Henry Rolle, 1st Baron Rolle

Arms of Rolle: Or, on a fesse dancetté between three billets azure each charged with a lion rampant of the first three bezants

Henry Rolle, 1st Baron Rolle (7 November 1708 – 17 August 1750) of Stevenstone, Devon, was a British landowner and politician.

Origins

Rolle was the eldest son of John Rolle (1679–1730), Member of Parliament for Devon (who had declined the offer of an earldom by Queen Anne) by his wife Isabella Walter, daughter of Sir William Walter, 2nd Baronet, of Saresden, Oxfordshire. His younger brother John Rolle Walter assumed the surname of Walter on succeeding to the estates of his maternal uncle and also represented Devon in Parliament.[1]

Career

Rolle succeeded his father as Member of Parliament for Devon on the latter's death in 1730, and held the seat until 1741.[2] From 1741 to 1748 he represented Barnstaple in Parliament.[3] In 1748 he was raised to the peerage as Baron Rolle of Stevenstone, in the County of Devon,[4] and his vacated seat at Barnstaple was won by his first cousin Sir Bourchier Wrey, 6th Baronet (c.1715-1784), of Tawstock, Devon.

Death & succession

Lord Rolle died unmarried in August 1750, aged 41, when the barony became extinct. His estates devolved on his youngest brother Denys III Rolle (1725-1797), the father of John Rolle, 1st Baron Rolle, in whose favour the barony was recreated in 1796.[1]

Lands held

In 1731 Henry Rolle obtained the following inspeximus from King George II which effectively confirmed his title in part of his inheritance, namely various grants made by King Henry VIII to Sir Thomas Denys of Holcombe Burnell:[5]

Inspeximus (at the request of Henry Rolle of Stevenstone), of a grant of Henry VIII (11 February. 31 Henry VIII), to Thomas Denys of Holcombe Burnell, Knt. for £1,127.3s.4d., of the Manors of Litlam alias Littelham and Exmouthe belonging to the late Monastery of Shirbourne, Dorset, in as full manner as the last Abbot held the same; also the messuage formerly in the tenure of Katherine Lytton in the parish of St. Peter-the-Less, in the ward of Beynardes Castell in London; which messuage lately belonged to the late Monastery of Croxden, Staffs and is worth 26s.8d. per year. Also the hundred of Budlegh alias East Budleigh which came to the King's hands by the attainder of Henry Courteney, late Marquis of Exeter. To hold by the following yearly rent, viz; for the Manors of Litlam and Exmouth, £6. 3s. 10d. for the messuage in London, 2s. 8d., the hundred of East Budleigh to be held by the 20th part of a Knight's fee without any rent.

East Budleigh and Bicton had been inherited by the Rolles by marriage to the Denys heiress.

Sources

References

Parliament of Great Britain
Preceded by
Sir William Courtenay, Bt
John Rolle
Member of Parliament for Devon
1730–1741
With: Sir William Courtenay, Bt 1730–1736
John Bampfylde 1736–1741
Succeeded by
Sir William Courtenay, Bt
Theophilus Fortescue
Preceded by
Theophilus Fortescue
John Basset
Member of Parliament for Barnstaple
1741–1748
With: John Harris 1741–1747
Thomas Benson 1747–1748
Succeeded by
Thomas Benson
Sir Bourchier Wrey, Bt
Peerage of Great Britain
New creation Baron Rolle
1748–1750
Extinct