Intro to the Bolts

On the 16th of August, in the year of our Lord, 1710, our ancestor, Robert Bolt, first saw the light of day...

It is believed that he was born somewhere in Britain, possibly in England or Northern Ireland.

While his origins are unknown, once he appeared in America, he left quite a paper trail! His first recorded appearance is on 24 June 1752. In 1755, Robert Bolt served as a chain carrier in a survey party in Prince William and Fairfax Counties (Northern Neck, Virginia). He next appeared in court minutes as a juror in a Fauquier County, Virginia survey dispute on 29 August 1760.

Fauquier County was Robert's home for many years. His youngest son, Abraham, was born in Fauquier County, as stated in his Revolutionary War pension application, and Robert is listed as a tenant of the manor of Leeds in Fauquier County in 1777.

Henry County, Virginia, was the next place that Robert and his family called home, as evidenced by the Henry County tax rolls in 1782. Robert's son, John, is listed on a Henry County tax list in 1780, and his sons, Robert Jr. and Abraham, enlisted in Henry County Revolutionary War regiments.

After the war, Robert Sr., Robert Jr., and Abraham moved to Ninety-Six District (Laurens County), South Carolina where they established their plantations on the new frontier.

There are 7,461 Americans who have the Bolt surname. Robert Bolt Sr. can claim several thousand known descendants, and it's the goal of this website, to continue to help others connect.