Excerpt From:
Pioneer Families
Bolton Was A Melungeon Who Farmed
Moccasin Bend Land
Byline: John Wilson
2/10/1998
Solomon Bolton was a Melungeon, a people who were a mixture of Indian,
black and white ancestry, and was a soldier in the War of 1812. His
lovely daughter, Jemima, had a tragic story. Another Bolton pioneer in
Hamilton County was Robert Bolton, whose father was among the state's
earliest settlers. Solomon Bolton was born in North Carolina just
before 1800 and was living in South Carolina when he enlisted for the
War of 1812. His wife, Rachel, was from South Carolina. They
moved to Tennessee at Blount County, then at Marion County prior to
moving to Hamilton County in the 1840s. Solomon Bolton was a tenant on
the large farm of the Simmermans at Moccasin Bend.
The Bolton children included Elizabeth, Sarah, Hiram, Solomon
Jr., Eliza and Martha, in addition to Jemima. The latter daughter "was
famed for her beauty, her grace of manner and modesty. She was a dark
brunette. She had a suit of black hair, which was coveted by all the
girls who knew her. Her form was petite, and yet, withal was so plump
and so well developed as to make her an irresistibly charming young
woman. She was most beautiful of face, and had a rich black eye, in
whose depths the sunbeams seemed to gather. When she loosed her locks,
they fell almost reaching the ground, and shone in the sunlight, or
quivered like the glamour which the full moon throws on the placid
water. She was the essence of grace and loveliness." One of the
young Simmermans, Jerome C., fell in love with Jemima. His Bivans
step-mother and step-sisters opposed the marriage, fearing to lose a
share of the large Simmerman estate. With the aid of Ab Carroll
and John Cummings, Jerome and Jemima made their way across the river
and eloped to Trenton, Ga. That marriage occurred June 14, 1856.
The couple had a son, who died as an infant. Then a daughter,
Martha, was born in the latter part of 1858. Eight days later, Jemima
Bolton Simmerman died. That event "was such an overpowering shock to
the father that he went violently insane, and had to be taken into
custody and kept under guard for a long time." The Bivans family
later filed suit seeking the inheritance. Meanwhile, Elizabeth Bolton
secreted young Martha Simmerman away for her safekeeping. The suit
claimed the marriage was void because a Tennessee law prohibited the
marriage of a white person with a person of Negro blood to the sixth
degree. The Jerome Simmerman side finally won the suit after it
was proven the Boltons were Melungeons. It was pointed out that Solomon
Bolton could not have served in the War of 1812 had he been a Negro or
mulatto. He proved his service because he was still able to recall the
roll of his company from the captain down to the last private on the
list. The exact date of the marriage was also proven during the
trial. Joel Cross said he could remember it because also that day a
Baptist preacher leading a revival in Dade County got drunk, some
horses broke loose and tore up several acres of his corn, and he had a
baby girl born. When Elizabeth Bolton died at the age of 78 in
1908, she was living in North Chattanooga with her niece, Martha, who
had married James M. Carter.
The Bolton Family
Martha Simmerman, age two is listed in household of Jerome Simmerman in
Hamilton County in 1860 and in the household of Solomon Bolton in
Hamilton County is Martha [as a Bolton] age two, as well as 'Aunt
Betsy"--
In 1870 Massac County, Illinois
Elizabeth Bolton M 49 Keeping house
Solomon Bolton M 19 Steamboat hand
Mary
E.
M 16
Martha A. M
12
In 1880 Martha is married to J.M. Carter listed as #67 on the Hamilton
County census. #69 is Jerome Simmerman, her
father.
In 1900 'Aunt Betsey Bolton ' is found living with Martha
Simmerman Carter.
Obituary of Martha Simmerman Carter Click Here
Solomon Bolton Bible
Records
Click Here
Simmerman
Cemetery
Simmerman, Jerome C - Born 1821 - Feb 10, 1893
Simmerman, Jemima A - Wife of J C Simmerman - April 22, 1834 -
Dec 1, 1857 ( Daughter of Solomon Bolton)
Simmerman, John - Son of J C and Jemima A Simmerman - Nov 2,
1856 - Dec 2, 1856