Not the son of Elizabeth Bolling & Major John Kennon Bolling, II. "Recent DNA findings have concluded that Benjamin Bolling is not descended from John Bolling and Elizabeth Blair."

Benjamin Franklin Bolling Sr (1734 - 1832)

• aka Bowlin, Bowlen, Bowline, Bowling, Bolen, Boling, Boland, Bolande
• Born 30 Jun 1734 in Henrico County Courthouse, Henrico, Virginia
• Son of [father unknown] and [mother unknown]
• Husband of Martha (Phelps) Bolling — married 20 Jun 1753 in Albermarle County, Virginia
• Husband of Charity (Larrimore) Bolling — married after 1767 [location unknown]
• Father of Joseph Bolling, Justice (Bolling) Bowling, Benjamin Bolling Jr, John Kidwell Bolling, William (Bolling) Bowling, Jesse Bolling, Rebecca (Bowling) Hudson, Hannah (Bolling) Osborne, Elizabeth (Bolling) Short, Elizabeth Blair (Bolling) Williams, Delaney Bowlin, Jeremiah Bolling and Jeremiah Bolling Sr.
• Died 20 Jan 1832 at age 97 in Flat Gap Russell, Virginia

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Biography

From https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Bolling-79

Children

By first marriage to Martha "Patsy" Phelps (b: 20 Jun 1737 in Albermarle, Virginia); married: 20 Jun 1753 in Albermarle, Virginia:[9]

1. Benjamin Boling b: 25 Apr 1754 in Virginia
2. John Bolling b: Abt 1755
3. James Bolling b: 9 Jan 1756
4. William "Blackwater Bill" Bolling b: 1757
5. Jesse Bowling b: 22 May 1758 in Hillsboro , North Carolina
6. Hancock Bolling b: 1759
7. Robert Bolling b: 1760
8. Justice Bolling b: Abt 1760
9. Delaney Bolling b: 1764
10. Hannah Bolling b: 28 Apr 1766 in North Carolina
11. Elizabeth "Betsy" Bolling b: 8 Mar 1767 in North Carolina

By second marriage to Charity Larrimore (b: 17 Jan 1768 in Edisto River, South Carolina; Married: Abt 1768 in North Carolina :[10]

1. 12 Charity Bolling b: 1772
2. 13 Baxter Bolling b: 1776 (disputed)
3. 14 Jeremiah Bolling b: 18 Dec 1782 in Lancaster District, South Carolina
4. 15 Barnett Bolling b: 1784
5. 16 Isaac Bolling b: 1788
6. 17 Levi Bolling b: 1790
7. 18 James Bolling

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See

Benjamin Bolling

According to e-mails from the BFA, evidence exists which prove that Benjamin was not the son of Major John Bolling but was descended from Edward Bolling. Edward Bolling (1687-1710) was the son of Robert Bolling and Anne Stith. He married a Slaughter girl at a very young age and made his living at sea. A letter from a Col. Byrd mentions that he recently lost two of his "beautiful young men" at sea one of whom was Edward. Edward's widow took her family to North Carolina including her son Benjamin who married Charlotte Ward and later fathered Benjamin (1734-1832)

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18XLLRMYHQ/

"I have permission from the author of this research, Jim Bowlin, to share with you:
Benjamin Bolling (Sam’s father was Alvin, Alvin’s father was Delaney, Delaney’s father was Jeremiah, Jeremiah’s father was Benjamin.)
Our earliest ancestor that we can trace with certainty is Benjamin Bolling, born June 30, 1734, and died January 20, 1832. His origins are rather murky due to lack of documentation. However, his life was well documented and he was quite the explorer.
While single Benjamin lived on his father's estate in Albermarle Co., the part later became Amherst Co. Benjamin first married Mary Patsy Phelps. Around 1760 they moved to Rowan Co., NC, then later on to Randolph Co. NC. Benjamin Bolling was a soldier in the American Army of the Revolution. He prepared a gourd to carry his powder in so as to keep it dry. It is described as an ordinary yard or garden variety of gourd. About 10 inches across bottom (blossom end), flat, with handle (stem) cut off about three inches long, into which powder was poured or loaded into rifle. It is highly polished by age and is chocolate brown in color. Benjamin prepared a deer skin bag or covering for the gourd to protect it from breading, and this covering is still on it. When he made his second and final journey into what is now Wise County, to establish a home, he carried a few scions in this powder gourd tied to the horn of his saddle all the miles across the mountains from North Carolina to the head of the Lick Fork of Pound, where he used them to plant the first orchard in Wise County. That was almost two centuries ago and some of the trees are still living and bear annual crops of fruit. On Benjamin Bolling's death in 1835, the gourd fell to his son Jeremiah Bolling. He faithfully preserved it until his death about 1860, when it became possessed by Amos Bolling, Jeremiah's son, and his son, John, fell heir to it and at his death in 1935, it came into the hands of his son, Benton Bolling. It has been used in recent years to store bean seed and other garden seed in.
Benjamin, as all white settlers, feared the Indians, although he was never attacked. In this particular area, he felt that he was fairly safe. However, incidences regarding a family by the name of Roberts was said to have influenced Benjamin's return to North Carolina. Benjamin Bolling moved from North Carolina in 1794 and settled about two miles north of present town of Esserville, on state road 620. When Benjamin settled in what is now Wise County, Virginia, there were no roads, only Indian trails and animal paths. An old chimney stood for many years which was believed to have belonged to Benjamin. Upon his arrival it is said that he declared, "all the land I can see is mine," and thereby became a land owner or squatter. It has been said that Benjamin believed that to live in the mountains, walled in, would make him free from religious and political examination. The first settlement of Benjamin Bolling was described by his descendants as a small one-room round-pole cabin. While living here, Mrs. Bolling was attacked by a panther at the spring one morning and she fought the animal off with a “piggin” until her husband ran to her rescue and shot the panther. After living here about two years, Bolling sold his claim for a rifle gun and two hound pups to an unknown settler and went back to North Carolina. Later he returned with his son, Jeremiah Bolling, and settled on the Pound River. He died there in 1832 at age 98 and is buried in the Bolling family cemetery there. His second wife, Charity Larrimore, whom he married after Mary Patsy Phelps (Justus’ Mother) died in childbirth on 8 Mar 1767, is buried beside him. His original tombstone was made by his son, Jeremiah, and inscribed: "B. Bolling, b. 1734, d. 1832". The grave originally was surrounded by rocks with a huge flat rock covering it. Many graves in the cemetery were similar, and known as "Indian graves". Much later, a monument was erected on his gravesite in Flat Gap, VA, by some of his proud descendants, however it lists John Bolling and Elizabeth Blair as his parents, which we now know is not true, adding more confusion to his origins.
There are three primary theories as to Benjamin’s origins. There’s a fourth that is unlikely which says he was an orphan adopted by Col. John Bolling. There’s no evidence to support this and even more evidence to the contrary.
The first theory states the Benjamin was born to a Benjamin Bolling (born 1709) and Charlotte Ward. This older Benjamin was the son of Edward Bolling and Mary Slaughter. Edward, a son of Col. Robert Bolling and Ann Stith, was a sea captain who died at sea. The recently widowed Mary Slaughter moved from North Carolina to Virginia to be near Edward’s family, who helped raise Benjamin. The Bolling Family Association (BFA) considers Benjamin Bolling and Charlotte Ward to be Benjamin’s parents, however they make no connection between the older Benjamin and Edward Bolling/Mary Slaughter. DNA proves no connection to Edward Bolling, but all information I can find on the older Benjamin says he was Edward’s son. Obviously, there is some misinformation. An alternative theory to this is that Benjamin was born to Benjamin Bolling/Charlotte Ward, and that this Benjamin was descended from one of Col. Robert Bolling’s brothers who immigrated with him to the New World.
The second theory states that Benjamin was a Melungeon. The Melungeons were a group of people from the southwest Virginia, Tennessee, and Kentucky regions (specifically around the Cumberland Gap area and Lee County, VA) that had what was called a “tri-racial isolate” heritage. This means that they were some combination of African, European, and Native American. They weren’t “black enough” to be considered African (therefore they weren’t slaves) and they weren’t “white enough” to be considered white. They were their own category altogether. My father, James Beaumont Bowlin IV, took a DNA test that not only matched our family line to Benjamin, it also gave us a racial profile. (It’s important to realize that our mothers’ ethnic background also plays into this, so any kind of racial category we can identify must take that into account.) Most of our DNA comes from England, Ireland, Scotland, and Germany, with England being the biggest contributor to our DNA and Ireland being a close second. There are very small traces of Austrian, Czech, Danish, Hungarian, Italian, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Ukrainian, Puerto Rican, Javanese (from Suriname, a Dutch nation at one time), and Welsh. It should be noted that these nationalities are very small, the largest being Dutch or associated with Dutch (Javanese). Unfortunately, ethnic DNA testing doesn’t give us a round pie percentage; the testers compare our DNA with others’ around the world and match certain genetic markers up to give us an idea as to our ethnic makeup. It would be trivial to say we are Dutch because we have some trace of it in our DNA; it would be more appropriate to say we come from an English background. Interestingly, Native American popped up in a somewhat major way. Exact matches with English, Irish, German, etc. also matched us with United States, or Native American. I have a book called “The Melungeons: The Resurrection of a Proud People” by N. Brent Kennedy, who is a descendent of Benjamin Bolling. He indicates that Benjamin Bolling (his spelling, Bowling) was a Melungeon in the context that Bowling/Bowlin is a Melungeon name (which has been confirmed), his residence location was that of other major Melungeon families, his wife’s mother, who was a Gibson (also a Melungeon name), may have been Melungeon, and the their daughter Hannah Bowling married into a Melungeon family, the Osbornes. The problem with this is that I traced the ancestry of Mary Patsy Phelp’s mother, Mary Gibson, and I discovered that her father, Jonathan Gibson, was born in 1668 England; her mother’s lineage, the Thorntons, trace back to William Thornton Sr. born in 1620 England. Both men died in Virginia. So, if Mary Patsy Phelps was half Melungeon on the Gibson side, it sure is hard to find. (I talk more about her father later in this chapter.) I have found some indication on the internet that Benjamin was of the Saponi tribe of Native Americans. Unless one of our family members has a DNA test to confirm that, it’s just a rumor. We do have Native blood in our family, but where does it come from? Other than his last name and residence location being associated with the Melungeons, there is not enough evidence to suggest that Benjamin Bolling was of this breed and DNA cannot definitively prove one way or another as of yet.
The third theory states that Benjamin was an illegitimate child to Mary “Polly” Bolling (granddaughter of Col. Robert Bolling) and Isham Randolph (grandfather of President Thomas Jefferson.) In this theory, before Mary Bolling married John Fleming and had 8 children with him, she had an affair with the very prominent Isham Randolph, producing a child, Benjamin. Because he was illegitimate, Benjamin was given Mary’s surname instead of Isham Randolph’s, probably to hide the affair. This theory also says his name was John Benjamin Bolling, that he was raised by his grandmother "Betsy" Bland (Elizabeth Blair Bolling m. Richard Bland after her husband’s death in 1757) and that he had a sister named Jane Jefferson. This would corroborate Hosea Bowling’s 1904 letter saying that Col. Robert Bolling was an UNCLE to Benjamin, in this case a great-uncle. The only Jane Jefferson on record in this time period is Jane Randolph, daughter of Isham, wife of Peter Jefferson, and mother of President Thomas Jefferson. Also, according to this theory, Benjamin was supposed to have returned to Virginia to visit his grandmother but she was already dead, so he ended up working for his sister, Jane Jefferson, helping her to build a house. Elizabeth "Betsy" Bland died in 1775 and Jane Jefferson died in 1776 while living at Monticello, the home of her son, Thomas Jefferson. Construction began on Monticello in 1769 and lasted for many years, so Benjamin could have worked on it.
In my opinion, the third theory makes the most sense, mainly because Jeremiah, Benjamin’s youngest and closest son, wrote in 1853 that his father's name was “John Benjamin Bowling borned in old Virginny on June 30, 1732. His father was Issam Randolph whom he never seed. His mother was Polly Bolling who died at his birth. He was reared by his grandmother Betsey Bland. She first married his grandfather John Bolling who had died. Ben Bolling said that his grandmother gave him enough money to buy a farm in North Carolina on the Yadkin River. He lost it to the rebels during the War. He returned to Virginy to see his grandmother but she was dead. He found work at his sister Jane Jefferson’s helping to build a new house. He earned enough money to recover his farm.” (Quotations are sic.) What also makes this theory likely is that Benjamin was recorded as having a “twin”, Dorothea, who is shown as a daughter of Isham Randolph and his wife Jane Rogers, born about the same time as Benjamin. Though they would be half-siblings, the birth dates of both and relationship would be confusing to early genealogists, making them twins. This theory would also explain why the DNA evidence, which relies on the paternal Y chromosome, does not connect us to Col. Robert Bolling, because the paternal connection isn’t a Bolling, but a Randolph. As far as I can see, there are too many clues pointing to this theory which is why I, personally, believe it as true. Of course, genealogical evidence surfaces as time goes on, shedding more and more light on our ancestors, so it may be up to a future genealogist to update these theories. There is no shame in our earliest ancestor being a “bastard”; our familial connection to the Randolphs would be a very honorable thing indeed, and we would still have familial connections to the great Col. Robert Bolling and his family line. For the time being, we will say for sure that our earliest ancestor is Benjamin Bolling (born 1734) and our paternal family line will reflect that without conjecture.
It is interesting to note that Benjamin’s father-in-law, John Phelps (father to his wife Mary Patsy Phelps, maternal grandfather of Justice Bolling), had a connection to the Jefferson family. John Phelps of Bedford County, Virginia was a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses, the forbearer of the Virginia General Assembly, the oldest continuously operating legislative body in the western hemisphere. When Bedford was formed in December 1753 from the counties of Albemarle and Lunenburg, John Phelps, with William Callaway, served as one of Bedford's first two burgesses. Phelps served four assemblies in the House of Burgesses beginning August 22, 1754. At the time of his appointment, Phelps already enjoyed a reputation as a respected Justice in Lunenburg and Bedford counties, a Coroner in Lunenburg, and an Anglican Vestryman in Lunenburg's Parish of Cumberland.
We find the following information in the genealogies of some of the early families who made history in the founding and development of Bedford County, Virginia. Published 1930, author Mary Denham Ackerly wrote, "John Phelps, the first of the name of whom we have any authentic record, was
already settled in Brunswick County, Va., when Lunenburg was taken from that county, and was one of the first Justices of the new county. He, with Matthew Talbot and others, was present at the first Court of Lunenburg County held May 5, 1746. When the increase in population made it necessary to form still another county from Lunenburg's territory, and Bedford came into being, we find John Phelps again at the head of affairs—Justice of the Peace, and a Justice of the County Court in Chancery." The House of Burgesses in the 1750s John Phelps' entered his first session as a burgess with fellow freshman Peter Jefferson (husband of Jane Randolph, possibly Benjamin’s half-sister) of Albemarle County, father of future Declaration of Independence author, Thomas Jefferson. (Thomas Jefferson later represented Albemarle County in the House of Burgesses from 1769-1774). It is likely that Phelps was already acquainted with the family; in 1749 he was sworn in as Justice of the Peace and Justice of the Chancery with Field Jefferson, uncle of Thomas Jefferson, in Lunenburg County. The two also served as Vestrymen in the Parish of Cumberland.
In addition to Jefferson, Phelps also served in the House of Burgesses with Augustine Washington of Westmoreland County, father of George Washington. In fact, he served in the company of many Virginians who would later become venerable leaders of the American Revolution: Peyton Randolph, Virginia Attorney General and later first president of the Continental Congress; Benjamin Harrison of "Berkeley" in Charles City County and George Wythe of Williamsburg, both signers of the Declaration of Independence and both representatives to the Continental Congress; Richard Bland of Prince George County, also a member of the Continental Congress. The oratorical and legislative experience these burgesses gained would serve them well in the years to follow when they would forge their own country after the defeat of the British at Yorktown in 1781. Indeed, the seeds of discontent with the Crown were sewn in the years immediately preceding the dissolution of the House of Burgesses in 1769.* The last session John Phelps served in the House of Burgesses, August 5, 1755. Col. John Phelps died on Feb. 25, 1772 at Bedford City, Virginia, USA. He was 67 years old."

Additional Curator's Notes

From Pocahontas Descendants:

The "mysterious" Bollings a.k.a. "blue" Bollings, twelve extra children of Maj. John Bolling and Elizabeth Blair. Alas! A most numerous and enthusiastic contingent, but actually no relation. Maj. John Bolling and Elizabeth Blair had seven children who survived to adulthood, and another eleven who died as infants. The "blue" Bollings are yet another twelve children. The claims of these additional 12 Bollings have been rejected by the Pocahontas Foundation, using standard genealogical methods. Paternal DNA tests concur that they are not Pocahontas descendants, and also show that they are several distinct, unrelated families.

The twelve "blue" Bollings are not considered their children:

• Meotaka
• William
• Elizabeth - Elizabeth Wright
• Jared
• Martha
• Dorothea
• Benjamin 1734-1832
• Jane
• Rodney
• Rolfe
• Powhatan 1754-?
• James c. 1756-?

If the "blue" Bollings are not descendants, then who are they? The Bolling Family Association has undertaken a DNA study to shed light on the ancestry of all Bollings in America. They coordinated DNA testing of men with

• Group 1. "Red" and "white" descendants of Robert Bolling (1646-1709). All Pocahontas descendants are in this group.
• Group 3. Descendants of Benjamin Bolling (1734-1832), in multiple lines, through his sons Jesse, Jeremiah, and Delaney.
• Group 5. Descendants of James Bowling (arr. 1700-1729). This group includes:
• * James (c. 1756-?)
• * John (c. 1756-?) m. Mary Tarpley
• * John Tarpley Bolling/Bolding (1778-1849)
• Group 6. The common ancestor for this group is undetermined. If you descend from one of the "Benjamin Bowlings" below, then you are neither a descendant of Pocahontas nor of Benjamin Bolling (1734-1832). This group includes:
• * Benjamin Bowling (1754- post 1820) Family String S
• * Benjamin Bowling (1696-1767) Family String A
• * Benjamin Bowling (1765-1838) Family String M18

Conclusion: DNA evidence indicates that the "blue" Bollings were not Pocahontas descendants. Also, they were not all siblings to each other.

A word about Benjamin Bolling (1734-1823) in particular. On the family tree he is a "blue" Bolling, but in life he was a real pioneer who left numerous proud descendants. His original tombstone was made by his son, Jeremiah, and inscribed: "B. Bolling, b. 1734, d. 1832". The grave originally was surrounded by rocks with a huge flat rock covering it. Many graves in the cemetery were similar, and known as "Indian graves". Much later, a monument was erected on his gravesite in Flat Gap, VA, by some of his proud descendants. It does little to dispel the myth that he was the child of John Bolling and Elizabeth Blair -- quite the reverse! Note, however, that it shows his birthplace as Wilkes County, North Carolina. Maj. John Bolling and Elizabeth Bland Blair lived nowhere near there.

Maria Edmonds-Zediker, Volunteer Curator, March 4, 2013

From Bullock Genealogy:

When Benjamin, 1734, left North Carolina to return to Virginia he moved to Flat Gap in what is now Wise Co., VA. near the Kentucky and Tennessee borders. He died there in 1832 at age 98 and is buried in the Bolling family cemetery there. His second wife, Charity Larrimore whom he married after Patsy Phelps (Jesse's Mother) died in childbirth on 8 Mar 1767, is buried beside him. Benjamin and Charity had Jeremiah and possibly other children. This Jeremiah was the great-great grandfather of Pennington cousin Rev. C. Glenn Bowling, and is also the ancestor of E. Watson Bolling, author ot "The Bolling Descendants of John Rolfe and Pochahontas.

Benjamin and Patsy lived in Wilkes Co., N. C., then back to VA.. They had 9 children and then Benjamin and Charity had 10 children. (From Microfilm # 1502551 item 33 at the FH Library S.L.City Utah)

When Benjamin settled in what is now Wise County, Virginia, there were no roads, only Indian trails and animal paths. He settled in an area now known as Esserville, Virginia. An old chimney stood for many years which was believed to have belonged to Benjamin. It was located where the Rocky Forks empties into Guest River. Upon his arrival it is said that he declared, "all the land I can see is mine," and thereby became a land owner or squatter. It has been said that Benjamin believed that to live in the mountains, walled in, would make him free from religious and political examination.

From Janet Ariciu Family Bush:

Flat Gap Cemetery (also known as the Benjamin Bolling Cemetery) is located off of State Route 671 in Wise County, Va. It is about 8 miles from Pound.

Spellings found for this surname include: Bowling, Bolden, Bolding, Bolen, Bolin, Boling,Bollen, Bollin, Bolling, Bollyng, Bolwing, Boulden, Boulding, Bowland, Bowlyn

The Bollings were among the first to brave the dangers of the New World. Evidently the love for adventure was inherited by Benjamin. He was the first settler on the Pound. He first came into what is now Wise County about 1789 and claimed all the land that he could see on the Guest River ( Esserville ). The pioneer built a cabin and lived there two to three years. One day a home seeker came by with a rifle and a couple of hound pups, which caught his eye. A trade was soon made and the pioneer, Ben, returned to his home and civilization thinking the lure for adventure was over. Little time had elapsed until the call of the wilderness overcame him. He shouldered his gun, whistled to his dogs, and hit the trail. A few weeks later Benjamin reached Fox Gap in the Black Mountains. He viewed the valley which was to be his home. This was to be later known as Flat Gap ( located in now what is Wise County, Va. ).

• Reference: RootsWeb - CAUTION! contains many errors!

Moved from Virginia to NC before 1760, then on to Tennessee, then to Eastern Kentucky. Inscribed on tombstone, Flat Gap Cemetery, Wise County, VA: 1734-1832, First Settler in area, born Wilkes County, NC, son of Major John Bolling and Elizabeth Blair. Wed first to Patsy Phelps and then to Charity Larrimore .

Benjamin Bolling ( June 30, 1734-Jan. 30, 1832 ) son of Major John Bolling ( 1700-1757) and Elizabeth Blair was born in Wilkes County, North Carolina.(Since proven in error by DNA testing) The Bollings were among the first to brave the dangers of the New World. Evidently the love for adventure was inherited by Benjamin. He was the first settler on the Pound. He first came into what is now Wise County about 1789 and claimed all the land that he could see on the Guest River ( Esserville ). The pioneer built a cabin and lived there two to three years. One day a home seeker came by with a rifle and a couple of hound pups, which caught his eye. A trade was soon made and the pioneer, Ben, returned to his home and civilization thinking the lure for adventure was over. Little time had elapsed until the call of the wilderness overcame him. He shouldered his gun, whistled to his dogs, and hit the trail. A few weeks later Benjamin reached Fox Gap in the Black Mountains. He viewed the valley which was to be his home. This was to be later known as Flat Gap ( located in now what is Wise County, Va. ).

While single Benjamin went to live on his father's estate in Albermarle Co., which later became Amherst Co.. About 1760, after he married Mary Patsy Phelps, Benjamin and wife moved to Rowan Co., NC and later to Randolph Co.. Patsy died in childbirth of Elizabeth in 1767. In 1791 after Benjamin remarried he and second wife Chariety Larrimore moved near Esserville, near Flat Gap, VA, later on they moved to Russell Co., VA and then Lee Co., VA. They then went on to NC because of Indian trouble but returned in 1806 with Daniel Boone their guide to the "Wilderness Area" of VA, in the Flat Gap area. The nearest post office was sixty miles away. Benjamin died in 1832, age 98, and was the first person buried in the Flat Gap Cemetery and Charity is buried beside him. His tombstone is inscribed: "B. Bolling, b. 1734, d. 1832." The tombstone was made by his son Jeremiah. Benjamin is shown on the 1790 Randolph Co., NC census and on the Russell Co., Virgina 1810 tax list and the 1820 census. He was a Baptist Minister who visited some of his brothers in KY.

According to one researcher, while single Benjamin lived on his father's estate in Albermarle Co., the part later became Amherst Co. Benjamin first married Mary Patsy Phelps. Around 1760 they moved to Rowan Co., NC, then later on to Randolph Co. NC. Patsy died in childbirth. Benjamin then married Charity Larrimore . They settled near Esserville, near Flat Gap, Va. around 1791. They later went to NC because of Indian trouble but returned in 1806 with Daniel Boone as their guide to the "wilderness area" of Va. in the Flat Gap area. Benjamin is buried in the Flat Gap Cemetery in Flat Gap, Va. ( This makes for a nice story but according to history, in 1799 Boone led his extended family from KY to Femme Osage country in Missouri; appointed "syndic" of district by the Spanish governor. In 1803 he was seriously injured in a hunting accident and relocated with Rebecca to a cabin on the farm of his son Nathan; Louisiana Purchase. In 1806 he appeared before the Federal Land Commission, seeking confirmation of his Spanish land grant hi Missouri. He was 72 years old at this time. He was given the land in 1814 and spent the rest of his life in Missouri. It is possible that he led a party of settlers into Ky. in 1806, but not likely.).

When Benjamin settled in what is now Wise County, Virginia, there were no roads, only Indian trails and animal paths. He settled in an area now known as Esserville, Virginia. An old chimney stood for many years which was believed to have belonged to Benjamin. It was located where the Rocky Forks empties into Guest River. Upon his arrival it is said that he declared, "all the land I can see is mine," and thereby became a land owner or squatter. It has been said that Benjamin believed that to live in the mountains, walled in, would make him free from religious and political examination.

Benjamin, as all white settlers, feared the Indians, although he was never attacked. In this particular area, he felt that he was fairly safe, however, incidences regarding a family by the name of Roberts was said to have influenced Benjamin's return to North Carolina. These incidences were in regard to Indian raids involving this family and others. The Roberts family and some of his in-laws had unknowingly moved and settled within five miles of chief Benge and his tribe. This was a nearby area now know as Robert's Branch. It was said that Robert's small son had seen some Indians nearby. He told his father about it and said that if they should come that he was going to hide under the trunk of an old tree, under the branch, where the water had washed the dirt from around it. Roberts gathered his sons-on-law for a battle with the Indians. The Indians attacked at night. It was said that Roberts yelled, "why don't you wait until daylight and fight like white men." They said the young Roberts boy did just as he said and hid under the trunk of the tree near the branch. The Roberts dog attacked an Indian and pulled him over the tree trunk where the boy was hiding. Apparently the Indian did not see him. the Roberts man was killed during the attack. The family buried him under a large chestnut tree. They cut the tree and scattered chestnut burrs so the Indians would think they had cut it for the chestnuts.

It is said that the first raid Chief Benge's Tribe made was either in Russell or Scott county. Two girls were captured and taken back to the tribe. The girls, they said, kept a keen eye on the way and later escaped. they told that they hid behind a fallen tree and that the Indians came so close looking for them that they could hear them talking. They arrived safely home.

The last known raid that Chief Benge and his warriors made was in Southwest Virginia in 1794. They raided and burned the Peter and Henry Livingston homes on Holston River, capturing two of the Livingston women. They traveled northward through an area called Wildcat, East Stone Gap, Powell Valley, across Stone Mountain turning right at Hoot-owl Hollow.

Jess Brock (1751-1843) organized a posse and went after the Indians. They took a shortcut across the High Knob Mountain and waited for Chief Benge. On the way to High Knob, an area now called Ice Plant Hallow, near a large rock, Jess and his posse killed Chief Benge. The rock is now called Benge Rock. The Livingston women were rescued. It was believed at that time that Benge's Tribe was located at the head of the Cumberland River in Kentucky. The tribe was thought to have migrated back to the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee. They had heard that Benge had a half brother, who was said to be the chief of a tribe there.

Marriage 1 Pattie(Patsy) PHELPS (FELTS) B: 1737

*Married: 20 Jun 1753 in Albemarle Co., Virginia

• Note: Article submitted to Clay Co. Ancestral news by Jeannie Nelson

Children

1. Benjamin II BOLLING Rev. B: ABT 1754/1756
2. John BOLIN B: 1758
3. Joel BOLIN B: 1760
4. Jesse BOLLING Rev. B: 22 May 1758 in Hillsboro North Carolina, USA
5. William BOLIN B: ABT 1755 in , , North Carolina, US

This ancestry information has not been verified!

The Bolling, Bowling, Bolen Family in America Before 1800, Todd Bolen and Lois Bolen Strange, Vol 1,p.262
Willis Bolling was born 1791 the son of John and Martha (Mangum) Bolling in Orange County, North Carolina. In 1816 he married Elizabeth Wilkerson. In 1817 Willis Bowling was the executor of a will of a John Bowling. Willis Bolling and his father John bought land about 1836 from Sion Carrington in NC when the Carringtons moved to Henderson Co TN. I have a copy of the land deed. The 1850 Census of Orange Co NC has his mother Martha (Mangum) Bolling living with him. Willis Bowling is buried in an old family cemetery just east of Durham, NC, near Bowling Mountain. His father John Bowling's farm included Bowling Mountain. The cemetery was near the Bowling farm. There are no markers for his mother and father but Willis and his wife's graves do have markers. The Bolling's Mountain area later became known as Red Mountain, and the Rougemont. Willis Bolling was the son of John Bolling and Miss Mangum (1770-1821). Willis Bolling married Elizabeth Wilkerson (? -1866) of Red Mtn.

Benjamin is considered a "Blue Bolling." This means the identity of his parents is in dispute. Evelyn Sukey's genealogy data show his parents being Major John Bolling, II and Mary Elizabeth Blair. However, their master profiles in Geni.com do not list Benjamin as one of their children.

Benjamin Bolling came from Wilkes Co., NC about the year 1790. Benjamin settled on the Guest River, built a log cabin and claimed a vast tract of land. One day his wife went to a spring to get water and a panther sprang out at her. Returning to the cabin, she prevailed on Benjamin to go back to NC. He said he would if he could sell his property.

One day a hunter came along with a rifle over his shoulder and two hound dogs at his heels. The hunter remarked that Benjamin had a good place to live. Benjamin said he wanted to sell. The hunter asked him how much he would take. Benjamin looked at the rifle and the dogs and said, "I'll sell all my holdings here for that rifle and them dogs." And so, the trade was made and Benjamin and his wife returned to NC. The land sold so cheaply is today worth millions of dollars.

But he was still dissatisfied with NC and again he returned to VA bringing with him his wife, his son Jeremiah, and his daughter-in-law who before her marriage was Sallie Ward. Benjamin Bolling made his second settlement on the Pound Fork of the Big Sandy. Here the Bollings still live.

Benjamin Bolling lived to be 98 years old, and a rude stone marking his grave had the inscription "B. Bolling 1734-1832".

Not an accepted child of Major John Kennon Bolling, II & Elizabeth Bolling by the Pocahantas Foundation

• Reference: Pocahontas
• Reference: MyHeritage Family Trees - SmartCopy: Feb 28 2018, 23:48:11 UTC

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GEDCOM Note

Biography

Benjamin was born about 1736.
<ref>Unsourced family tree handed down to Mathew Christensen. </ref>

Sources

<references />

Said by Diana Collins to be this profile:
Rev. Benjamin Franklin 'Flat Gap' Bolling

According to e-mails from the BFA, evidence exists which prove that Benjamin was not the son of Major John Bolling but was descended from Edward Bolling. Edward Bolling (1687-1710) was the son of Robert Bolling and Anne Stith. He married a Slaughter girl at a very young age and made his living at sea. A letter from a Col. Byrd mentions that he recently lost two of his "beautiful young men" at sea one of whom was Edward. Edward's widow took her family to North Carolina including her son Benjamin who married Charlotte Ward and later fathered Benjamin (1734-1832)

Parents possibly out of wedlock, based on the testimony of son Jeremiah.

Colonel Isham Randolph

Mary Fleming

References

• http://nmsantos.com/Tangled-Branches/BenjaminBOLLING/BenjaminBOLLIN...
• Reference: WikiTree Genealogy - SmartCopy: Jul 24 2022, 23:48:47 UTC
• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: May 1 2021, 18:02:28 UTC
• WikiTree contributors, "Benjamin Franklin Bolling Sr (1734-1832)," WikiTree: The Free Family Tree, (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Bolling-79 : accessed 21 September 2024).
• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/25970836/benjamin_franklin_bolling (has errors)