[104]. The pedigree of John Bolles in the male line is traceable to time of the Conqueror. The name is on the Roll of Battle Abbey.
[105]. The Thomas Bolles place is now the Lyman Allyn farm on the Norwich road. Just south of the Allyn house is the site of an old well. By this well stood the house of Thomas Bolles, where occurred the murder of his wife and two children, leaving only the babe, John. (For particulars, see “Bolles Genealogy.”)
[106]. His house stood just south of present house of Mr. Calvert. His father’s home farm was about one-fourth of a mile south of this point.
[107]. John Bolles further says in regard to the persecution he suffered upon joining the Rogerenes: “God gave me such a cheerful spirit in this warfare, that when I had not the knowledge that the grand-jury man saw me at work on said day, I would inform against myself before witness, till they gave out and let me plow and cart and do whatsoever I have occasion on that day.”
Here will be recognized an imitation of the early policy of the Rogerenes in time of persecution, a policy likely to have been recommended to all their followers; viz.: to give their opponents so much more trouble when molesting them than when letting them alone that the institution of a season of severe measures will be the less liable to occur. This is the policy recognizable in the countermove, so sure to take place in time of severe persecution.
[108]. It will be seen that as late as 1716 (see Chapter IX.), so prominent a Rogerene as John Bolles was even declared to be “ignorant of this law.” That he ignored it, with all other ecclesiastical laws, is more likely to have been the case.
[109]. A Baptist church springs up at Groton and one on the Great Neck. The Baptist edifice on the Great Neck (“Pepper Box”) is used in an admirably liberal and pacific manner by both the regular Baptists and the Seventh Day Baptists. The leading members of these two friendly societies are largely of Rogers descent;—descendants of Captain James and of Joseph being of the first-day persuasion, and those of Jonathan of the seventh day, as a rule. Since the history of these societies on the Great Neck has been given by Miss Caulkins more largely than would be possible in this work, the reader is referred to the “History of New London” for particulars regarding them.
[110]. For what cause or by what pretense this imprisonment occurs does not appear. It is revealed by a statement made by Peter Pratt himself. (“Prey Taken from the Strong.”) In referring to his being imprisoned with other Rogerenes, he speaks of his wife as a bride at that time. He was married in 1709.
[111]. In his own large inventory is no mention of any slaves.
[112]. In lieu of other suitable accommodation in New London this edifice continued to be used, for some time, for sessions of this court.—(For John Roger’s account of this trial, see [Part I., Chapter V.])