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John Rolle (1522–1570)

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Died
  
1570

John Rolle (1522–1570)

John Rolle (1522–1570) of Stevenstone, in the parish of St Giles in the Wood, near Great Torrington, Devon, was the eldest son and heir of George Rolle (died 1552), MP, founder of the great Rolle family of Stevenstone, by his second wife Eleanor Dacres. Three monuments survive in memory of his immediate family in the churches of St Giles in the Wood and Chittlehampton.

Contents

Marriage and children

He married Margaret Ford, daughter of John Ford (died 1538) of Ashburton, the son and heir of William Ford of Chagford. John Ford purchased the estate of Bagtor in the parish of Ilsington, which his male heirs successively made their seat. The Elizabethan mansion of the Fords survives today as the service wing of a later house appended in about 1700. Margaret's great nephew was John Ford (1586-c.1639) the dramatist, who was baptised at Ilsington, and her great-great-nephew was Sir Henry Ford (1617-1684), MP for Tiverton and Secretary of State for Ireland. By his wife he had eight sons and two daughters:

Sons

  • Sir Henry Rolle (1545–1625) of Stevenstone, eldest son and heir, who married twice:
  • Firstly to Elizabeth Watts, daughter and heiress of Roger Watts of Somerset, from which marriage were descended his heir to Stevenstone, namely his grandson Denys Rolle (1614–1638), son of Sir Henry Rolle (d.1617) who predeceased his father.
  • Secondly, without issue, to Joan Fortescue, daughter of John Fortescue of Fallapit in the parish of East Allington
  • Richard Rolle.
  • Valentine Rolle (1545-1624), of Torrington, died childless.
  • Alexander Rolle, who married Frances Lippingcott, daughter of John Lippingcott of Webbery. Alverdiscott
  • George Rolle who died childless.
  • Joachim Rolle who died childless in 1638. He married Mary Venner (1579-1651), a daughter of William Venner of Hudscott, Chittlehampton. A mural monument to Joachim survives in Chittlehampton Church inscribed as follows beneath the Rolle arms and crest: "Here lyeth the body of Joachim Rolle sonne unto John Rolle of Stevenstone, Esquier, deceased, who married Mary the daughter of William Venner of this parish, gent, deceased, and who departed this life the 30th day of January in the faith of Christ Anno D(omi)ni 1638. As thou art so was I; And as I am so shalt thou be".
  • Robert Rolle (1559-1628), died childless.
  • John Rolle (born 1563), who in 1603 married Phillipa Halse (d.1655), daughter of Richard Halse of Kenedon. Their eldest son Henry Rolle (1605-1647) of Beam eventually succeeded to the vast Stevenstone estates of his cousin Denys Rolle (1614–1638)

    • Daughters

  • Margerie Rolle, wife of Richard Baker.
  • Honor Rolle, named after Honor Grenville, Viscountess Lisle (c.1493–1566), who with her husband Arthur Plantagenet, 1st Viscount Lisle was an important client of John Rolle's father, the lawyer and patriarch of the Rolle family George Rolle (d.1552). In 1569 she married Thomas Pomeroy (1543-1615) of "Bingley", son and heir of Sir Thomas Pomeroy (1503-1566) feudal baron of Berry Pomeroy in Devon, who in 1547 had sold his ancient inheritance of Berry Pomeroy Castle and the manor of Berry Pomeroy to Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset.

    • Brass of John Rolle

    His small monumental brass survives now affixed by modern screws into the floor of the south aisle of St Giles in the Wood parish Church, beneath the separate brass figure of his wife, but formerly affixed to his two and a half foot high chest tomb situated in the chancel of that church as recorded by Prince in his 1710 work "Worthies of Devon". It is inscribed in Latin thus: "Hic jacet Joh(ann)es Rolle, Ar(miger), quonda(m) domin(u)s de Stevinstone qui obiit 12.o (duodecimo) die Augusti Anno D(omi)ni 1570" ("Here lies John Rolle, Esquire, sometime lord of Stevenstone who died on the 12th day of August in the year of Our Lord 1570"). The arms show Rolle impaling "Party per fesse argent (or azure) and sable, in chief a greyhound current in base an owl within a bordure engrailed all counter-changed" (Ford)

    Brass of Margaret Ford

    The surviving monumental brass of Margaret Ford, wife of John Rolle (d.1570), is situated in the Church of St Giles in the Wood. It is inscribed thus: Hic Stevenstonii Rolli jacet inclita mater nil habuit vera quae pietate prius cu.. quib.. & vixit sex mascula pignor aliquit queis desideriv mortua triste tulit pars melior superos adiit cetusque pioru.. egidii templo hoc ossa sepulta cubant si quis plura velit vel noscere plura laborat vecimo hec prestat scripta tabella logo. To the left is a brass plaque depicting her 2 daughters (see above) and to the left a plaque showing her 8 sons (see above). Below is a brass to her husband (see above), showing the arms of Rolle impaling Ford, moved from elsewhere in the church.

    References

    John Rolle (1522–1570) Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA