Bolling family descendants return to their ancestral home
October 12, 2026
Bolling Hall welcomed some very special visitors this summer, as descendants of the Bolling family travelled from across the United States to reconnect with their Bradford roots.
Around 30 members of the Bolling Family Association visited the Hall in August as part of their 2026 Heritage Tour to England. The group described Bolling Hall as their “ancestral home”, with the Bolling family associated with the Hall from the medieval period until the early 18th century.
During their visit, the group explored the Hall and joined a special talk with Dr Lauren Padgett, Curator for Bradford District Museums and Galleries, discovering more about the Bolling family’s history and its connections across the Atlantic.
One of those connections is Robert Bolling, born in London in 1646 and a descendant of the family associated with Bolling Hall. At the age of 14, Robert travelled to Virginia, where he later became a merchant and landowner.
He married Jane Rolfe, granddaughter of Pocahontas and John Rolfe, and their descendants went on to become a prominent branch of the Bolling family in America.
For Lauren, sharing this history with the family was particularly special. She said:
“Bolling Hall has always had a special place in my heart. I grew up just up the road, so this was my local museum and somewhere I came to regularly to learn about its history and the stories attached to it.
“It’s a real honour that, as a curator, I’m now able to share those stories and that history with other visitors.”
Dr Lauren Padgett shares the history of Bolling Hall with members of the Bolling Family Association.
Reconnecting with Bradford
The visit gave members of the Association the chance to spend time in a place with a direct connection to their family history.
Mara Evans, Vice President of the Bolling Family Association, said:
“Thank you for inviting us back into our ancestral home. It’s always such a pleasure to be here, and you have done an enormous amount to preserve the history of Bolling Hall and make us feel so welcome.
“It means a great deal to the family to be able to come back and connect with this part of our history.”
The Association also visited Bradford Cathedral during its stay, another location with historic connections to the family through the former Bolling Chapel and family memorials.
Carol Smith during the Bolling Family Association’s visit to Bradford Cathedral.Members of the Bolling Family Association at Bradford Cathedral, another stop on their heritage tour of Bradford.
It was the Association’s first organised visit to Bolling Hall in more than 17 years, making the return particularly significant.
The group also made a donation to Bolling Hall in recognition of the museum’s work to preserve the building and share its stories.
Members of the Bolling Family Association present a certificate and donation to Bolling Hall in recognition of the work to preserve and share their ancestral home.
Their visit was a wonderful reminder that the history found within Bolling Hall reaches far beyond Bradford, and continues to connect people with the city and their own family stories centuries later.
Members of the Bolling Family Association outside Bolling Hall during their visit to Bradford.
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