John Rolle (1679–1730) of

Stevenstone Stevenstone is a former Manorialism, manor within the parish of St Giles in the Wood, near Great Torrington, North Devon. It was the chief seat of the Rolle family, one of the most influential and wealthy of Devon families, from c. 1524 un ...

and Bicton in Devon, was a British landowner and

Tory A Tory () is an individual who supports a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalist conservatism which upholds the established social order as it has evolved through the history of Great Britain. The To ...

politician who sat in the

English House of Commons The House of Commons of England was the lower house of the Parliament of England (which incorporated Wales) from its development in the 14th century to the union of England and Scotland in 1707, when it was replaced by the House of Commons of ...

from 1703 to 1705 and in the

British House of Commons The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the upper house, the House of Lords, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. The House of Commons is an elected body consisting of 650 memb ...

from 1710 to 1730. He declined the offer of an earldom by Queen Anne, but 18 years after his death his eldest son was raised to the

peerage A peerage is a legal system historically comprising various hereditary titles (and sometimes Life peer, non-hereditary titles) in a number of countries, and composed of assorted Imperial, royal and noble ranks, noble ranks. Peerages include: A ...

in 1748 by King George II as Baron Rolle. StevenstoneByMorris1880

Bicton House over the lake in Bicton Park - geograph

Origins

Rolle was the second son of John Rolle (died 1689) by his wife Lady Christiana Bruce, daughter of Robert Bruce, 1st Earl of Ailesbury and 2nd Earl of Elgin (c. 1626–1685). His elder brother was Robert Rolle (died 1710), MP.

Education

Rolle attended

Queens' College, Cambridge Queens' College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Queens' is one of the 16 "old colleges" of the university, and was founded in 1448 by Margaret of Anjou. Its buildings span the R ...

in 1696 and entered the

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 association for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practice as a barrister in England and Wa ...

in 1697 for his training as a lawyer. He was

called to the bar The call to the bar is a legal term of art in most common law jurisdictions where persons must be qualified to be allowed to argue in court on behalf of another party and are then said to have been "called to the bar" or to have received "call to ...

in 1705.

Inheritance

As Rolle's father had predeceased his own father Sir John Rolle (1626–1706), KB, of

(

Sheriff of Devon The High Sheriff of Devon is the Kings's representative for the County of Devon, a territory known as his/her bailiwick. Selected from three nominated people, they hold the office for one year. They have judicial, ceremonial and administrative f ...

in 1682 Vivian, p.656; Risdon, Tristram, Survey of Devon, 1810 edition, list of sheriffs, p.14 and MP for

Barnstaple Barnstaple ( or ) is a river-port town and civil parish in the North Devon district of Devon, England. The town lies at the River Taw's lowest crossing point before the Bristol Channel. From the 14th century, it was licensed to export wool from ...

(1660) and for

Devon Devon ( ; historically also known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west ...

(1661–1679), Sir John's heir was his eldest grandson Robert Rolle, MP, of Stevenstone. When Robert died childless in 1710, John Rolle succeeded his elder brother, inheriting his estates at

and Bicton.

Career

As a younger son Rolle was destined for a career as a lawyer. He first entered Parliament as MP for

Saltash Saltash () is a town and civil parish in south Cornwall, England. It had a population of 16,184 in 2011 census. Saltash faces the city of Plymouth over the River Tamar and is popularly known as "the Gateway to Cornwall". Saltash’s landmarks ...

(1703–1705). At the age of 31 in 1710 he succeeded unexpectedly to the vast estates of his elder brother Robert Rolle, the patrimony of their grandfather, and became a man of great substance and influence. He was next elected MP for

in 1710 and arrived ostentatiously in London on 22 November 1710 with two six-horse coaches attended by 12 men in livery and was met by about 100 gentlemen on horseback. He held the seat until 1713, when he was elected MP for

Exeter Exeter ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and the county town of Devon in South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter w ...

(1713–1715). Next he sat for

(1715–1722), then a second time for Exeter (1722–1727) and finally a second time for Devon from 1727 until his death in 1730.

Marriage and children

In August 1706 Rolle married Isabella Charlotta Walter, daughter of Sir William Walter, 2nd Baronet, of Saresden, Oxfordshire. She brought with her a

dowry A dowry is a payment such as land, property, money, livestock, or a commercial asset that is paid by the bride's (woman's) family to the groom (man) or his family at the time of marriage. Dowry contrasts with the related concepts of bride price ...

of £1,500. His children was as follows: * Henry Rolle, 1st Baron Rolle (1708–1750), eldest son, MP, died childless. *

John Rolle Walter John Rolle Walter (c. 1714 – 30 November 1779) (born John Rolle) was Tory MP for Exeter in 1754–1776 and for Devon in 1776–1779. He held the honorary position of Town Recorder of Great Torrington in 1739–1779, due to his family's l ...

(c.1714–1779), 2nd son, Tory MP for Exeter 1754–1776 and for Devon 1776–1779. He assumed the surname of Walter on succeeding to the estates of his maternal uncle.Burke, John. ''Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Peerage and Baronetage of the British Empire'', page 888. London: Henry Colburn, 1839.
/ref> *William Rolle (1720-post 1747), 3rd son, of

Beam, Great Torrington Beam is an historic estate in the parish of Great Torrington, Devon, England. Beam House is situated about 1 1/2 miles north-west and downstream of that town, on the right-bank of the River Torridge. Both the Rolle Canal and the railway crossed ...

, whose will was dated 1747. * Denys Rolle (1725–1797), 4th son and eventual heir, of

Hudscott Hudscott is a historic estate within the parish and former Manorialism, manor of Chittlehampton, Devon. From 1700 it became a seat of a junior branch of the influential Rolle family of Heanton Satchville, Petrockstowe and in 1779 became a seco ...

and Bicton in Devon and East Tytherley in Hampshire, an independent Member of Parliament for

, Devon, between 1761 and 1774. He was the largest landowner in Devon, with a rent-roll of £40,000 ''per annum''. His eldest son was

John Rolle, 1st Baron Rolle John Rolle, 1st Baron Rolle (1750 – 3 April 1842) was a British politician and peer who served as a Member of Parliament in general support of William Pitt the Younger and was later an active member of the House of Lords. His violent ...

(1751–1842). *Christiana Maria Rolle, eldest daughter, who married Henry Stevens of Winscott, Peters Marland, Devon. *Isabella Charlotte Rolle, 2nd daughter, wife of Robert Duke (d.pre-1785), the last male of the Duke family,

lords of the manor Lord of the manor is a title that, in Anglo-Saxon England and Norman England, referred to the landholder of a historical rural estate. The titles date to the English Feudalism, feudal (specifically English feudal barony, baronial) system. The ...

Otterton Otterton is a village and civil parish in East Devon, England. The parish lies on the English Channel and is surrounded clockwise from the south by the parishes of East Budleigh, Bicton, Colaton Raleigh, Newton Poppleford and Harpford and Sidmo ...

in Devon. The extensive lands of the Dukes, which adjoined the Rolle seat of Bicton in South Devon, were purchased in 1786 by Isabella's brother Denys. John's elder brother Robert Rolle (d.1726) had married Elizabeth Duke (born 1679), a daughter of Richard Duke (born 1653) of Otterton, Robert Duke's grandfather. *Letitia Rolle, 3rd daughter *Lucy Rolle (1715–1741) *Lucilla Rolle (1717–1741) *Anne Rolle (1721–1721), died an infant *Maria Philippa (1729–1730), died an infant

Death and burial

Rolle died on 6 May 1730 and was buried at

St Giles in the Wood St Giles in the Wood is a village and civil parish in the Torridge district of Devon, England. The village lies about 2.5 miles east of the town of Great Torrington, and the parish, which had a population of 566 in 2001 compared with 623 in 1901, ...

, the parish church of Stevenstone. His obituary praised him as "a gentleman of great candour and honour".London Evening Post 12 May 1730, quoted by Cruickshanks

Sources

*Cruickshanks, Eveline, biography of John Rolle (1679–1730) published in History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1690–1715, ed. D. Hayton, E. Cruickshanks, S. Handley, 200

*Vivian, Lt.Col. J.L., The Visitations of the County of Devon, Exeter, 1895, pp. 652–656, Rolle of Stevenstone

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rolle, John 1679 births 1730 deaths

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

English MPs 1702–1705 Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Exeter British MPs 1710–1713 British MPs 1713–1715 British MPs 1715–1722 British MPs 1722–1727 British MPs 1727–1734 Alumni of Queens' College, Cambridge Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Barnstaple Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Devon