Norwich bulletin., 1920-02-07
Especial to The Bulletin )

The town of Bolton, Holland coun- ! ty, is two hundred years old this l year. Tn October, 1720, it was given
 town privileges and named Bolton. In May 1f18 and October 1719 the 1 general assembly passed acts flor on the mountain east of Hartford which was "a tract of land, westward
 of Coventry and Tolland." The fol- l lowing names were on a petition to l the general court. which was dated
 October g, 1720, asking for town priv l ileges: Cullott OIcott, John Bissell, stephen Bishop, Abiel Shaylor, Tim
 othy oleott, Joseph Pomeroy, Ma | thaniel Alles, Edward Rose, John
 Clark, Charles Loomis, Samuel
 Bump, Daniel Dartt, John Church, 1 Thomas Marshall and Samuel Ray
 mond. Jabez Loemis of Windsor took the first deed of land in 1718,
 as. recorded in Book 1, page 1, of
 Bolton Land Deeds. The Colonial
 Records at the State Library, first speak of the new town of Bolton on 1 1717-1725. At the May session of the legislature in 171S it was enact ed':
 Whereas there is a tract of land lying westward of Coventry and Holland, and eastward of the towns upon the river. which land this As l sembly hath in some degree suffered l and allowed the legatees of Joshua, Indian Saehem, deceased, to claim, l yet always with such limitation thatl | this Assembly did reserve the set clement thereof to themselves pro- vided the said persons legatees, did
 not settle the same to the mind of thi Assembly, which they have not done: Be it therefore enacted, that the said land be and remain to be an entire town. And to the end that the same ] may be well settled with good inhab itants and all quarrels presented. John Hamlin, James Wadsworth, John Hooker John Hall, and. 5Hez. I Brainerd, be appointed a committee 1 for the settlement of said town.n It was also enacted that the committee take effectual care" in removing the several persons settled upon said lands without the approbation or 1 consent of this Assembly, and that that they will take further rights from time to time for asserting their right" so that "the country may be peaceably and regularly settled. The committee did remove an inhabi- tant'' and at the October session, of 1f19 it was enacted that forty five ] owners of lots shall each pay seven l shiliings and four pence per lot unto 1 William Pitkin, Esq, to be by him | delivered to the person so removed from the lot so reserved for a minis ter" At the October of the General As 1 sembly of 1720 it was enacted by the Gevernour, Council and Representa- i tives, in General Court assembled,
 and by the authority of the same:
 that the said tract of land. be held | and accounted to be a town, and
 known by the name of Bolton; and 1 the inhabitants and proprietors of said town have full power and privi-
 ledge as the others towns in this colony" A tax was laid of forty | five shillings on the forty-nine lots in | the whole, being all the lots in said
 town but that laid out for the minis
 ter" to be paid annually in currant money, or provision for the setting up and maintaining the worship of God there" At the May session of
 the General Assembly of 1725' upon
 the petition of the inhabitants of the grants them liberty to embody into
 church estate and to call and settle
 an Orthodox minister among them,
 with the appreciation of the neigh l ing churches" the tax was farther continued. at thirty shillings and I that owners of farms and grants of land as lye in said township shall pay taxes annually. as ordered by the | General Assembly, to the committee, Timothy Olcott and John Bissell A patent was granted the town May 13. 1731, and is recorded in Connecticut Records for Patients Deeds and Sur yeys of Land No. A. pages 55O-552. l It closes as follows. 'Tn Testimony
 Whereof the Public Seal of said Col.
 oDy is hereunto Affixed and Signed l by the Honourahle the Governor and Secretary of said Colony Dated att l Hartford the 2Sth Day of January in the Ninth Year of the Reign of our
 Sovereign Lord George the second of
 Great Britain etc
 King Annoque Dom 11795-6"
 George Wyllys, Secretary.
 q: TALCOTT, Governour."
 The tqRn of Vernon set off from Bolton N October. 1908. Bolton, until May, 1782. was part of the Hartford
 probate district, from that date un- i til May, 17Ss, it was in the East Wind sor district; in the Hebron district
 from 17S9 to June 27, 1851 and since Il then in the Andoxer district.
 The Congregational church in BoI- I ton was organized in 1725 and the record of the church has been print ed in the New England Historical and | Neurological Register. In the Vital
 Records of Bolton" published by the
 Coanecticut Historical society in 1909, Il the first marriage recorded in Bolton ] was 1773, July ye 7th, Thomas White of Bolton and Ruth Talcott. Glas-
 tenbury were married. The first birth:
 Elijah White, son of Elijah White and Eunice his wife was born the 14th
 of November. A. D. 1771.'
 The first two deaths were: ''Mindneu J Allis dyed April 15, 1708."
 Abigail olcott dyed May 11th, A. D.
 The first town officers of Bolton were chosen at a town meeting held on l December 1st, 1720, as follows: Fran cis Smith, town clerk; ;-4Abiel Shaylor. John Bessell and Timothy Olcott, se- 1 lectmen. At a town meeting Noyem
 Der 17th, 1721, it was voted that the meeting house shall stand a little north of the pound" John Bessell, Timothy 0lcott and Francis Smith were ap- pointed building committee. At town
 meeting held September 14th, 1724. it was voted to give Rev. Thomas White
 lot and 9 graded salary and on
 Oct. ye 9th, 1T25," MT. White agreed to Consent to be ye settled pasor of the town of Bolton.' At a town ] meeting held on December 14th. 173O.