author
John R. (John Rogers) Bolles
1810–1895
A 19th-century Connecticut writer, publisher, and local booster, he moved easily between poetry, children's books, and regional history. His best-known work helped preserve the story of the Rogerenes, a little-known religious movement rooted in New London.
1 Audiobook
The Rogerenes: some hitherto unpublished annals belonging to the colonial history of Connecticut
by John R. (John Rogers) Bolles, Anna B. (Anna Bolles) Williams
About the author
Born in 1810 and dying in 1895, John R. Bolles was a New London, Connecticut author whose work ranged widely. Records linked to his books identify him as John R. (John Rogers) Bolles, and surviving editions show that he published poetry, children's books, and prose tied closely to his home region.
Modern library and public-domain catalogs credit him with works including The Story of the Two Bulls, The Morning Ramble, The Illustrated A B C, and Solitude and Society. He is especially remembered for The Rogerenes, a history connected to the colonial religious community founded by his namesake ancestor John Rogers; that book was completed late in his life and published with Anna Bolles Williams.
Sources about New London also remember him as more than an author: a lawyer, publisher, and active civic figure with a strong interest in the city's future. That mix of local pride and literary energy gives his writing a distinctive feel, especially for listeners who enjoy rediscovered 19th-century voices.