Peter Bolton

        Hon. Peter Bolton, mechanic and magistrate, was born February 27, 1824, in Rhea County, Tenn., about five miles north of where he now lives. He is the eldest of nine children, born to the union of Robert and Annie (Holt) Bolton, and he and two brothers are the only surviving members of the family. The father was a native Virginian, who came to Tennessee at a very early day, and settled in Rhea County in 1816. He died in 1869. Mrs. Bolton was born in Williamson County, Tenn., and died in 1870. Her father was, a soldier in the war of 1812. Mr. Peter Bolton, grandfather of our subject, came to Granger County, Tenn., some time before the Indians were moved out of East Tennessee, and was quite an extensive tobacco raiser. Our subject came to Hamilton County about 1839, made his home with his uncle, and was educated in the subscription schools of Hamilton County. He worked at the black smith's trade until twenty-five years of age, after which he worked at the carpenter's trade, which he had learned in connection with the blacksmith's trade. He was, postmaster at Sale Creek twelve years, but resigned the office after his election as representative from Hamilton County. He was elected justice of the peace of the Eleventh District in 1864, and has been elected each successive election since that time. During the years 1868 and 1869 he was tax collector for his district and served as deputy sheriff at the same time. During the late war his warmest sympathies were with the stars and stripes. Previous to the war, in 1852, he married Miss Selena L. Merriman, of Bledsoe County, Tenn., daughter of Bryant and Martha (Ferguson) Merriman, who came from Wilkes County, N. C., to Bledsoe County, Tenn., in 1834. Mr. and Mrs. Bolton are members of the Missionary Baptist Church, of which Mr. Bolton is now Deacon. In politics Mr. Bolton has been a life long Republican, casting his first presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln.
Goodspeed's "History of East Tennessee" 1887