BOLT/BOULTER
The BOLT family were rich landowners in Trunch in the 1500s, probably weavers and farmers. In William BOLTE's will of 1547 he leaves bequests to the "poor folks" of Trunch and several surrounding villages; as well as leaving money and land in several villages to his wife Dorothy and sons William and Thomas and his daughter. The BOLTS disappear from the Trunch records in the 1600s and although the name BOULTER may be a corruption of BOLT I can find no local link between them.
The first mention of BOULTER in the Trunch records is in 1828 when a James died aged 46, then in 1840 when John was born to James and Susan. I think the first James (1782-1828) was an agricultural labourer in Fring, West Norfolk, married to Ann Mary Dodman, who had 5 children born in Fring. At some time between 1823 (when the last child was born in Fring) and 1828 when he died this James moved to Trunch, possibly for agricultural work. He may have had a relative here, as a Thomas BOULTER is mentioned as being from Trunch in a 1828 newspaper report.
The second James (1819-1889) married Susan Colman in Trunch in 1840 and they had at least 13 children in Trunch plus a daughter who was born before the marriage. They did not have an easy life. In 1845 James was earning 8 shillings a week and as his wife and children were very ill, he was granted relief and James himself died in the Workhouse at Beckham. James' brother Thomas (1815-1893) also married in Trunch and had 3 children here as well as 2 children born earlier to his wife Margaret; one interestingly born in Ireland.
The second James (1819-1889) married Susan Colman in Trunch in 1840 and they had at least 13 children in Trunch plus a daughter who was born before the marriage. They did not have an easy life. In 1845 James was earning 8 shillings a week and as his wife and children were very ill, he was granted relief and James himself died in the Workhouse at Beckham. James' brother Thomas (1815-1893) also married in Trunch and had 3 children here as well as 2 children born earlier to his wife Margaret; one interestingly born in Ireland.
Of the next generation of BOULTERs most stayed in Norfolk and worked in agriculture but there were exceptions. James' son John (1840-1901+) spent some time in West Hartlepool in Durham in the 1870s as 2 of his children were born there. He may have been working as a coal miner, as several Trunch men did, and although John returned to Trunch, 2 of his sons returned up North to work in the coal mines.
John's brother George (1843-1882) died at the young age of 37 and 4 months later his wife Jane also died leaving 3 children as orphans. Of those John (1875 - ?) was sent to Canada on the ship Circassian and then to the Gibbs Receiving Home before being placed on a farm. He eventually married and had 6 children in Canada. George (1881- 1964) stayed in Norfolk, married Florence Thirtle and had 5 children. Eliza (1878- ?) was boarding and going to school in East Runton in 1891.
James (1867- ?) son of John, was a bit of a traveller. In 1901 he was working as a coalminer in Northumberland and living with his wife May and family. By 1911 he had changed to work as a fisherman and later was in the Royal Naval Reserve. His service record dates from 1915 when he served on several ships but he clearly stated that he was born on 27th. November 1875 when the Trunch records say 27th. November 1867 and this matches the census returns. I wonder if this was so that he could appear to be 40 instead of 48?
Meanwhile another James (1878- 1953) a cousin of the one above, started working life as a bricklayers apprentice in Trunch, then was a scaffolder in Kent before marrying in Ipswich and settling as a police constable in Chelsea in London.