From 1870 to 1876 he served as a commissioner of revenue, and in 1878 he made his home at Suffolk, where a year later he became business manager of the Suffolk Herald. Four years afterward he became owner of the paper. He was elected to the house of delegates in 1893 and served with credit on the finance committee, and as chairman of the committee on schools and colleges, and also as chairman of the committee on public buildings. He was re-elected in 1895 and again in 1897. He is prominent in political affairs, is chairman of the county democracy, and has been delegate to several State conventions.
Richard M. Bolling, a prominent citizen of Princess Anne county, was born in Goochland county, March 7, 1841, of a distinguished Virginia family, and to his honor he added credit by faithful service with the army of Northern Virginia. His family was founded in Virginia by Robert Bolling, son of John and Mary Bolling, of Bolling hall, near Bradford, Yorkshire. Robert Bolling was born in the parish of All-Halloway, Tower street, London, December 26, 1646. He came to Virginia in 1660, at the age of fourteen years. He was married in 1675 to Jane Rolfe, daughter of Thomas Rolfe, and granddaughter of the Indian princess, Pocahontas. His place of residence, near Petersburg, was known as Cobb's plantation, and passed successively to his son, John Bolling, then to the latter's son, John, then to his son Thomas, and then to William Bolling. The latter married Mary Randolph, of Curles Neck, a first cousin of John Randolph of Roanoke, and their son, Thomas, was the father of the subject of this mention. Thomas Bolling was an influential planter of Goochland county and survived until 1889. His wife was Mary Louise, daughter of Richard Morris, a distinguished attorney of Hanover county. Richard Bolling was reared in Goochland county and prepared for college at Hanover academy under Hilary P. Jones; but he abandoned his studies in the spring of 1861 to enter the service of the Confederate States. Becoming a private in the Goochland troop of cavalry, he was stationed at Union Mills, near Manassas, and during the battle of July 21, 1861, served as a courier for General Ewell. His troop was made a company of the Fourth Virginia cavalry under Gen. Beverly H. Robinson, and he served with that command until after the battle of Williamsburg, when he became sergeant-major of artillery in Boggs' battalion, and was stationed at Richmond. In 1863 he was elected second lieutenant of the company of Capt. A. J. Rogers, which became Company G of the Twenty-fourth Virginia cavalry, the command with which he served during the remainder of the war. During his service, which terminated at Appomattox, he was twice wounded. One, a painful wound in the face, which disabled him for some time, was received at Darbytown, and the second was a wound in the arm, received near Amelia Court House. After the close of hostilities he farmed for several years on Bolling's island, Goochland county, and then embarked in the profession of civil engineering. While thus engaged he participated in the survey of several railroads in Virginia, was for a time in the employ of the United States rolling stock company at Urbana, Ohio, and Chicago, and was city engineer at Montgomery, Ala., from 1887 until 1890. In the latter year he removed to Princess Anne county and purchased an oyster farm on Lynnhaven bay, where he now resides. He was married October 24, 1882, to Miss
