Rolle was born c. 1588,[1] the eldest son and heir of Robert Rolle (died 1633) of Heanton Satchville in the parish of Petrockstowe, Devon, by his wife Joan Hele, daughter of Thomas Hele of Fleet, Devon. Samuel was a great-grandson, in a junior line, of George Rolle (c. 1486 – 1552) of Stevenstone, Devon, founder of the influential and wealthy Rolle family of Devon, Keeper of the Records of the Court of Common Pleas and MP for Barnstaple in 1542 and 1545.[citation needed]
In 1634, he and his brother Henry Rolle, and their brother-in-law Hugh Fortescue of Filleigh[5] purchased an estate at Bawdrip.[6]
Marriage and children
Rolle married three times. His first wife was Mary Stradling (died 1613), a daughter and co-heiress of Sir Edward Stradling of St George's, Somerset[2] (a member of the Stradling family of St Donat's Castle, Glamorgan, Wales). Her monumental brass survives in the parish church of St Stephens by Saltash, Cornwall.[7] By her Rolle had two children, Samuel and Rebecca, who both died as infants and were buried at Launceston, Cornwall.[2]
His second marriage was to Margaret Wise, daughter of Sir Thomas Wise[8] (died 1629), builder of Sydenham House, in the parish of Marystow, Devon. By Margaret he had children including his son and heir, Robert Rolle (died 1660), MP.[9]
Thirdly he married a daughter from the Carew family, of unknown name.[2]
Brass of Marie Stradling
A monumental brass to Rolle's first wife, Marie Stradling, survives in the parish church of St Stephen-by-Saltash, Cornwall, affixed to the wall at the east end of the north aisle, formerly on the floor by the altar. The inscription reads:
Here lyeth the bodie of Marie one of ye daughters & heyres of Edmond Stradlinge of St Georges in Somersett Esq. who maried Samuell ye eldest sonne of Robert Rolle of Heaunton in Devon Esq. She dyed yr 23th of Janua. 1613.
The arms depicted are: Or, on a fesse dancetté between three billets azure each charged with a lion rampant of the first three bezants a mullet for difference (Rolle) impalingquarterly 1: Paly of six (shown here incorrectly as five) argent and azure on a bend gules three cinquefoils or (Stradling); 2: Azure, a chevron between three crescents or (Berkerolles of Coity Castle, Glamorgan; 3: Chequy...and...afess ermine (Turberville of Coity Castle); 4: ...three fishes niant in pale...on a chief a hedgehog (?).[10]
Death and burial
Samuel Rolle died and was buried 7 December 1647 at Petrockstowe.[2]
References
^ abVivian, p.654: "aged 45 years and more at his father's death"
Vivian, Lt.Col. J.L., (Ed.) The Visitations of the County of Devon: Comprising the Heralds' Visitations of 1531, 1564 & 1620, Exeter, 1895, pp. 652–656, pedigree of Rolle