Dr. Samuel Bowles, founder of the Springfield Republican, says in his “Notes of the Bowles Family:” “Deacon John Bolles of Hartford, one of the most godly men that ever lived, a descendant of Thomas Bolles, was a contemporary and neighbor of my father, and used to call him ‘cousin Bowles.’”
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.”