Rowland Hill (MP)

Sir
Rowland Hill
C16th portrait of Sir Rowland Hill
Portrait of Sir Rowland Hill of Soulton
Publisher of the Geneva Bible, Lord Mayor of London, Member of the Privy Council, Member of Parliament, Sheriff of the City of London, Member of the Council of Wales and the Marches, Master of the Worshipful Company of Mercers,
Lord Mayor of London
In office
1549–1549
MonarchEdward VI
Preceded bySir Henry Amcotes
Succeeded bySir Andrew Judde
Sheriff of London
In office
1542–1542
MonarchHenry VIII
Personal details
Born?1498
Hodnet, Shropshire
Died28 or 29 October 1561
London
Resting placeSt Stephen Walbrook, London
51°30′45.46″N 0°5′23.71″W / 51.5126278°N 0.0899194°W / 51.5126278; -0.0899194
RelationsViscount Hill Sir Rowland Hill

Sir Rowland Hill (Hyll or Hylle or Hull or Hall) of Soulton (c. 1495–1561), was the publisher of the Geneva Bible,[1] thereby earning the title "The First Protestant Lord Mayor of London", having held that office in 1549. He was a statesman, polymath, merchant and patron of art and philanthropist active through the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I. He is associated with the recovery and development of Tudor English drama[2] a generation before Shakespeare, and events that Hill was involved in may have shaped one or more Shakespearean characters.[3][4]

As a political operator, he has been said to have been "influential at the highest level".[5][6][7]

  1. ^ The Holy Bible ... With a General Introduction and Short Explanatory Notes, by B. Boothroyd. James Duncan. 1836.
  2. ^ "Nigel Hinton Nigel's Notes on Shrewsbury Mystery Plays". www.nigelhinton.co.uk. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  3. ^ Tooley, David (14 June 2023). "Archaeologists coming closer to breaking the 'code' of ancient Shropshire hall which folklore links to Shakespeare". www.shropshirestar.com. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  4. ^ "January 2024". www.stmaryabchurch.org.uk. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
  5. ^ Sutton, Anne F. (5 December 2016). The Mercery of London: Trade, Goods and People, 1130–1578. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-351-88570-6.
  6. ^ "Soulton Hall". Historic Houses. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
  7. ^ "Sir Rowland Hill". www.wemcofe.co.uk. Retrieved 14 January 2024.