Sir Francis Rolle (1630–1686) was an English lawyer and politician who sat in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. T ...

at various times between 1656 and 1685.

Biography

Rolle was the only son of

Henry Rolle Sir Henry Rolle (1589–1656), of Shapwick in Somerset, was Chief Justice of the King's Bench and served as MP for Callington, Cornwall, (1614–1623–4) and for Truro, Cornwall (1625–1629). Origins Henry Rolle was born ''circa'' 1589, ...

of Shapwick in Somerset, who was Chief Justice of the King's Bench and his wife Margaret Bennett. History of Parliament Online - Francis Rolle
/ref> He entered

Inner Temple The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as the Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court and is a professional associations for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and ...

in 1646 and was admitted at Emmanuel College, Cambridge on 25 January 1647. He was called to the bar in 1653. In 1656, Rolle was elected

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members o ...

for

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

in the

Second Protectorate Parliament The Second Protectorate Parliament in England sat for two sessions from 17 September 1656 until 4 February 1658, with Thomas Widdrington as the Speaker of the House of Commons. In its first session, the House of Commons was its only chamber; in ...

. He succeeded his father to the estate at Shapwick in 1656 and became JP for Somerset until July 1660, In 1657 he was commissioner for assessment for Somerset and Hampshire. He was commissioner for militia in 1659 and JP for Hampshire from 1659 to July 1660. He was commissioner for assessment for Somerset and Hampshire from January 1660 to 1680 and commissioner for militia in March 1660. In April 1660 he was elected MP for Bridgwater in the Convention Parliament. He was commissioner for sewers for Somerset in August 1660 and was JP for Somerset from September 1660 to 1680. He was

High Sheriff of Hampshire This is a list of High Sheriffs of Hampshire. This title was often given as High Sheriff of the County of Southampton until 1959. List of High Sheriffs *1070–1096: Hugh de Port "Domesday Book Online" *1105: Henry de Port (son of Hugh) *1129: W ...

from 1664 to 1665 and was knighted on 1 March 1665. He also became a freeman of Portsmouth in 1665. In 1669 he was briefly MP for Bridgwater again but was removed on petition. He was

High Sheriff of Somerset The office of High Sheriff of Somerset is an ancient shrievalty which has been in existence since the 11th century. Originally known as the "Sheriff of Somerset", the role was retitled on 1 April 1974, under the provisions of the Local Government ...

from 1672 to 1673 and was commissioner for inquiry for Finkley forest and for New Forest in 1672. He was commissioner for inquiry for the New Forest again in 1673. In 1675 he was elected MP for

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English cities on its south coast, Southampton and Portsmouth, Hampshire ...

for the

Cavalier Parliament The Cavalier Parliament of England lasted from 8 May 1661 until 24 January 1679. It was the longest English Parliament, and longer than any Great British or UK Parliament to date, enduring for nearly 18 years of the quarter-century reign of C ...

and was made freeman of Winchester 1675. He was commissioner for recusants for Somerset and Hampshire in 1675 and commissioner for inquiry for the New Forest in 1676 and in 1679. In May 1679 he was elected MP for Bridgwater, and in October 1679 he was elected MP for Hampshire. He was elected MP for Hampshire again in 1681. In 1685 he was committed to the

Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is sep ...

on 26 June before he could join Monmouth who counted on his support. Rolle died at the age of 56 and was buried at

East Tytherley East Tytherley is a small village in Hampshire, England. The name Tytherley comes from Old English and means ''thin or tender wood''. The village was given to Queen Philippa by her husband Edward III in 1335. When the Black Death spread through ...

in Hampshire on 6 April 1686.

Family

Rolle married Priscilla Foote, daughter of Sir Thomas Foote, 1st Baronet of London, on 23 January 1654.St Mary Woolchurch Haw, City of London, Parish Registers They had a son and six daughters. His son John was returned as MP for Bridgwater as a Tory in 1713

Sources

Helms, M.W., & Watson, Paula, biography of Francis Rolle published in History of Parliament: House of Commons 1660-1690, ed. Henning, B.D., 1983

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rolle, Francis 1630 births 1686 deaths Members of the Inner Temple Alumni of Emmanuel College, Cambridge High Sheriffs of Hampshire High Sheriffs of Somerset Francis English MPs 1656–1658 English MPs 1660 English MPs 1661–1679 English MPs 1679 English MPs 1680–1681 English MPs 1681 Prisoners in the Tower of London Commissioners for sewers