." [page 4] Indeed, she would have been awfully young if she'd actually been married in 1714.Virtually any source Price could have consulted (such as Robert Bolling's Memoir) would have given Jane's year of birth as 1703.Moreover, the emergence of convincing evidence (discussed elsewhere in this Forum and the Randolph Forum) that Jane's oldest child (Richard, Jr.) was born in 1724/25, thus making him ineligible to have been Amelia's father, only puts an exclamation point on Price's unusually cavalier methodology.She seems to have taken a notarized letter from a relative, tried to shape the evidence, and then constructed a genealogical framework to support it." [6]

Disproven Existence

The following italicized profiles have been identified as Disproven Existence. They are arranged according to their claimed relationships. Note that since people who never existed cannot have parents, spouses, or children, the relationships shown to the italicized disproven existence persons are false. Non-italicized profiles are those of real people.

Col. William L. Bolling and his supposed wife Amelia Randolph

Col. William L. Bolling appears on the "Blair List" as t4he third child of John and Elizabeth (Blair) Bolling. He is the second of the 11 "Blue Bollings" added by Zelma Wells Price.

Disproven Existence: Col. William Bolling-658 (Bolling-658), was shown as born 1731 and previously connected as the son of John Bolling and Elizabeth Blair. Hof writes, "No trace of a Colonel William Bolling has ever been found. A soldier (evidently a private) by that name living in Henry Co. died in the Revolutionary War, but nothing substantial linking him to John and Elizabeth Blair Bolling has ever been uncovered.... Indeed, other than the family hearsay traditions consolidated and written down by Price, [6] DNA shows not a descendant of Pocahontas. There was a real Col. William Bolling who married a Randolph descendant. See genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/bolling/1572.

Disproven Existence: Amelia Randlph-1528, the supposed wife of William Bolling, was claimed to be the daughter of Jane Bolling Randolph, b. 1698, granddaughter of John Bolling and Mary Kennon, and great-granddaughter of John's mother Jane Rolfe. Jane Rolfe was in turn the granddaughter of Thomas Rolfe, and great-granddaughter of John Rolfe and Amonute Matoaka Powhatan (Pocahontas). Amelia's existence also is disproven."

Supposed Children of William and Amelia

The following names appear in different accounts as children of William and Amelia. Some are real people. Some are disproved existence.

Parents of Catherine & Samuel, who are possibly real people. Recommendations: Needs to be PPP by Native American Project. Needs to be disconnected from wife Amelia Randolph. Children attributed to William and Amelia include:

  • Real Person: Catherine Bolling-454. b. 1754 South Carolina, m. William Easton Hawkins.
  • Real Person: Samuel Bolling-657. b. 1755, Goochland, Virginia. A number of children.
  • Disproven Existence. Amelia Bolling-739 Amelia Meotaka "Meta" Bolling, born 1761. Father was William L Bolling, Bolling 658.
  • Disproven Existence. William Bolling-738, b. 1767. was son of William L. Bolling-658
  • Disproven Existence. Archibald Bolling-740, bon 1757. was son of William L. Bolling-658. Do not confuse with Archibald Bolling-742, who died in infancy, or his brother Archibald Bolling-210 (1750-1829).
  • Possible Real Person. John Bolin (Bolin-1306). Unsourced. Previously connected to William L. Bolling, now disconnected. Has daughter.

John Kennon Bolling and Mary Tarpley

Uncertain Existence: John Kennon Bolling (Bolling-722) and wife Mary Tarpley (Tarpley-119). This couple appear in many genealogies, but their existence is uncertain. Sometimes John Kennon Bolling's parents are shown as William L. Bowling-648 and Amelia Randolph-1528. Sometimes his father is shown as William L. Bowling-1230; that profile has been repurposed as William Bowling, Revolutionary War soldier. Sometimes his parents are shown as John and Elizabeth (Blair) Bolling. However, the real son of John and Elizabeth (Blair) Bolling, John Bolling, Jr, married Mary Jefferson, not Mary Tarpley.

Nevertheless, John Kennon Bolling and Mary Tarpley appear as the parents of many children whose existence has been disprovede.

Supposed Children of John Kennon and Mary (Tarpley) Bolling

    • Disproven Existence. Amelia Randolph Bolling-731, b. 1793, South Carolina. Mary Tarpley Bolling was mother. John Kennon Bolling, b. 1756, was father.
    • Real Person. John Tarpley Bolling, son of John Kennan Bolling and Mary Tarpley. Married Mary Pleasants. Real People.
    • Real Pereson. John Tarpley Bolling (Bolling-540) , b. 1778, and Mary Pleasants (Pleasants-152), b. 1782. Real people with 14 children, who all had middle name of Pleasants. James, b. 1799; Billy, Melvin, Joseph, William, Robert, Sarah, John, Sara,. Anne, Sarah, Andrew, Matthew, Ann, Elizabeth. All real people with descendants.
    • Disproven Existence. Mary Pleasants Bolling-703 Weatherbee ,b. 1799 Tennessee. One had Mary Pleasants Bolling (Plesants-152) as mother. Once had John Tarpley Bolling. b1778 (Bolling-540) as father. John Tarpley Bolling not disproved; John Tarpley Bolling was son of John Kennon Bolling & Mary Tarpley Bolling. Numerous Weatherbee children have also been shown to be Disproven Existence.
    • Disproven Existence. Rodney Rolfe Bolling-726. Born 1799 Tennessee. Mother was Mary Tarpley Bolling-Tarpley-119, b. 1760. Father was John Kennon Bolling-722, b. 1756. Major John Kennon Bolling is not disproved; is son of William L. Bolling-1230 b. 1731, parents unknown. Not Bolling-658-703
    • Disproven Existence. Mary Meotake Bolling-735. Mary Tarpley Bolling was mother. John Kennon bolling was father.
    • Disproven Existence. Calvin Powhatan Bolling-724, born Tennessee 1801. Was son of John Kennan Bolling & Mary Tarpley Bolling.

Unconnected Bollings

Ann Bolling-736. No PM. b. 1771. Married John Peyton Powell, unsourced.

Draft Paragraphs to Add (This Section to be Deleted when Project is complete)

Draft Paragraph to Add to Disproven Profiles

Research Note: No evidence has been found to confirm the existence of this person. This person has previously been connected to ancestry from Pocahontas. See Bolling Pocahontas Fabrication for a fuller understanding of how the fabrication came to be, who was involved, and the specific ancestry claimed for this person.

Draft Paragraph to Add to Uncertain Existence Profiles

Research Note: It is possible that this is a real person, however, because it is not adequately sourced, that has not been determined. Regrettably, some relationships may have been fabricated to claim descent from Pocahontas. See Bolling Pocahontas Fabrication for a fuller understanding of how the fabrication came to be, who was involved, and the specific ancestry claimed for this person.

Draft Paragraph to Add to Real Persons affected by Fabrication

Research Note: Documentation exists to confirm this person's existence. However, some relationships may have been fabricated to claim descent from Pocahontas. See Bolling Pocahontas Fabrication for a fuller understanding of how the fabrication came to be, who was involved, and the specific ancestry claimed for this person.

Draft Paragraph to Add to Pocahontas Profile

Research Note: In later years the notion of descent from Pocahontas has become attractive and more than one false genealogy has been created to claim such descent. See Bolling Pocahontas Fabrication for a fuller understanding of how these fabrications came to be, who was involved, and the specific ancestry claimed for claimed descendants.

Sources

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Robert Bolling of Chellowe, Buckingham County, Virginia. A Memoir of a Portion of the Bolling Family in England and Virginia Translated by Judge John Robertson from the original French. Richmond, Virginia: W. H. Wade & Company, 1868. Page 4
  2. ↑ Fred Hof. Definition of Blue Bolling Genealogy.com, September 30, 2001. Accessed 14 December 2022 jhd
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Bolling, Robert. A Memoir of a Portion of the Bolling Family in England and Virginia. Richmond, Va., W.H. Wade & Co., 1868. https://archive.org/details/memoirofportiono00inboll/page/n18/mode/1up p. 5 - consists of three parts: (1) "Memoirs of the Bolling Family," written in 1764 by Robert Bolling of Chellowe, Buckingham Co., VA and translated from the original French manuscript in 1803 by John Robertson, son of William Robertson (both relatives of Bolling); (2) explanatory notes inserted into the translated text by Virginia statesman John Randolph of Roanoke, a relative of the author and the translator; and (3) additional annotations by the editor, Thomas H. Wynne. The entire work — privately printed and distributed — is comprised of 68 pages, of which only 8+ cover the 1764 Memoir.
  4. ↑ Voorhis, Manning C. “Bollingbrook.” The William and Mary Quarterly, vol. 16, no. 4, 1936, pp. 545–553. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/1920595. Accessed 23 Apr. 2021.
  5. ↑ Zelma Price. Of Whom I came; from whence I came: Wells-Wise, Rish-Wise and Otherwise. 1959. Notes taken from Vol 6, pt 1, p. 13
  6. ↑ 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 6.11 6.12 6.13 6.14 6.15 Fred Hof. Sources: the "Price" List Genealogy.com, January 7, 2002. Accessed 14 December 2022 jhd




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Mqrilyn Ford
I am of thee family of Benjamin Bowlling bprn 1732 IN vA. and died in Flat Gap Wise Co North Carolina.

I have located his twin sister, Dorothea. I believe Benjamin and Dorothea to be the children, born out of wedlock, to Col. Isham Randolph and Mary Bolling who married John fleming. Mary is a d/o of John Bolling and Mary Kennon. Dorothea was raised by her father, Isham Randolph who married Judith Lilburne Rogers. She got the Randolph name. She married John Woodson. and had a lot of children. Her older sister in the Randolph family was Jane Randolph who married Peter Jefferson. and they are the parents of President Thomas Jefferson. I always wondered why Benjamin went to Monticello. His grandmother is not Eliz Blair Bolling . Elizabeth would be related to Benjamin thru Mary Bolling Fleming. Maybe Eliz Blair Bolling helped raise Benjamin. Peter Jefferson became guardian of Dorothea. So of course Benjamin would be a Blue Bolling. at leAST acccording to thE Bolling Family assoc for pOCAHONTAS. tHE NAME OF iSHAM IS CARRIED DOWN THRU THE FAMILY OF bENJAMIN bOLLING. i always say follow the names. I hope to hear back from others on this. mARILYN

posted by Mqrilyn Ford
edited by Mqrilyn Ford
Smith-32867 Jillaine Smith
Marilyn,

You might want to move your comment to the profile of Benjamin Bolling. (I'm not sure which WikiTree profile you're referring to.) It will likely get more visibility there by researchers of the family.

And please cite there your sources or explain your evidence for your theory that Benjamin and Dorothea were out-of-wedlock children of Mary Bolling by Isham Randolph, as well as for the other statements you make above.

A quick glance indicates that there is MUCH controversy about a Benjamin Bolling/Bowling from this era, so citing of sources/ discussion of evidence will be very much needed.

Good luck!

posted by Jillaine Smith

Categories: Bolling Pocahontas Fabrication