William Rosewell
Encyclopedia
William Rosewell was the Solicitor-General to Queen Elizabeth between 1559 and 1566.
William Rosewell was born about 1520, the son of William Rosewell (Rowswell) of Loxton, Somerset
, England. He came to some prominence as Solicitor-General
to Queen Elizabeth. He appears in the list of Queen’s Counsel between 1558 and 1603 as W. Ruswell and was Solicitor-General from 1559 until his death in 1566. He was succeeded by Richard Onslow
. He purchased a number of estates in Somerset and Devon
.
, Somerset. His uncles were: John Rowswell (d. 1553) of Bradford-on-Tone; Adam Rowswell (d. 1567); and William Rosewell (Rowswell) (d. 1568) of Dunkerton
, Somerset. John Rowswell married Agnes Dyer of Wincanton
, Somerset and had issue. Adam Rowswell was rector of Orcheston St George
, Wiltshire
in 1532; vicar of Clevedon
, Somerset in 1558; and rector of Shepton Mallet
, Somerset in 1559. William Rosewell of Dunkerton married (1) Joan Fontneys and (2) Agnes Tilley and was the 2nd great grandfather of Reverend Thomas Rosewell
.
About 1559 William Rosewell, the Solicitor-General, married Elizabeth, daughter of Matthew Dale, a wealthy haberdasher of Bristol
and London. She was the widow of Gregory Isham, of Braunston
, Northants
who died in 1558. She is not mentioned in the Solicitor General's will, so it is assumed that she predeceased him. William and Elizabeth had three children – Parry (d. 1573), William (1561-1593), and Philippa. Parry died before he came of age. The second son, William, was born in 1561 and inherited from Parry in 1573. This William came into the possession of Forde Abbey
, Devon
in about 1581 and had one child, Henry
. William died at Ilminster
, Somerset in 1593. Philippa married Sir George Speke of Whitelackington
, Somerset in 1584.
, London, in 1556 and was chosen as Assistant to the Reader of that institution in 1562. William Rosewell was appointed as Solicitor-General to Queen Elizabeth on 1 February 1559.
Only four items have been found relative to his action while in office. With the the Attorney-General
, Gerard, he signed a note, concerning grants of privileges to the University of Cambridge
, about 1561; and in 1563 he made a note of the grant of the advowson
of Northchurch
. He was one of 13 noblemen and officers of the state appointed as mourners for the honourable celebration of the funeral of the Emperor
in 1564. The Chamber Accounts of 1562-63 show that he received a reward of 40 shillings per year.
Despite a humble background, he was able to use his education to achieve high professional and social status. His marriage to the rich widow, Elizabeth Isham, may also have assisted him to acquire a large property portfolio, which in many instances he purchased from those who had obtained property following the dissolution of the monasteries
.
, in the county of Berkshire
, sold the Manor and advowson of Yarlington
, Somerset to William Rosewell, of Loxton, and William Rosewell, his son and heir of the Middle Temple
, London for £1,000. A lease written in 1562 shows that William Rosewell, Solicitor-General, lived at the Yarlington Manor. The Solicitor-General died before his father who then left it to the third generation, William Rosewell of Forde Abbey
. After being in the hands of the Rosewells for 36 years the Manor and advowson of Yarlington
was sold to Sir Henry Berkeley, of Bruton
in 1592 for £2,400.
A deed of 10 November 1563 shows that William Rosewell together with associates, Humphrey Colles (Coles), Henry Portman, and William Hawley (Halley), Esquires, purchased the Manor and advowson of Thurloxton
, Somerset. The Manor was sold before his death in 1566.
At the time of his death the Solicitor-General held 'the manors of Ermington
and (Carswell/Kerswell)
, and of the Hundred of Ermington in Devon
; the manors of Southbrent
, Stapleton
, Limington
and Alford
, in Somerset; the advowsons
of the Churches of Limington
and Alford
; and 300 messuages
, 200 tofts, 6 watermills, 2 windmills, 6 dovecotes, 300 gardens, 3000 acres of land, 1000 acres of meadow, 2000 acres of pasture, 200 acres of wood, 3000 acres of furze and heath, and £20 of rent with the appurtenances
in Ermington
, Carswell
, Southbrent
, Stapleton
, Limington
and Alford
.’
) Amice Pawlett (Amias Paulet
) John Clifton Nicholas Wadham
William Halley (Joint owner of Buckland Priory
) John Eveleighe Esquiers, William Rosewell father of me the saide William and Henrie Halley gentlemen.’ A legacy of £5 he leaves ‘to the Poore Howsholders within the parrishes of Whittington Colledg Sanicte Thomas Apples [Apostle's] and elswhere within the Cytie of London to be distributed amonges them in Allmes as shalbe thought good by the Deane of Powles withe the assente of som of my seid trustie frendes.’ He appoints as his executors his sons, Parry and William, and his brothers-in-law, Henry Dale and Matthew Dale. The ‘right Honerable Sir William Cecill (William Cecil
) Knight the Qluenes majesties principall Secretarie and Gilbert Gerrarde (Gilbert Gerard
) esquier her highnes Attorney generall‘ were requested to act as overseers. According to this document, his children were to be ‘well godlie and vertuoslie brought opp and maineteyned according to their degrees in lerninge nurture and vertue and that my saide sonnes at their apte yeres of discretion shalbe putt to the study of the Lawes so long tyme and in suche sorte as shall seeme metest to the discretion of my said trusty friendes. ' "
William Rosewell was born about 1520, the son of William Rosewell (Rowswell) of Loxton, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, England. He came to some prominence as Solicitor-General
Solicitor General for England and Wales
Her Majesty's Solicitor General for England and Wales, often known as the Solicitor General, is one of the Law Officers of the Crown, and the deputy of the Attorney General, whose duty is to advise the Crown and Cabinet on the law...
to Queen Elizabeth. He appears in the list of Queen’s Counsel between 1558 and 1603 as W. Ruswell and was Solicitor-General from 1559 until his death in 1566. He was succeeded by Richard Onslow
Richard Onslow (Solicitor General)
Richard Onslow was a 16th century English lawyer who served as Solicitor General and Speaker of the House of Commons....
. He purchased a number of estates in Somerset and Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
.
Family
William’s grandfather was Richard Rowswell (1473-1543) of Bradford-on-Tone, Somerset who married Alice Seeley of North CurryNorth Curry
North Curry is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated east of Taunton in the Taunton Deane district. The parish, which includes Knapp and Lower Knapp has a population of 1,625....
, Somerset. His uncles were: John Rowswell (d. 1553) of Bradford-on-Tone; Adam Rowswell (d. 1567); and William Rosewell (Rowswell) (d. 1568) of Dunkerton
Dunkerton, Somerset
Dunkerton is a small village and civil parish north east of Radstock, and south west of Bath, in the Bath and North East Somerset unitary authority, Somerset, England. The parish has a population of 479.-History:...
, Somerset. John Rowswell married Agnes Dyer of Wincanton
Wincanton
Wincanton is a small town in south Somerset, southwest England. The town lies on the A303 road, the main route between London and South West England, and has some light industry...
, Somerset and had issue. Adam Rowswell was rector of Orcheston St George
Orcheston
Orcheston is a civil parish and village in Wiltshire, England, lying on Salisbury Plain less than a mile north-west of neighbouring Shrewton. The present day village combines the two former parishes of Orcheston St Mary and Orcheston St George....
, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
in 1532; vicar of Clevedon
Clevedon
Clevedon is a town and civil parish in the unitary authority of North Somerset, which covers part of the ceremonial county of Somerset, England...
, Somerset in 1558; and rector of Shepton Mallet
Shepton Mallet
Shepton Mallet is a small rural town and civil parish in the Mendip district of Somerset in South West England. Situated approximately south of Bristol and east of Wells, the town is estimated to have a population of 9,700. It contains the administrative headquarters of Mendip District Council...
, Somerset in 1559. William Rosewell of Dunkerton married (1) Joan Fontneys and (2) Agnes Tilley and was the 2nd great grandfather of Reverend Thomas Rosewell
Thomas Rosewell
Reverend Thomas Rosewell was a non-conformist minister of Rotherhithe, Surrey who was found guilty of treason but subsequently pardoned by King Charles II.-Early years and education:...
.
About 1559 William Rosewell, the Solicitor-General, married Elizabeth, daughter of Matthew Dale, a wealthy haberdasher of Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
and London. She was the widow of Gregory Isham, of Braunston
Braunston
Braunston is a village and civil parish in the county of Northamptonshire, England. It has a population of 1,675 . Braunston is situated just off the A45 main road and lies between the towns of Rugby and Daventry....
, Northants
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
who died in 1558. She is not mentioned in the Solicitor General's will, so it is assumed that she predeceased him. William and Elizabeth had three children – Parry (d. 1573), William (1561-1593), and Philippa. Parry died before he came of age. The second son, William, was born in 1561 and inherited from Parry in 1573. This William came into the possession of Forde Abbey
Forde Abbey
Forde Abbey is a privately owned former Cistercian monastery in Dorset, England. The house and gardens are run as a tourist attraction while the estate is farmed to provide additional revenue...
, Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
in about 1581 and had one child, Henry
Henry Rosewell
Sir Henry Rosewell of Forde Abbey, Devon, was a puritan and supporter of the New World colonies.-Early years and education:Henry Rosewell was born on 1 November 1590 at Forde Abbey in Devon...
. William died at Ilminster
Ilminster
Ilminster is a country town and civil parish in the countryside of south west Somerset, England, with a population of 4,781. Bypassed a few years ago, the town now lies just east of the intersection of the A303 and the A358...
, Somerset in 1593. Philippa married Sir George Speke of Whitelackington
Whitelackington
Whitelackington is a village and civil parish on the A303 one mile north east of Ilminster, in Somerset, England. The parish includes Dillington Park and the hamlets of Atherstone and Ashwell.-Etymology:...
, Somerset in 1584.
Career
William Rosewell was at the Middle TempleMiddle Temple
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers; the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn and Lincoln's Inn...
, London, in 1556 and was chosen as Assistant to the Reader of that institution in 1562. William Rosewell was appointed as Solicitor-General to Queen Elizabeth on 1 February 1559.
Only four items have been found relative to his action while in office. With the the Attorney-General
Attorney General for England and Wales
Her Majesty's Attorney General for England and Wales, usually known simply as the Attorney General, is one of the Law Officers of the Crown. Along with the subordinate Solicitor General for England and Wales, the Attorney General serves as the chief legal adviser of the Crown and its government in...
, Gerard, he signed a note, concerning grants of privileges to the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, about 1561; and in 1563 he made a note of the grant of the advowson
Advowson
Advowson is the right in English law of a patron to present or appoint a nominee to a vacant ecclesiastical benefice or church living, a process known as presentation. In effect this means the right to nominate a person to hold a church office in a parish...
of Northchurch
Northchurch
Northchurch is a village and civil parish in the Bulbourne valley in Hertfordshire lying between Berkhamsted and Tring.Situated on the Roman road Akeman Street, a major Roman villa dating from about AD 60 was discovered in the village in the 1970s. The settlement predates the neighbouring larger...
. He was one of 13 noblemen and officers of the state appointed as mourners for the honourable celebration of the funeral of the Emperor
Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand I was Holy Roman Emperor from 1558 and king of Bohemia and Hungary from 1526 until his death. Before his accession, he ruled the Austrian hereditary lands of the Habsburgs in the name of his elder brother, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.The key events during his reign were the contest...
in 1564. The Chamber Accounts of 1562-63 show that he received a reward of 40 shillings per year.
Despite a humble background, he was able to use his education to achieve high professional and social status. His marriage to the rich widow, Elizabeth Isham, may also have assisted him to acquire a large property portfolio, which in many instances he purchased from those who had obtained property following the dissolution of the monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
.
Landholdings
In 1556 Sir Thomas Smith, of AnkerwickeWraysbury
Wraysbury, traditionally spelt Wyrardisbury, is a village and civil parish in Berkshire, England. It is located in the very east of the county, in the part that was in Buckinghamshire until 1974...
, in the county of Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
, sold the Manor and advowson of Yarlington
Yarlington
Yarlington is a village and civil parish, near the source of the River Cam, in the English county of Somerset.Administratively, Yarlington shares a parish council with nearby North Cadbury and forms part of the district of South Somerset....
, Somerset to William Rosewell, of Loxton, and William Rosewell, his son and heir of the Middle Temple
Middle Temple
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers; the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn and Lincoln's Inn...
, London for £1,000. A lease written in 1562 shows that William Rosewell, Solicitor-General, lived at the Yarlington Manor. The Solicitor-General died before his father who then left it to the third generation, William Rosewell of Forde Abbey
Forde Abbey
Forde Abbey is a privately owned former Cistercian monastery in Dorset, England. The house and gardens are run as a tourist attraction while the estate is farmed to provide additional revenue...
. After being in the hands of the Rosewells for 36 years the Manor and advowson of Yarlington
Yarlington
Yarlington is a village and civil parish, near the source of the River Cam, in the English county of Somerset.Administratively, Yarlington shares a parish council with nearby North Cadbury and forms part of the district of South Somerset....
was sold to Sir Henry Berkeley, of Bruton
Bruton
Bruton is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated on the River Brue seven miles south-east of Shepton Mallet, just south of Snakelake Hill and Coombe Hill, ten miles north-west of Gillingham and twelve miles south-west of Frome in the South Somerset district. The town has a...
in 1592 for £2,400.
A deed of 10 November 1563 shows that William Rosewell together with associates, Humphrey Colles (Coles), Henry Portman, and William Hawley (Halley), Esquires, purchased the Manor and advowson of Thurloxton
Thurloxton
Thurloxton is a village and civil parish north east of Taunton, and south west of Bridgwater on the south-eastern slopes of the Quantock Hills in the Sedgemoor district of the county of Somerset, in England...
, Somerset. The Manor was sold before his death in 1566.
At the time of his death the Solicitor-General held 'the manors of Ermington
Ermington, Devon
Ermington is a village and civil parish located approximately south of the town of Ivybridge in the county of Devon, England. The village is in the South Hams district and is twinned with the commune of Clécy, in Normandy, France. It is known well for its crooked church spire, which a pub has been...
and (Carswell/Kerswell)
Broadhembury
Broadhembury is a village and civil parish in the East Devon district of Devon, England, about 5 miles north-west of Honiton.According to the 2001 census the village had a population of 654...
, and of the Hundred of Ermington in Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
; the manors of Southbrent
Brent Knoll
Brent Knoll is a village in Somerset, England, which lies on the southern edge of Brent Knoll – a hill with a height of 137 metres that dominates the low surrounding landscape of the Somerset Levels.-History:...
, Stapleton
Martock
Martock is a large village and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated on the edge of the Somerset Levels north west of Yeovil in the South Somerset district. The parish includes Hurst, approximately one mile south of the village, and Bower Hinton, which is located at the western end of the...
, Limington
Limington
Limington is a village and parish in Somerset, England, situated north of Yeovil in the South Somerset district. The village has a population of 199...
and Alford
Alford, Somerset
Alford is a village and parish on the River Alham, in Somerset, England, situated south of Shepton Mallet and two miles west of Castle Cary in the South Somerset district. The village has a population of 63. It lies on the River Cary.-History:...
, in Somerset; the advowsons
Advowson
Advowson is the right in English law of a patron to present or appoint a nominee to a vacant ecclesiastical benefice or church living, a process known as presentation. In effect this means the right to nominate a person to hold a church office in a parish...
of the Churches of Limington
Limington
Limington is a village and parish in Somerset, England, situated north of Yeovil in the South Somerset district. The village has a population of 199...
and Alford
Alford, Somerset
Alford is a village and parish on the River Alham, in Somerset, England, situated south of Shepton Mallet and two miles west of Castle Cary in the South Somerset district. The village has a population of 63. It lies on the River Cary.-History:...
; and 300 messuages
Messuage
In law, the term messuage equates to a dwelling-house and includes outbuildings, orchard, curtilage or court-yard and garden. At one time messuage supposedly had a more extensive meaning than that conveyed by the words house or site, but such distinction no longer survives.A capital messuage is the...
, 200 tofts, 6 watermills, 2 windmills, 6 dovecotes, 300 gardens, 3000 acres of land, 1000 acres of meadow, 2000 acres of pasture, 200 acres of wood, 3000 acres of furze and heath, and £20 of rent with the appurtenances
Tenement (law)
A tenement , in law, is anything that is held, rather than owned. This usage is a holdover from feudalism, which still forms the basis of all real-estate law in the English-speaking world, in which the monarch alone owned the allodial title to all the land within his kingdom.Under feudalism, land...
in Ermington
Ermington, Devon
Ermington is a village and civil parish located approximately south of the town of Ivybridge in the county of Devon, England. The village is in the South Hams district and is twinned with the commune of Clécy, in Normandy, France. It is known well for its crooked church spire, which a pub has been...
, Carswell
Broadhembury
Broadhembury is a village and civil parish in the East Devon district of Devon, England, about 5 miles north-west of Honiton.According to the 2001 census the village had a population of 654...
, Southbrent
Brent Knoll
Brent Knoll is a village in Somerset, England, which lies on the southern edge of Brent Knoll – a hill with a height of 137 metres that dominates the low surrounding landscape of the Somerset Levels.-History:...
, Stapleton
Martock
Martock is a large village and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated on the edge of the Somerset Levels north west of Yeovil in the South Somerset district. The parish includes Hurst, approximately one mile south of the village, and Bower Hinton, which is located at the western end of the...
, Limington
Limington
Limington is a village and parish in Somerset, England, situated north of Yeovil in the South Somerset district. The village has a population of 199...
and Alford
Alford, Somerset
Alford is a village and parish on the River Alham, in Somerset, England, situated south of Shepton Mallet and two miles west of Castle Cary in the South Somerset district. The village has a population of 63. It lies on the River Cary.-History:...
.’
Will
As stated by Frances B. James, "the will of `her Highnes Solicitor General’ is dated 10 June 1566, and was probated 4 November 1566. In it he states that by a deed, dated 1 May, ‘last passed’ he granted all his estates in trust to ‘my verrie trustie frendes Humfrey Colleys (Humphrey Coles, Sheriff of Somerset, 1557) Henrie Portman (Son of William PortmanWilliam Portman
Sir William Portman was an English judge and Chief Justice of the King’s Bench.-Origins and early career:Portman was the son of John Portman, who was buried in the Temple Church on 5 June 1521, by Alice, daughter of William Knoell of Dorset...
) Amice Pawlett (Amias Paulet
Amias Paulet
Sir Amias Paulet was an English diplomat, Governor of Jersey, and the gaoler for a period of Mary, Queen of Scots.-Life:...
) John Clifton Nicholas Wadham
Nicholas Wadham
Nicholas Wadham was the benefactor of Wadham College, Oxford.-Life:Wadham was probably born at Merrifield, near Ilton, Somerset. He was the only son of John Wadham and his wife, Joan, daughter of John Tregarthin and widow of John Kellaway. A biography written before 1637 notes Wadham as attending...
William Halley (Joint owner of Buckland Priory
Buckland Priory
Buckland Priory was established around 1167 in Lower Durston, Somerset, England....
) John Eveleighe Esquiers, William Rosewell father of me the saide William and Henrie Halley gentlemen.’ A legacy of £5 he leaves ‘to the Poore Howsholders within the parrishes of Whittington Colledg Sanicte Thomas Apples [Apostle's] and elswhere within the Cytie of London to be distributed amonges them in Allmes as shalbe thought good by the Deane of Powles withe the assente of som of my seid trustie frendes.’ He appoints as his executors his sons, Parry and William, and his brothers-in-law, Henry Dale and Matthew Dale. The ‘right Honerable Sir William Cecill (William Cecil
William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley
William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley , KG was an English statesman, the chief advisor of Queen Elizabeth I for most of her reign, twice Secretary of State and Lord High Treasurer from 1572...
) Knight the Qluenes majesties principall Secretarie and Gilbert Gerrarde (Gilbert Gerard
Gilbert Gerard
Sir Gilbert Gerard was Attorney-General to Elizabeth I for over twenty years, who later became Master of the Rolls.-Early life:...
) esquier her highnes Attorney generall‘ were requested to act as overseers. According to this document, his children were to be ‘well godlie and vertuoslie brought opp and maineteyned according to their degrees in lerninge nurture and vertue and that my saide sonnes at their apte yeres of discretion shalbe putt to the study of the Lawes so long tyme and in suche sorte as shall seeme metest to the discretion of my said trusty friendes. ' "