The 1909 Buckingham Murders: EXTRA #3
George E. Bolton and family, 1910~ Click on image to enlarge.
Will the real George Bolton please stand up?
A man named George Edwin Bolton, a merchant in Buckingham County, gave important testimony in the trials concerning the murders of the Stewart Brothers. The details of his dream the night of the crime greatly influenced the cases.
In an initial report in the Alexandria Gazette and Virginia Advertiser, he was misidentified as Edward Bolton. In a later article in Richmond’s The Times-Dispatch, he was called George C. Bolton.
Slate River Ramblings reader Ed Ayres recognized George Edwin Bolton (b. 1850) as the son of George Andrew Bolton who operated a tan yard on Route 56 in Buckingham County. In 1910, G. E. Bolton was living near Mt. Tabor Methodist Church on Route 56. His father and mother were no longer living; however, his father’s widow, Judith (Harris) Bolton, lived nearby at the tan yard with her son-in-law and daughter, James Daniel and Frances Elizabeth (Bolton) Ayres.
In addition to operating a store, George Edwin Bolton was appointed postmaster at Hubard, Buckingham County on May 21, 1906, a position of trust and responsibility. Perhaps, his role as postmaster at the time of the Stewart murders gave additional credence to his dream. He served as postmaster until the mail moved from Hubard to Wingina on September 30, 1913.
Bolton died in 1917 and is buried in the Mount Tabor United Methodist Church Cemetery. Whether or not he collected any reward for the capture of Dallas Wright, Ed Jones, and Richard Perkins is currently unknown.
Need to catch up on The 1909 Buckingham Murders? Part I: June 1, 2015
slate river ramblings . . . . 
Carolyn, This Ed Aryres is the Buckingham-born Edward Ayres, Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation Historian. Since they are both historians, they are often confused! Joanne
Hi Joanne,
I was wondering if the Ed Ayres that you cite below is the history guy from UVA and U of Richmond (Ayers)?
Carolyn