Rowland Dawkins facts for kids

Rowland Dawkins was a Welsh soldier and politician who lived in the 1600s. He was a strong supporter of the Commonwealth, which was the government of England, Scotland, and Ireland after the English Civil War. He served in the House of Commons, which is like a parliament, at different times between 1654 and 1656.

Early Life and Military Career

Rowland Dawkins was the son of George Dawkins and Elizabeth Glyn. His family came from Clivrough in Wales.

He became a colonel in the Commonwealth army, which means he was a high-ranking officer. In 1650, he was made governor of two important towns in Wales: Carmarthen and Tenby. A governor is like a leader in charge of a place. The next year, in 1651, he helped stop a small uprising in a place called Llanbadarn.

He was also appointed to the High Court of Justice in 1651. This was a special court set up during the Commonwealth period. In 1654, he became a Military Commissioner for South Wales, which meant he had important military duties in that area.

Political Journey

In 1654, Rowland Dawkins was chosen to be a Member of Parliament for Carmarthenshire. This meant he represented the people of that area in the parliament. He also became an alderman of Swansea in 1655, which is a local government official.

He was re-elected as an MP for Carmarthenshire in 1656. He was in charge of the Militia Troops (local soldiers) in Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire, and Cardiganshire until 1659.

In 1659, he was elected as an MP for both Carmarthen and Cardigan. However, he could only represent one place, so he sat for Cardigan. Later, in 1679, he was still in command of troops in Tenby.

Family and Death

Rowland Dawkins married a woman named Mary Bowen. Her father was George Bowen from Lovegrove.

Rowland Dawkins passed away in 1691. He was buried in the main part of Penmark church.