Bolts, William, 1739-1808, merchant and speculator

c 1755 traded in Lisbon, Portugal; 1759 factor, the East India Company; 1760-1765 developed various private trading interests while working for the East India Company; c 1765 second in council, Benares; 1766 alderman, the mayor's court of Calcutta; 1766 resigned from the East India Company; 1766-1768 delayed return to Britain to develop his regional business interests (against the wishes of the East India Company); 1768 arrested and deported back to Britain; 1769 unsuccessfully appealed against the court of directors of the East India Company; 1771 subject of a lawsuit initiated by the East India Company; 1773 bankruptcy; 1775 entered the Austrian service, lieutenant-colonel; 1777-1784 travelled to India in the service of the Imperial East India Company of Trieste; 1784-1790 attempted several unsuccessful trading schemes with the French and Swedish governments; 1790s lived in France; 1800-1801 returned to Britain; 1801-1807 traded in Lisbon, Portugal; 1808 moved to Paris.

Epithet: merchant and speculator

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