Richard Rolt facts for kids

Richard Rolt (born 1724, died 1770) was an English writer. He was also known as a poet and someone who wrote stories for operas (a librettist).

About His Life

Richard Rolt was born in Shrewsbury, England. He went to Shrewsbury School. His family had connections to important people, like Samuel Rolt, who was a Member of Parliament. Richard got a government job in northern England.

In 1745, he was thought to have joined the Jacobite army. This was a group trying to put a different king on the throne. Because of this, he lost his job. He then moved to Dublin, Ireland, hoping to find new work. He had a relative there named Ambrose Philips who might help him.

In 1748, Rolt returned to London with Ambrose Philips. Philips died the next year. By then, Rolt had started training to become a lawyer. He also met people involved in the Whig political party. The Whigs were a major political group in Britain at the time.

Rolt earned his living by writing. It's said he wrote over a hundred songs and other pieces for popular entertainment spots. These included places like Vauxhall Gardens and Sadler's Wells. He also wrote a lot for magazines and worked as an editor. He even worked with another writer, Christopher Smart, on a monthly magazine called The Universal Visiter.

Richard Rolt died on March 2, 1770, when he was 45 years old.

His Writings

Richard Rolt had important people who supported his work, like General James Oglethorpe. He published a long poem called Cambria in 1749. It was dedicated to Prince George, who later became King George III. Another poem he wrote in 1749 was also very popular.

He also wrote a four-volume history book about the wars in Europe between 1739 and 1748. Even the famous French writer Voltaire enjoyed this book!

Rolt wrote the stories for two operas that were performed at the Drury Lane Theatre. These were Eliza (1754) and Almena (1764). The music for Eliza was by Thomas Arne. For Almena, the music was by Thomas Arne and Jonathan Battishill. He also translated an opera story from another writer, called The Royal Shepherd (1764).

Some people thought Rolt was just a "hack writer," meaning he wrote quickly for money. But he published many different kinds of works, including:

• The Ancient Rosciad (1753)
• Memoirs of the Life of … James Lindesay, Earl of Crawfurd and Lindesay (1753)
• A New and Accurate History of South America (1756)
• A New Dictionary of Trade and Commerce (1756). The famous writer Samuel Johnson wrote the introduction for this dictionary. Some people thought Johnson might have given Rolt some ideas for the book.
• The Lives of the principal reformers, both Englishmen and foreigners (1759). This book was about important religious reformers from 1360 to 1600.

Rolt also edited a travel book called Travels through Italy (1766) by John Northall.

After Rolt died, his friends published some of his unfinished writings. These included a History of the Isle of Man (1773) and a six-volume History of the British Dominions in North America. A collection of his best writings was published in 1772. It was sold to help his wife, Mary.

His Family

Richard Rolt was married twice. He had a daughter with each of his wives. His second wife, Mary, lived for many years after he died. She was related to the Percy family from Worcester. After Rolt's death, a bishop named Thomas Percy gave her a regular payment to help her.