Denys Rolle (died 1797) facts for kids
Denys Rolle (1725 – 1797) was an important landowner and politician from Devon, England. He owned many estates, and by the time he died, he was the biggest landowner in Devon. He was also known for being very generous, giving money to charities and religious groups.
Denys Rolle spent a lot of his life in Florida. He tried to create a special "ideal society" there. He wanted to build a perfect colony for poor, homeless, or even criminal English people. He called this place Rollestown or Charlotta. However, his plan didn't work out. Many of the people he brought over left him.
After his first plan failed, he started using enslaved people to work on his colony. When Florida was no longer a British territory in 1783, he moved his colony to a smaller area on Exuma in the Bahama Islands. He wrote a long report in 1765 about the difficulties he faced in Florida.
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Life and Family History
The Rolle family was one of the wealthiest and most powerful families in Devon. They owned many different properties. Their oldest family home was Stevenstone near Great Torrington. Another important family center was Bicton, which he inherited from the Denys family. Denys Rolle was named after this family.
Early Life of Denys Rolle
Denys Rolle was the youngest of four sons. His father was John Rolle (1679–1730). His mother was Isabella Charlotte Walter. Denys was born on July 19, 1725, in St Giles's Church, St Giles in the Wood. This church was near Stevenstone.
He went to New College, Oxford when he was 16 years old. His older brothers were Henry Rolle, 1st Baron Rolle and John Rolle Walter. John Rolle Walter later became a MP.
Marriage and Children
On May 22, 1750, Denys Rolle married Anne Chichester (1721–1781). She was from the important Chichester family of Hall, Bishop's Tawton, Devon.
Denys and Anne had several children:
- John Rolle, 1st Baron Rolle (1751–1842), who was their oldest son and heir.
- Denys Bruce Rolle (born 1758).
- Samuel Rolle (born 1759).
- Isabella Henrietta Charlotte Rolle (1754–1770).
- Anne Rolle (1755–1842).
- Lucilla Rolle (1757–1851).
- Christiana Philippa Maria Rolle (1759–1831).
- Florence Rolle (born 1762).
Denys Rolle's Character
Denys Rolle was seen as a modest and somewhat unusual person. He enjoyed working like a regular farm laborer. He had very strict morals. He was against things like ale-houses, cockfighting, and bear-baiting. He was also very kind to animals and felt a special connection with nature.
However, some people also described him differently. They said he could be stubborn and easily angered. He was also known to get into arguments and lawsuits. Some even thought he was a bit too proud or not very diplomatic.
Political Career
Rolle became a Member of Parliament (MP) for Barnstaple in 1761. After 1764, he spent most of his time on his colony in Florida. This meant he was less involved in politics in Barnstaple or in England. He was re-elected in 1768.
He didn't belong to any specific political party. When he was in Parliament, he usually voted with the group that opposed the government. However, he didn't seem to speak much in the House of Commons. He lost his seat in the 1774 election. He was defeated by William Devaynes, who supported the government.
Helping Others: Philanthropy
Denys Rolle was a very generous person. He gave a lot of money to charities and religious groups. He started several charity schools in different areas. He also gave land to each school so the children could have jobs.
In 1790, he helped rebuild part of St Giles's Church. This was the church for Stevenstone. A stone shield above a door in the church shows "DR 1790" to remember his contribution.
Death
Denys Rolle died on June 26, 1797. He was 72 years old. He passed away from angina during one of his usual long walks. He was walking between his homes at Hudscott and Stevenstone. He was buried in St Giles's Church on July 1, 1797.
A local historian, Rev. J.H.B. Andrews, wrote about his death. He mentioned a place called Deadman's, where Denys Rolle died under a tree. Even though he was the richest man in Devon, he always preferred to walk.
In St Giles Church, there is a monument on the wall dedicated to Denys Rolle. His second daughter, Anne, had it built to remember him.
