Life

He was born in the parish of Meyllteyrn or Bottwnog, Carnarvonshire, son of Rolant ap Robert of Meyllteyrn and of Elizabeth, daughter of Griffith ap Robert Vaughan. After being educated at Penllech

Penllech

Penllech is a village and former civil parish in the Welsh county of Gwynedd. The parish was abolished in 1934, and incorporated into Tudweiliog....

 school, he studied at Oxford, and graduated B.A. from New College

New College, Oxford

New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.- Overview :The College's official name, College of St Mary, is the same as that of the older Oriel College; hence, it has been referred to as the "New College of St Mary", and is now almost always...

 on 17 February 1574. He then migrated to St. Mary Hall, and graduated M.A. 27 June 1577, B.D. 27 March 1591, D.D. 28 June 1605. He took holy orders on 14 September 1572, and was rector of Meyllteyrn from 1572 to 1581, and of Langton, Oxfordshire, from 1581 to 1600.

From 4 August 1584 to August 1594 he was prebendary of Penmynyd, Bangor Cathedral

Bangor Cathedral

Bangor Cathedral is an ancient place of Christian worship situated in Bangor, Gwynedd, north-west Wales. It is dedicated to its founder, Saint Deiniol....

, from 3 September 1588 rector of Aberdaron, becoming in the same year archdeacon of Anglesey, and on 29 August 1593 dean of Bangor. On 16 September 1598 he was elected bishop of Bangor, and installed on 19 January 1599. He subsequently became rector of Trefdraeth, Anglesey

Anglesey

Anglesey , also known by its Welsh name Ynys Môn , is an island and, as Isle of Anglesey, a county off the north west coast of Wales...

, in 1601, vicar of Llanrhaiadr-in-Kimmerch 1602, a member of Gray's Inn

Gray's Inn

The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, commonly known as Gray's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...

 1606, and rector of Llanrhaiadr, Denbigh

Llanrhaeadr-yng-Nghinmeirch

Llanrhaeadr-yng-Nghinmeirch is a village and local government community in Denbighshire, Wales. It lies in the Vale of Clwyd near the A525 road between Denbigh and Ruthin...

, 1612. He died on 6 July 1616, and was buried in the cathedral in the choir, before the high altar. He was careful of the revenues of his cathedral, and gave to it four bells, to replace those sold by his predecessor. He also in 1609 gave lands to Jesus College, Oxford

Jesus College, Oxford

Jesus College is one of the colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is in the centre of the city, on a site between Turl Street, Ship Street, Cornmarket Street and Market Street...

, for the maintenance of two scholars or fellows, and in his will he left lands for the erection of a school at Meyllteyrn. Rowlands married, at Langton, Frances Hutchins or Pope of Oxford, widow of one Cotesford.