Fifth son of George Rolle, Stevenstone, Devon, and his first wife Ellinor, dau. of Henry Bakers, London ; b. ; ed.Winchester Coll., scholar 1549, and New Coll.Oxford ; Fellow, New Coll. 1551-60 ; BA 1555 ; MA 1560 ; BD 22 Jan 1572/3 ; DD 1585 ; when at Oxford described as being from Mark Lane, City of London ; Usher, Westminster School, in 1560 ; Head Master, Westminster School 1562 (for a letter from him, as Robert Rolles, “schoolmaster of Westminster”, to Sir William Cecil (afterwards Lord Burghley), “concerning a prebend”, dated 6 Oct 1562, see CSP Dom 1547-80, 208) ; described as William Rolle WAM 38134 ; ordained ; nominated Prebendary of Westminster 1 Jan 1562 (but the appointment may have been ineffective) (as Robert Rolles MA) ; a Latin poem of “Roberti Rolli Oxoniensis, Sacrae Theologiae Baccholaurei, Scholae Westmonasteriensis quondam moderatoris” is prefixed to Edward Grant’s Graecae Linguae Spicilegium, 1575 ; Prebendary of Wells 21 Jan 1573/4 (as Robert Rolls BD), occurs 25 Nov 1591, successor installed 16 April 1597 ; Rector of Stoke Climsland, Cornwall 7 Apr 1574 – deprived 17 Feb 1596/7 ; his will, dated 7 Jun 1601 and proved PCC 15 Jun 1601, shows that at his death he owned the advowson of the Rectory of Lockinge, Berks., “which I purchased of the late Bisshop of Oxenforde [John Underhill, at the time of the purchase Rector of Lincoln College, Oxford]”, interests in house property at Werrington, Devon, and at Crane Dock, City of London, and a farm at Stoke Climsland, Cornwall ; m. Ellen, sister of Rev.Robert Chaloner DD, Canon of Windsor, and Rector of Amersham, Bucks. ; d. Jun 1601.
