The Rogerenes: some hitherto unpublished annals belonging to the colonial history of ConnecticutBolles, John R. (John Rogers)
History
The Rogerenes: some hitherto unpublished annals belonging to the colonial history of Connecticut
Bolles, John R. (John Rogers)
Rogerenes -- History
Judge David Bolles, son of the Rev. David Bolles before named, was
prominent for many years as an active advocate of religious freedom.
We quote the following historical statement concerning him:—
David Bolles, Jr., first child of Rev. David and Susannah Bolles,
was born in Ashford, Ct., September 26, 1765, and died there May
22, 1830. He first studied and practised medicine, and afterwards
law. At the time of his death he was judge of the Windham County
Court. He received the honorary degree of A.M. from Brown
University in 1819. He was a Methodist in religion, and to his
long continued and zealous services, as advocate of “the Baptist
Petition,” before successive legislatures, was Connecticut largely
indebted for the full establishment of religious liberty in 1818.
He was the author of the famous “Baptist Petition” above referred
to, the original copy of which, written by his own hand, was shown
to the author by his nephew, Gen. John A. Bolles.
Judge David Bolles was extensively known throughout the State as the
earnest advocate of the liberal movement. The following anecdote was
told the writer by one who sat at a dinner with him. Calvin Goddard,
the late distinguished lawyer of Norwich, then a young man, said to
Judge Bolles on the occasion, “You will blow your Baptist ram’s horn
until the walls of Jericho fall.”
Rev. Augustus Bolles, another brother of Judge Bolles, a Baptist
preacher, many years a resident of Hartford and for some time
associated with the _Christian Secretary_ published there, referring
to the great controversy for equal religious rights in the State of
Connecticut, said to the writer, more than fifty years ago, “The
Bolleses were perfect Bonapartes in that contest.” Where was Mr.
Field then? Perhaps he wasn’t born.
That ably conducted paper, the _Hartford Times_, was established in
1817, by Frederick D. Bolles, a descendant of John Bolles, for the
express purpose of meeting this question. From the first number of
said paper, we copy the following:—
Anxious to make the _Times_ as useful and worthy of public
patronage as possible, the subscriber has associated himself with
John M. Niles, Esq., a young gentleman of talent. The business
will be conducted under the firm of F. D. Bolles & Co., and they
hope, through their joint exertions, to render the paper
acceptable to its readers.
F. D. BOLLES.
The subject of religious rights was the main topic of discussion in
this paper. A subsequent number, August 12, 1817, has a long article
signed, “Roger Williams.” It is headed, “An Inquiry Whether the
Several Denominations of Christians in the States Enjoy Equal Civil
and Religious Privileges.”
From the “History of Hartford County,” we quote the following:—
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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